2006 New England Patriots season The 2006 New England Patriots season was the 37th season for the team in the National Football League and 47th season overall . They finished with a 12 – 4 record and a division title before losing to the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs . The Patriots entered the season without their two starting wide receivers from 2005 ; David Givens left in free agency while Deion Branch held out for a new contract before being traded in early September . Eventually replacing them were Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney , who was signed as a street free agent in October . Back - to - back losses in November ended the team ' s streak of 57 games without consecutive losses , three games shy of the NFL record . With a 12 – 4 record and their fourth straight division title , the Patriots entered the playoffs as the fourth seed , defeating the New York Jets in the Wild Card Playoffs . A close win over the top - seeded San Diego Chargers on the road set the Patriots up to face their rival Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship . Despite opening up a 21 – 3 lead , the Patriots stumbled down the stretch at the RCA Dome and the Colts emerged with a 38 – 34 victory . Offseason . Staff changes . First - year defensive coordinator Eric Mangini was hired to be head coach of the New York Jets , marking the second year in a row that New England ' s defensive coordinator was hired as a head coach . He would be replaced as defensive coordinator by Dean Pees , who had been linebackers coach for the club the past two years and as secondary coach by assistant secondary coach Joel Collier . Assistant offensive line coach Matt Patricia was moved to linebackers coach to replace Pees . Quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels was promoted to offensive coordinator after New England went one season without replacing former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis . Defensive coaching assistant Mike Judge was moved to an offensive coaching assistant , while Josh Boyer and Kevin Bickers joined the coaching staff as defensive and special teams coaching assistants , respectively . Departures . Free agency saw multiple departures for the Patriots , including long - time kicker Adam Vinatieri signing with the Indianapolis Colts , and wide receiver David Givens signing with the Tennessee Titans . Linebacker Willie McGinest , the Patriots ' first - round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft , was released on March 9 and signed with the Cleveland Browns six days later . Tyrone Poole , Duane Starks , and Chad Brown were also released early in the offseason , with Brown returning for training camp before being cut again prior to the start of the season . Other free agency departures were André Davis ( Buffalo Bills ) , Christian Fauria ( Washington Redskins ) , Matt Chatham ( New York Jets ) , Tim Dwight ( New York Jets ) , Tom Ashworth ( Seattle Seahawks ) , and Michael Stone ( Houston Texans ) . The preseason also saw the eventual loss of Super Bowl MVP wide receiver Deion Branch . Branch held out all of mini - camp , training camp , the preseason and into the regular season before eventually being traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a first - round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft on September 11 . Also during the preseason , on August 8 , offensive lineman Ross Tucker was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional late - round 2007 draft pick . Two weeks later , offensive tackle Brandon Gorin was traded to the Arizona Cardinals for another conditional 2007 draft choice , which later became one of the Patriots ' four picks of the 2007 sixth round . As the Patriots made their final roster cut - downs , they also traded running back Patrick Cobbs to the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 1 for a conditional 2007 draft pick . Both Tucker and Cobbs did not make their respective rosters and the Patriots did not receive the conditional picks . Arrivals . The offseason brought the arrival of fifth - year wide receiver Reche Caldwell from the San Diego Chargers , who would become the Patriots ' leading receiver in 2006 . Another acquisition came during the preseason , when the Patriots signed veteran linebacker Junior Seau , who had retired just four days earlier . Other arrivals were Mel Mitchell , Martin Gramatica , Tebucky Jones , and Barry Gardner . Free agents or potential free agents Don Davis , Hank Poteat , Ross Tucker , Artrell Hawkins , Chad Scott , Troy Brown , Stephen Neal , and Heath Evans were all re - signed , while Richard Seymour , Dan Koppen , and Russ Hochstein all received long - term contact extensions . On June 5 , the Patriots traded wide receiver Bethel Johnson to the New Orleans Saints for defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan , the sixth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft . Sullivan was arrested on June 30 in New Orleans , Louisiana for marijuana possession after being stopped for a vehicle music noise violation . Neither players made their respective rosters to begin the 2006 season . On September 2 , wide receiver Doug Gabriel was traded to the Patriots from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for the Patriots ' 2007 fifth - round pick . Opening training camp roster . As of the Patriots ' first training camp practice at Gillette Stadium on July 28 , they had the NFL maximum of 80 players signed to their roster . Deion Branch did not count against the limit as he held out of training camp and was placed on the Reserve / Did Not Report list . Also , the Patriots received eight total roster exemptions for the NFL Europe allocations of Earl Charles , Todd Mortensen , Rich Musinski , Zuriel Smith , Antwain Spann , Nick Steitz , and Ray Ventrone ( one for each player , plus one bonus exemption because of the time Ventrone spent on a practice squad in 2006 ) . Regular season results . Week 1 : vs . Buffalo Bills . The Patriots opened the regular season at home against the Buffalo Bills . On the very first play of the game , quarterback Tom Brady was sacked by Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes , causing a fumble , which was recovered and returned as a five - yard touchdown to put the Bills ahead to an early lead . New England would tie the game with a nine - yard Brady touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Brown , but the Bills re - took the lead a 53 - yard field goal by Bills kicker Rian Lindell and an 18 - yard touchdown run from running back Anthony Thomas . Despite their first half struggles , the Patriots would win after a 17 - yard pass to running back Kevin Faulk , a 32 - yard field goal by rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski , and a safety by defensive end Ty Warren on quarterback J . P . Losman to secure a 19 – 17 Patriots victory . The win was the 100th of Bill Belichick ' s career . Week 2 : at New York Jets . The Patriots traveled to " The Meadowlands " for an AFC East matchup with the New York Jets , as head coach Bill Belichick would go up against his former assistant coach in first - year Jets head coach Eric Mangini . The Patriots outscored the Jets 17 – 0 in the first half , beginning with a one - yard Corey Dillon touchdown run in the first quarter . In the second quarter , the Pats increased their lead with a Gostkowski field goal and a 13 - yard touchdown catch by rookie wide receiver Chad Jackson . In the third quarter , the Patriots continued on their lead , with running back Laurence Maroney getting a one - yard touchdown run . However , their lead would start to diminish , as the Jets rebounded with 14 points on a 71 - yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and a 46 - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Laveranues Coles . The Patriots were able to hold the Jets to a field goal in the fourth quarter , preserving a seven - point lead and their second win of the season . With the win , the Patriots ' franchise record climbed above . 500 for the first time since the 1968 season . Week 3 : vs . Denver Broncos . The Patriots returned home for a Week 3 Sunday night game with the Denver Broncos , who eliminated the Patriots from the playoffs in 2005 . Both sides prevented each other from striking up a single point in the first quarter , but in the second quarter , the Patriots fell behind early with kicker Jason Elam kicking a 23 - yard field goal and wide receiver Javon Walker catching a 32 - yard touchdown pass . After a scoreless third quarter , the Broncos increased their lead to 17 after another Walker touchdown reception . New England would counter with a score of their own , as Brady threw an eight - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Doug Gabriel , the Patriots ' only points of a 17 – 7 loss . Week 4 : at Cincinnati Bengals . Hoping to preserve their division lead , the Patriots flew to Paul Brown Stadium for a Week 4 showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals . In the first quarter , the Bengals opened the scoring with two Shayne Graham field goals . The Patriots would get on the board in the second quarter , as Maroney ran in for a 11 - yard touchdown and Brady completed a 25 - yard touchdown pass to Gabriel . Down by eight in the third quarter , running back Rudi Johnson ran two yards for a touchdown , the final Cincinnati points of the game . The Patriots took their one - point lead and turned it into a 25 - point win , starting with a Maroney 25 - yard touchdown run . In the fourth quarter , Gostkowski kicked a 24 - yard field goal , Dillon scored from one yard out on a run , and Brady completed a three - yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Graham . With their victory , the Patriots advanced to 3 – 1 and maintained their lead in the AFC East . Week 5 : vs . Miami Dolphins . Following a road victory over Cincinnati , the Patriots went back home for Week 5 , as they faced the Miami Dolphins . In the first quarter , Gostkowski kicked a 35 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , New England continued to build on their lead , as Gostkowski kicked a 31 - yard field goal , while Brady completed a 10 - yard touchdown pass to Troy Brown . The Dolphins responded with a two - yard touchdown run by running back Ronnie Brown and a 40 - yard field goal by Olindo Mare as the first half came to a close . After a scoreless third quarter , the Patriots secured their victory with the only points of the second half , a one - yard touchdown pass to Kevin Faulk . With the win , the Patriots advanced 4 – 1 . Week 7 : at Buffalo Bills . Coming off their bye week , the Patriots flew to Ralph Wilson Stadium for a rematch with their AFC East rival , the Buffalo Bills . Dillon got the Patriots off to an early start with an eight - yard touchdown run . Even though Bills ' Rian Lindell got Buffalo on the board with a 40 - yard field goal , Dillon again helped the Patriots increase their lead with a 12 - yard touchdown run . After a scoreless second quarter , Brady hooked up with Jackson on a 35 - yard touchdown pass for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , Lindell would add a 46 - yard field goal , but Brady put the game away with a five - yard touchdown pass to Gabriel , giving New England the season sweep over Buffalo and a 5 – 1 record . Week 8 : at Minnesota Vikings . The Patriots travelled to the Metrodome for a " Monday Night Football " showdown with the Minnesota Vikings , who , like the Patriots , boasted an excellent rushing defense . The Patriots , who took to the air with a spread offense for the entire game , opened with a seven - play , 86 - yard strike that ended with a touchdown pass from Brady to wide receiver Reche Caldwell . Their next drive was for 93 yards which resulted in a 23 - yard Gostkowski field goal . And just before halftime the Patriots moved 74 yards in 11 plays to take a 17 – 0 lead on a nine - yard scoring toss to tight end Benjamin Watson . The only Vikings score of the game came on a 71 - yard punt return by Mewelde Moore in the third quarter ; Laurence Maroney immediately answered on the ensuing kickoff , with a 77 - yard return to Minnesota ' s 21 - yard line , his second return of over 70 yards in as many weeks . The Patriots ' lead grew to 17 after a seven - yard touchdown reception by Brown with 9 : 03 in the third quarter and then became 31 – 7 with a touchdown catch by Jackson . The Patriots defense also intercepted four passes from quarterbacks Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger . On Bollinger ' s first drive after relieving Brad Johnson he was sacked three times in a row for a net loss of 23 yards . With their fourth straight victory , the Patriots advanced to 6 – 1 . Week 9 : vs . Indianapolis Colts . Riding high from their Monday Night win over the Vikings , the Patriots returned home for a highly - anticipated Sunday Night matchup with the Indianapolis Colts . In the first quarter , the Colts drew first blood as quarterback Peyton Manning completed a five - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Harrison for the only score of the quarter . In the second quarter , Dillon helped the Patriots respond with a one - yard touchdown run . Indianapolis would re - take the lead on a one - yard touchdown run by rookie running back Joseph Addai . Dillon again tied the game , this time on a four - yard touchdown run . Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri then nailed a 23 - yard field goal to give the Colts a lead they would not relinquish . In the third quarter , the duo of Manning and Harrison struck again with a four - yard touchdown strike . The Patriots responded with a 49 - yard field goal , Gostkowski ' s career longest to date . In the fourth quarter , Vinatieri kicked a 31 - yard field goal to make the score 27 – 17 . On the Patriots next possession they drove down the field but ended up going 3 - and - out in the red zone and settled for a 26 - yard Gostkowski field goal . On the Colts ' ensuing drive , a drive set up a Vinatieri field goal attempt but the former Patriots kicker missed this one to give his former team a chance to tie it up and send the game into overtime . However , the Patriots comeback attempt was thwarted when a Brady pass deflected off the hands of Faulk and was intercepted by Cato June . With the loss , the Patriots dropped to 6 – 2 . As part of his 5 - catch effort in the game , Troy Brown became the Patriots ' all - time leader in receptions . ( Stanley Morgan , 534 ) Week 10 : vs . New York Jets . Trying to rebound from their