The New England Patriots booked their trip to the team’s sixth Super Bowl appearance with a 45-7 dismantling of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. 

With the victory, coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady became the coach and quarterback duo with the most number of visits to the championship game in NFL history.

Brady went 23-for-35 on the day, throwing for 226 yards and three passing touchdowns. 

Running back LeGarrette Blount ran for 148 yards and cashed in three scores of his own, including a 13-yard run with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter that made the score 38-7 and put the game out of reach.

After the game, the often blunt Belichick had a simple message- “I only have one thing to say. We’re on to Seattle.” 

His statement mimicked something he said after a 41-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, after which the Patriots’ ability to win was questioned. “We’re on to Cincinnati,” he said at the time, and New England rattled off seven straight wins to lock up a playoff berth.

It took New England less than five minutes to put their first points on the board, converting a misplayed Colts punt into a one-yard Blount touchdown run. 

After Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri pushed a 51-yard field goal wide right, the Patriots marched down the field and added a second score before the first quarter was out. 

Vinatieri, who won two Super Bowls while playin for the Patriots from 1996 to 2005 before joining the Colts, set a record with his 30th postseason game appearance.

The Patriots added a field goal with nine seconds to go before halftime, giving the squad a 17-7 lead at the break. Once the teams returned to the field, the Patriots scored four times on their first four possessions during the second half, including a 16-yard touchdown from Brady to offensive lineman Nate Solder.

The New England defense was on point as well, holding Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to just 126 passing yards and intercepting two of his throws. The defense also only gave up a total of 83 rushing yards to the entire Colts team. 

Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, named to the Pro Bowl last week, was held to just one catch for 36 yards.

“I know we’ve had some ups and downs this year,” Brady said after the game, “But right now we’re up, baby, and we’re going to try to stay up for one more game.”

The Patriots will square off in the Super Bowl against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, who used a miracle comeback to defeat the Green Bay Packers.

Trailing 16-0 at the half and 19-7 with less than three minutes remaining in the game, Seattle cut the lead to 19-14 when quarterback Russell Wilson scampered in for a one-yard touchdown run. 

After a successful onside kick, Seattle grabbed a 22-19 lead when running back Marshawn Lynch rumbled in from 24 yards out, though Green Bay added a field goal with 14 seconds left to send the game to overtime.

On the first drive of the overtime session, wide receiver Jermaine Kearse caught his only catch of the game from Wilson, scoring from 35 yards out to send the Seahawks to their second Super Bowl in as many years. Kearse’s two touchdowns this postseason is one more than he had all regular season.

Both the Seahawks and Patriots were the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences, the AFC and NFC, going ino the playoffs. 

This was the second straight year that the Seahawks and Patriots were the top teams at the conclusion of the regular season.

The Super Bowl will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Feb. 1. 

— Avi Gold