HOUSTON (AP) — Tom Brady is getting quite a collection of
playoff wins and Super Bowl MVP trophies.

The New England quarterback has won all six of his postseason
games, including two Super Bowls in three years. He threw for 354
yards and three touchdowns yesterday in leading the Patriots past
the Carolina Panthers 32-29.

Brady also made up for a critical interception in the Carolina
end zone by guiding the Patriots to a go-ahead score with 2:51
remaining.

“We realized we had done it so many times this
year,” Brady said of coming back. “We knew we could
come up with the plays.”

When the scrappy Panthers came back to tie it, Brady engineered
a 37-yard drive in the final minute. His 17-yard completion to
Deion Branch on third-down — against a shockingly soft
defensive alignment — set up Adam Vinatieri’s 41-yard
field goal to win it with four seconds remaining.

In all, Brady was 32-for-48, with five-yard touchdown throws to
Branch and David Givens and a one-yarder to, of all people,
linebacker Mike Vrabel, who reported as a tight end.

It was a more masterly performance than in 2002, when Brady,
then a first-year starter, helped New England upset St. Louis
20-17. Vinatieri also won that game on a late field goal, from 48
yards.

“I think each game is different,” Brady said.
“To win this the way we did is incredible, unbelievable. A
great all-around game.

“I don’t know how I do it.”

And just as against the Rams, Brady made clutch throws
throughout the final quarter in taking New England to its 15th
straight victory.

Indeed, he made sure the interception by Reggie Howard with 7:38
to go did not cost New England the championship.

Carolina turned that pickoff into an 85-yard touchdown pass from
Jake Delhomme to Muhsin Muhammad, the longest play in Super Bowl
history.

With Carolina on top 22-21, Brady went six-for-eight on a
68-yard drive.

He converted two third downs on the series with perfect passes,
then found Vrabel in the front portion of the end zone.

After Delhomme rallied Carolina again and the first overtime in
Super Bowl history loomed, Brady and New England got a break. John
Kasay’s kickoff sailed out of bounds, giving the Patriots the
ball at their 40 with 1:08 left.

Brady had two 13-yard completions to Troy Brown, leading to the
17-yarder to Branch when the Panthers played a conservative
defense.

“Deion ran a great route, I laid it up for him, and it
gave us enough time for Adam to run on the field,” he said.
“We made enough plays at the end there to win it.”