home loss to the Colts , the Patriots stayed at home for a rainy AFC East rematch with the Jets . After a scoreless first quarter , the Patriots struck first with a Gostkowski 31 - yard field goal . However , the Jets would fire back with running back Kevan Barlow getting a touchdown on a two - yard run . Gostkowski would get one more field goal for New England , in the form of a 21 - yarder . In the third quarter , New York kicker Mike Nugent kicked a 34 - yard field goal for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , the Jets continued their pursuit , as Pennington completed a 22 - yard touchdown pass to Cotchery . The Patriots tried to fight back , as Brady completed a 15 - yard touchdown pass to Caldwell , following it up with a successful two - point conversion pass to Caldwell . However , New York ' s defense managed to bottle up any chance of a New England comeback . With the loss , the Patriots would lead the Jets by one game in the AFC East at 6 – 3 . Also with the loss , the Patriots ' 57 - game streak without consecutive losses , which dated back to the 2002 season , was snapped . The San Francisco 49ers still hold the record of 60 - straight games without consecutive losses ( 1995 – 1999 ) . For Tom Brady , this would be his last regular - season loss at home until Week 9 of the 2011 season . FieldTurf installation . After the game was played on a completely sodden , torn - up natural grass field , the Patriots used two week interval before the next home game to install a new " FieldTurf " surface at Gillette Stadium . Week 11 : at Green Bay Packers . Trying to rebound from back - to - back home losses , the Patriots traveled to Lambeau Field for a Week 11 showdown with the Green Bay Packers . In the first quarter , Brady hooked up with Graham on a two - yard touchdown pass for the only score of the period . In the second quarter , Dillon got a one - yard touchdown run , while Brady hooked up with Caldwell on a 54 - yard touchdown pass . Late in the quarter Packers quarterback Brett Favre was sacked by Tedy Bruschi and was knocked out of the game with injury to his right ( throwing ) wrist . In the third quarter , Brady threw an eight - yard touchdown pass to Watson for the only score of the period . In the fourth quarter , New England put the game away with Brady throwing his fourth touchdown pass of the day to Maroney , a 19 - yard strike . With the win , the Patriots improved to 7 – 3 . Week 12 : vs . Chicago Bears . After blanking the Packers in the previous week , the Patriots prepared to take on the team with the number one overall defense in the NFL : the Chicago Bears . This game marked the first game the Patriots played on the new FieldTurf at Gillette Stadium . Turnovers dominated the entire game as both teams turned the ball over a total of nine times ; in the first half alone Benjamin Watson caught a Tom Brady pass at the Bears ' 1 - yard line but was hammered and the ball popped into the Bears ' hands ; later Laurence Maroney was stripped of the ball in the Bears redzone ; the Bears for their part surrendered a Rex Grossman interception by Asante Samuel and a Grossman fumble in the Pats ' redzone . The Patriots scored first with a one - yard Maroney run in the second quarter . The Bears responded with a field goal with 4 : 04 remaining . The half ended with Gostkowski making his longest field goal of the season and his career with a 52 - yarder to make the score 10 – 3 . In the second half , running back Cedric Benson scored the Bears ' next touchdown with a two - yard run with 14 : 53 remaining in the game . The touchdown came after a defensive pass interference penalty call that resulted in a 45 - yard gain for the Bears . The Patriots responded by marching down field and scoring on a Brady touchdown pass to Watson to make the score 17 – 10 ; this drive was highlighted by a nine - yard first - down run by Brady in which he faked out Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher . After another defensive pass interference penalty that gave the Bears 1st and 10 at the New England 18 yard line , the Patriots second - ranked defense stopped the Bears . limiting them to a field goal , putting the score at 17 – 13 with 3 : 31 left . The game closed on a Dillon fumble which gave the Bears one final chance to drive down field , but quarterback Rex Grossman threw his third interception of the night to cornerback Asante Samuel . The Patriots then knelt down to end the game and improve their record to 9 – 3 . The three interceptions by Samuel were the most interceptions by one player in one game since Roland James in 1983 . As part of his 6 - catch effort , Kevin Faulk eclipsed the Patriots ' franchise running back reception record . ( Tony Collins , 261 ) Also with the win , Tom Brady became the Patriots ' all - time winningest quarterback . ( Steve Grogan , 75 wins ) Week 13 : vs . Detroit Lions . Dillon turned out to be the savior of a turnover - filled game as the Patriots were able to rally from an eight - point deficit to defeat the visiting Detroit Lions , 28 – 21 . The Patriots committed a season - high ten penalties throughout the game and turned the ball over four times as they struggled to defeat a team which was able to move the ball at will and were also able to convert a safety . The first quarter was a back and forth fight with the Patriots gaining the only edge on a Gostkowski field goal . The second quarter saw both offenses gaining momentum with the Lions scoring the first touchdown in the game on a five - yard Jon Kitna pass to Mike Furrey with 13 : 44 remaining . The Lions then expanded their lead with a field goal by Jason Hanson to lead 10 – 3 . The Patriots responded by driving down the field and scoring on a six - yard Dillon run to tie the game 10 – 10 . On the Lions ' ensuing possession Kitna threw the first of his three interceptions for the afternoon to Samuel . The Patriots then marched down the field and the first half ended on a 27 - yard Gostkowski field goal . The second half started with the Lions slowly moving the ball down the field for a field goal to even up the score again 13 – 13 . Brady then threw an interception to Dré Bly , which gave the ball back to the Lions . The Lions again were unable to get into the endzone and settled on another field goal for a 16 – 13 lead . On the following possession , Brady had the ball stripped from him and it rolled into the endzone where it was recovered by the Patriots and called as a safety , giving the Lions an 18 – 13 lead and possession . The Lions once more could not score a touchdown and took another field goal to take a 21 – 13 lead . The Patriots were not deterred , though , as on the next drive they were able to get Dillon into the endzone again and complete the two - point conversion with a pass from Brady to Brown . With this touchdown , Dillon became only the 15th NFL player with more than 11 , 000 career rushing yards . Following the kickoff came an onslaught of turnovers . First Kitna threw an interception to Mike Vrabel to give the Patriots the ball and a chance for the lead , but Watson fumbled the ball after a reception which gave the ball back to the Lions . Kitna then was sacked and fumbled which gave the ball once again back to the Patriots . This turned out to be the definitive scoring drive as Dillon scored his third touchdown of the night , putting the Patriots ahead 28 – 21 . On the final drive for the Lions , Kitna again threw an interception to Vrabel , who suffered a minor injury on the play . The Patriots then ended with three kneel downs and came out victorious 28 – 21 and improving to 9 – 3 for the season . With this victory the Patriots also swept the entire NFC North . Week 14 : at Miami Dolphins . On a day when a victory would give the Patriots their third consecutive AFC East title , nothing seemed to go right for the Patriots as the Dolphins outplayed the Patriots to split the season series and give New England their first shutout since 2003 , defeating the Patriots 21 – 0 . The first half was a defensive struggle with the only points coming from Olindo Mare , in the form of a 35 - yard and a 33 - yard field goal . Even the punter , Donnie Jones , gave the Patriots issues as multiple punts resulted in the offensive unit starting within the five - yard line . The furthest the Patriots drove into Dolphin territory was in the third quarter with the Dolphins leading 13 – 0 . Ending with a would - be touchdown reception by Watson , a play consisting of a lateral from Faulk to Brady was ruled penalty , as Faulk ' s lateral was an illegal forward pass . On the following possession , Matt Cassel took over the offense , but he too succumbed to the Dolphin defense and was sacked , fumbling the ball . The Dolphins marched within the New England 10 yard line again but knelt to burn out the clock . The loss gave the Patriots a 4 – 2 division record and 9 – 4 record overall . Week 15 : vs . Houston Texans . After a road loss to the Dolphins , the Patriots returned home for a Week 15 matchup with the Houston Texans . In the first quarter , New England started off strong with Faulk scoring on an 11 - yard touchdown run . Afterwards , Gostkowski nailed a 36 - yard field goal , while Brady completed a 43 - yard touchdown pass to Faulk . In the second quarter , the Patriots ' domination of the game continued with Gostkowski kicking a 32 - yard field goal , while Brady completed a six - yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jabar Gaffney . In the third quarter , the Texans finally managed to get a touchdown with running back Ron Dayne getting in on a one - yard run . The Patriots responded with cornerback Ellis Hobbs returning a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown . In the fourth