FOXBORO — Sunday's win over Pittsburgh meant the Patriots clinched the franchise's ninth trip to the Super Bowl, more than any other franchise in the National Football League. Other notes and tidbits related to the AFC Championship Game as the preparations for Super Bowl LI commence.
- The Patriots are looking for their fifth Super Bowl championship. They are 4-4 in the previous eight Super Bowls they've played.
- The Falcons are looking for their first Super Bowl championship. Denver beat Atlanta 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII in the Falcons only other Super Bowl appearance.
- The 36-17 win by the Patriots over the Steelers improved the Patriots record to 9-4 in AFC Championship Games. They are 3-3 in AFC Championship Games since the 2011 season.
- The Patriots improved to 20-4 at home in the playoffs with Sunday's win over Pittsburgh.
- Chris Hogan and Julian Edelman both eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark Sunday night. It was the second time in franchise history that happened in a postseason game. Larry Garron and Gino Cappelletti finished with 120 and 109 yards, respectively, in a 1963 AFL playoff win over Buffalo.
- Bill Belichick can set the record for Super Bowl wins by a head coach if New England beats Atlanta. He is currently tied with Chuck Noll, who won four Super Bowls with the Steelers in the 1970s.
- Bill Belichick will coach in his 36th postseason game when the Patriots face the Falcons in Super Bowl LI. That ties him with former Cowboys coach Tom Landry, who coached in 36 postseason games during his time with Dallas.
- Tom Brady will break the record for Super Bowl appearances by a player when he makes his 7th Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl LI.
- Tom Brady can tie Charles Haley for most Super Bowls won with five. Haley won three with the Cowboys and two with the 49ers.
- With three touchdown passes in yesterday's game, Tom Brady tied Joe Montana for most 3-TD playoff games since the merger. It was the ninth time Brady passed for three or more TDs in a playoff game.
- Julian Edelman is now the Patriots all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. He passed Deion Branch on the receiving yards list on his first reception of Sunday's game.
- With 84 career postseason receptions, Edelman ranks seventh on the all-time list. He could move into second on the all-time list with 10 catches against the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
- With 180 receiving yards in Sunday's game, Chris Hogan set the franchise record for most receiving yards in a postseason game. The previous high was Deion Branch's 153 yards in 2006 against Denver.
- Stephen Gostkowski passed Adam Vinatieri on the Patriots all-time list for field goals made in postseason history. Gostkowski now has 29 field goals in 21 games. Vinatieri kicked 26 field goals in 17 postseason games with the Patriots.
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