quarter , New England wrapped up the game with Gostkowski kicking 31 - yard and 21 - yard field goals . With the win , the Patriots improved to 10 – 4 . Week 16 : at Jacksonville Jaguars . The Patriots clinched their fourth straight AFC East title with a close road win . After a scoreless first quarter , the Jaguars responded to a Gostkowski field goal with a Maurice Jones - Drew touchdown run . The Patriots challenged the play , as Jones - Drew appeared to fall down at the line of scrimmage , but the ruling on the field was upheld . New England came back before the halftime to retake the lead at 10 – 7 on a Dillon one - yard touchdown run . The Patriots maintained their lead as the teams traded touchdowns in the second half , including another touchdown by Jones - Drew . A David Garrard fumble with 1 : 55 left in the fourth quarter , recovered by safety Rodney Harrison , sealed the Patriots ' 11th win of the season . Week 17 : at Tennessee Titans . The Titans had a slim shot of making the playoffs if the Bengals and Broncos lost and they could beat the Patriots , adding importance to the game for the Titans . Having already clinched a playoff berth , the Patriots used their full complement of available players , made evident by touchdowns from all three Patriots quarterbacks : Brady , Cassel , and Vinny Testaverde all threw touchdown passes in this game . With his fourth quarter touchdown pass , Testaverde extended his steak of seasons with a touchdown pass to 20 . After trading field goals in the first quarter , Dillon gave the Patriots a seven - point lead on a 21 - yard touchdown run . After another 10 points from the Patriots , the Titans closed the half with an 81 - yard punt return by Pacman Jones for a touchdown . The second half saw three touchdowns before Testaverde ' s , a 62 - yard reception by Caldwell , a 28 - yard run by Vince Young , and a one - yard touchdown run by Maroney . The game proved costly for the Pats as Rodney Harrison was knocked out of the game and the playoffs in the second quarter . Postseason results . Wild Card Round vs . New York Jets . Tom Brady completed 22 out of 34 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns , while New England Patriots running backs Corey Dillon , Laurence Maroney , and Kevin Faulk combined for 145 rushing yards in a win over the New York Jets . Receiver Jabar Gaffney , who caught only 11 passes during the season , finished his first career playoff game with 8 catches for 104 yards . New England took the opening kickoff and drove down the field , with Gaffney catching three passes for 34 yards on a 65 yard - drive that ended with Dillon ' s 11 - yard touchdown run . Later in the quarter , Jets defensive back Hank Poteat recovered a fumble from Dillon on the Patriots 15 - yard line , setting up Mike Nugent ' s 28 - yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7 – 3 . On their first possession of the second quarter , the Jets took a 10 – 7 lead after receiver Jerricho Cotchery ( who finished with 100 receiving yards and 19 rushing yards ) caught a pass from Chad Pennington and took it 77 yards for a touchdown . However , New England countered with Stephen Gostkowski ' s 20 - yard field goal on their next drive to tie the game . Then , after forcing the Jets to punt , the Patriots marched to New York ' s 1 - yard line . On third down with 11 seconds remaining in the half and no timeouts left , Brady took the snap , faked a handoff to Dillon , and then hit tight end Daniel Graham in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to give them a 17 – 10 halftime lead . Nugent kicked a field goal on the Jets ' opening drive of the second half , but New England responded with another field goal from Gostkowski to retake their 7 - point lead . On the Jets ' ensuing possession , linebacker Rosevelt Colvin deflected a lateral from Pennington behind the line of scrimmage . Most of the players on both teams ( including Colvin ) thought the lateral was an incomplete forward pass and the play was over , but New England ' s Vince Wilfork realized the play was still ongoing and recovered the fumble . After picking up the ball , Wilfork ran 31 yards to the Jets 15 - yard line before being tackled by Cotchery , setting up Gostkowski ' s third field goal to make the score 23 – 13 . Early in the fourth quarter , Nugent kicked his third field goal to cut New York ' s deficit back to within a touchdown , 23 – 16 . However , the Patriots responded with a 13 - play , 63 - yard drive that took 6 : 23 off the clock and ended with Brady ' s 7 - yard touchdown pass to Faulk . Then on the first play of the Jets ' ensuing drive , New England defensive back Asante Samuel put the game away by intercepting Pennington ' s pass and returning it 36 yards for a touchdown . Divisional Round at San Diego Chargers . In the final game of the divisional playoffs , the New England Patriots faced the San Diego Chargers team , who were unbeaten at home in the regular season . The Chargers ' roster included league MVP running back LaDainian Tomlinson , who broke several league records , nine Pro Bowlers , and five All - Pro players . However , four Chargers turnovers , three of which were converted into Patriots scoring drives , helped lead to a Chargers loss . San Diego lost despite outgaining the Patriots in rushing yards , 148 – 51 and total yards , 352 – 327 , while also intercepting three passes from Tom Brady . In the first quarter , after San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer opted to go for it on 4th - and - 11 instead of attempting a 47 - yard field goal , quarterback Philip Rivers lost a fumble while being sacked by Mike Vrabel , setting up Stephen Gostkowski ' s 51 - yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the period . In the second quarter , Chargers receiver Eric Parker ' s 13 - yard punt return set up a 48 - yard scoring drive that ended with LaDainian Tomlinson ' s 2 - yard touchdown run , giving his team a 7 – 3 lead . Then , on the Patriots ' next drive , linebacker Donnie Edwards intercepted a pass from Brady and returned it to the 41 - yard line . But the Chargers ended up punting after Rivers was sacked on third down by defensive back Artrell Hawkins . Later in the quarter , Tomlinson rushed twice for 13 yards and took a screen pass 58 yards to the Patriots ' 6 - yard line , setting up a 6 - yard touchdown run by Michael Turner with 2 : 04 left in the half . New England responded with a 72 - yard scoring drive , with receiver Jabar Gaffney catching four passes for 46 yards , including a 7 - yard touchdown reception with six seconds left in the half , cutting their deficit to 14 – 10 . In the second half , Brady threw his second interception of the game . But once again , the Chargers were forced to punt after Rivers was sacked on third down . Mike Scifres ' 36 - yard punt pinned New England back at their own 2 - yard line , and San Diego subsequently forced a punt , but Parker muffed the kick and New England ' s David Thomas recovered the fumble at the Chargers ' 31 - yard line . New England ' s drive seemed to stall after Brady fumbled on 3rd and 13 . Patriots ' tackle Matt Light recovered it and Chargers defensive back Drayton Florence drew a 15 - yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for taunting Patriots tight end Daniel Graham . The drive continued and Gostkowski eventually kicked a 34 - yard field goal to cut their deficit to 14 – 13 . Then , on San Diego ' s next drive , linebacker Rosevelt Colvin intercepted a pass from Rivers at the New England 36 - yard line . The Patriots then drove to the Chargers 41 - yard line , but were halted there and had to punt . After the punt , Rivers completed two passes to tight end Antonio Gates for 31 yards and a 31 - yard pass to Vincent Jackson , setting up Tomlinson ' s second rushing touchdown to give the Chargers an 8 - point lead , 21 – 13 . New England responded by driving to San Diego ' s 41 - yard line . On a fourth - down conversion attempt , Brady ' s pass was intercepted by Marlon McCree , but Troy Brown stripped the ball , and receiver Reche Caldwell recovered it . Schottenheimer unsuccessfully challenged the play and lost a timeout . Four plays later , Brady threw a 4 - yard touchdown pass to Caldwell . On the next play , running back Kevin Faulk took a direct snap and scored the two - point conversion , tying the game . Then , after forcing a punt , Brady completed a 19 - yard pass to Daniel Graham . Two plays later , Caldwell caught a 49 - yard strike down the right sideline to set up Gostkowski ' s third field goal to give them a 24 – 21 lead with only 1 : 10 left in the fourth quarter . With no timeouts left , San Diego drove to the Patriots 36 - yard line on their final possession , but Nate Kaeding ' s 54 - yard field goal attempt fell short with three seconds remaining in the game . Gaffney finished with ten catches for 103 yards and a touchdown . Tomlinson rushed for 123 yards , caught two passes for 64 yards , and scored two touchdowns . AFC Championship Game at Indianapolis Colts . The Colts gained 455 offensive yards , 32 first downs , and managed to overcome a 21 – 3 deficit to the Patriots to earn their first trip to the Super Bowl since the 1970 season . Their 18 - point comeback was the largest ever in an NFL conference championship game , and tied the record for the fourth largest NFL postseason comeback . The Colts ' win came after the Patriots had eliminated the Colts from the playoffs twice in the previous three seasons . Midway through the first quarter , the Patriots drove 71 yards to the Colts ' 4 - yard line , featuring a 35 - yard run by Corey Dillon . On third down , running back Laurence Maroney fumbled a handoff , but the ball rolled into the end zone where offensive lineman Logan Mankins recovered it for a touchdown . The Colts responded by driving 56 yards and scoring with Adam Vinatieri ' s 42 - yard field goal to cut their deficit to 7 – 3 . On their ensuing drive , the Patriots drove to a fourth down on the Colts ' 34 - yard line . Rather than attempt a 52 - yard field goal , New England decided to go for it and Tom Brady completed a 27 - yard pass to Troy Brown . On the next play , Dillon scored on a 7 - yard touchdown run . Then , two plays after the ensuing kickoff , cornerback Asante Samuel intercepted a pass from Peyton Manning and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown , giving New England a 21 – 3 lead . Later in the quarter , Indianapolis drove 80 yards in 15 plays , with Vinatieri finishing the drive with a 26 - yard field goal , cutting the score to 21 – 6 with 11 seconds left in the half . On the opening drive of the second half , the Colts marched down the field and scored with a 1 - yard run by Manning . Then , after forcing a punt , a 25 - yard reception by Dallas Clark and a 19 - yard run by Dominic Rhodes moved the ball to the Patriots ' 32 - yard line . Following a controversial pass interference penalty on defensive back Ellis Hobbs in the end zone , Manning threw a 1 - yard touchdown pass to defensive lineman Dan Klecko , who had lined up at the fullback position on the play . Then , receiver Marvin Harrison caught a 2 - point conversion pass to tie the game at 21 . The league issued a written apology to Hobbs following the game , admitting that the pass interference call should not have been called . Hobbs returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to the Colts ' 21 - yard line . Four plays later , Brady threw a 6 - yard touchdown pass to receiver Jabar Gaffney , who made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone . Although he landed out of bounds , officials ruled that he was pushed out while in the air , and the Patriots took a 28 – 21 lead . Rhodes started out the Colts ' next drive with two receptions for 23 yards and a 9 - yard run . Then , Clark caught a 23 - yard pass at the 9 - yard line . Three plays later , Rhodes fumbled the ball at the 1 - yard line , but center Jeff Saturday recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to tie the game . After an exchange of punts , New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski made a 28 - yard field goal to give them a three - point lead . The Colts responded with a 36 - yard field goal by Vinatieri , set up by Clark ' s 52 - yard reception , to tie the game at 31 . Hobbs returned Vinatieri ' s kickoff 41 yards to the Patriots ' 46 - yard line . Then , Brady completed a 25 - yard pass to tight end Daniel Graham . Indianapolis managed to halt the drive at their 25 - yard line , but Gostkowski kicked a 43 - yard field goal to give the Patriots a 34 – 31 lead with 3 : 49 left in the game . New England ' s defense subsequently forced a punt , but the Patriots ended up punting back to the Colts after running only a minute off the clock . Manning started off the drive with three nonconsecutive completions for 58 yards , with a roughing - the - passer penalty on the third play adding another 12 , moving the ball 70 yards in a span of 19 seconds and bringing up a first down at the Patriots ' 11 - yard line . Three plays later , Joseph Addai ' s 3 - yard touchdown run gave the Colts their first lead of the game with only one minute remaining . Brady responded by leading his team to the Colts ' 45 - yard line . But cornerback Marlin Jackson intercepted Brady ' s next pass with 17 seconds left , ending the game , and sending the 2006 Indianapolis Colts to their third Super Bowl in team history ( first as the Indianapolis Colts ) . The Colts were the first No . 3 seed since the NFL expanded the playoffs in 1990 to host a conference championship game and the first overall since the Washington Redskins did so in 1987 . It was also the first time since said season where a team hosted a championship game after playing a road game in the divisional round , and was also the first conference championship game in which neither team had the first round bye and had to play three rounds to get to the Super Bowl . Awards and honors . Numerous players were the recipients of awards for their performances in the 2006 regular season : Pro Bowl selections . Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light and defensive end Richard Seymour were both named to the AFC team in the 2007 Pro Bowl . Seymour was an original selection but did not participate in the game due to an injury . Light was named as an injury replacement to Tarik Glenn four days before the game . Quarterback Tom Brady reportedly declined an invitation to the play in the game , favoring the 2007 AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro - Am golf tournament instead .