FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- He was searching for Rob Gronkowski or Julian Edelman in the end zone, a typically high-yield blueprint for quarterback Tom Brady, but on this play, in the second quarter of an AFC playoff battle with the Kansas City Chiefs, his behemoth tight end and his diminutive receiver were temporarily indisposed.
So, on second and goal from the 11, Brady shifted, waited, and then ... was he really doing this?
Yep, he was.
Brady took off, and the gasp from an adoring Patriots crowd (not to mention a silent, yet fretful smattering of teammates) was audible.
"You get a little nervous,'' admitted offensive lineman Josh Kline, "but Tom's a tough guy.''
"I was thinking, 'Score and be safe,''' cornerback Malcolm Butler said.
How about neither? As Brady ambled toward the goal line, his eyes fixed on the pylon, Kansas City defensive back Ron Parker dove at his knees just as safety Tyvon Branch came over to drill Brady in the helmet.
They were not dirty hits; rather, perfectly acceptable defensive tactics against a notoriously slow-moving quarterback whose decision to venture out of the pocket into bedlam could have ended catastrophically.
"Yeah, it was a slow takeoff,'' Brady acknowledged.
Let's be clear: no Brady, no chance for the New England Patriots.
But also understand this: Brady's verve, confidence and toughness are what spurs his team to rally around him when the games matter most. His decision to go for it resonated with teammates on both sides of the ball. It is those plays that have come to define him as a team player who is willing to take one for the team.
"His passion fuels us,'' confirmed Logan Ryan. "I think if you ask Tom about that play, he'd do that 10 times out of 10.''
New England's franchise QB was not awarded the first down or the score, even after his coach threw a challenge flag to give the referees another chance to review it. But Brady tallied his rushing touchdown on the very next play, a 1-yard sneak that provided New England with a 14-3 advantage it would never relinquish.
Reports of Brady's demise - and that of his battered team - proved to be premature Saturday. The Patriots collectively shook off their bumps and bruises (and injections and hospital stays and shirtless visits to the local police) as seamlessly as Brady dusted himself off after getting smacked en route to that pylon.
"It's football season, so you're used to it,'' said number 12, when asked about the beating he took on the play.
Brady ran to the sidelines and was engaged in an animated conversation with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels following his adventure outside the pocket. He explained later he wanted to challenge the play, because they were planning to call a time out anyway. McDaniels tried to calm his emotional quarterback long enough to inform him that's exactly what the team was doing.
"So I said, 'Why didn't you let me know?''' Brady said. "It was just a little miscommunication.''
The conversation captivated a national audience and left Edelman giggling at his his quarterback and his OC.
"Aren't they the same age?" Edelman cracked. "They're like twin brothers. Josh is such an innovative offensive coordinator, and Tom is a smart guy. They are in in sync where they can bounce off each other and talk that [same] language. It's just funny to see sometimes.''
The last laugh belonged to the Patriots, not the white hot Kansas City Chiefs, who came to Foxborough having won 11 straight. During that winning streak, they gave up just 12 points a game.
By the 11:37 mark of the second quarter, New England already had surpassed that number.
The Chiefs' streak came to an abrupt halt with a 27-20 loss that honestly wasn't nearly as close as the score indicated. It assured the Patriots a spot in the AFC championship for the fifth consecutive season and, for the moment, quieted talk that a slew of injuries to key personnel had robbed them of their chemistry and their continuity.
Brady submitted 302 passing yards, two touchdowns and completions to eight different players against a defense that ranked third in the NFL in points allowed. At various times the Patriots used five wideouts, lined Gronkowski up at receiver and rolled with an empty backfield. Brady and Edelman, his most trusted target, resumed their football tango with a few minor blips, even though Edelman hadn't played since Nov. 15 because of a broken bone in his foot.
Edelman finished with 10 catches for 100 yards, while Gronkowski checked out with seven catches for 83 yards and a pair of scores. Never mind that Gronk was at the hospital earlier this week for both back and knee issues.
With the (nearly) full complement of offensive players in the line-up, including the return of lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who hadn't played since Dec. 27 because of a leg injury, New England's offensive woes of the past five weeks all but vanished. Scoring spiked, and Brady escaped without enduring a single sack.
"Just great to have everyone back,'' said Danny Amendola. "We wanted to get in and out of the huddle to keep their head spinning a bit. Tom was great with that tonight.''
Everyone has been so distracted by the myriad of Patriots injuries that have come to define this season that the motivation that kicked this season into gear in the first place has been relegated to the back burner.
You may recall that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell assigned Brady the black hat for the 2015 campaign, a convenient deflection of attention from the larger and darker issues of his domain, namely domestic abuse and the long shadow of concussions and their long-term effects on ex-NFL stars.
Maybe Deflategate slipped your mind, but it certainly hasn't been forgotten in the Brady household. You can't expect him to shrug off the moment his integrity, credibility and legacy were pummeled in one fell swoop. My guess is there's been little (if any) dialogue in the locker room regarding the controversy - which remains unresolved, by the way - but don't for a moment misconstrue that as meaning this issue has come and gone.
"We never talk about it,'' said Kline. "It's in the past. We can't worry about it. But it is a little motivation, definitely for Tom. I'm sure it helps him.''
There is no better way to declare to the football Gods "Deflate this!" than to return to the Super Bowl and win it all over again, psi levels be damned. The Patriots are hardly a lock to repeat, but there appeared to be some new life infused into a season on Saturday that has been an absolute grind as one key player after another was scratched from the flip card, many of them for good (Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blount, Nate Solder and Dominique Easley among them).
New England determined its "second season", buoyed by a bye week that enabled the walking wounded to heal a little more completely, needed to begin forcefully. In the week leading up to this game, the Patriots offense talked repeatedly of attacking quickly, so the Chiefs, who flourish with an early lead, would begin this game on their heels.
So here's how it went for Brady and the boys on their opening drive: a touchdown covering 80 yards and 11 plays - all of them passes. Completions to Edelman, Amendola, Brandon LaFell and Gronk were the highlights of a drive culminated by the big tight end hauling in a touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone.
The return of Edelman enhanced opportunities for Gronk, and Gronk's presence did the same for Edelman. Brady's trust in both is palpable. He's so certain he and Edelman are on the same page, he thinks nothing of threading a ball to him with four defenders in his jersey. In order to avoid disaster, the throw must be perfect, along with the catch. Last night, when faced with that exact scenario, both men held up their end.
"We ran that play a lot and not just during the season,'' Edelman said. "We did it during training camp, in the summer ... we're always finetuning it.''
The Patriots were far from infallible in their win over Kansas City. There were some drops, some blown coverages, and the defense took their "bend but don't break" mantra a bit too far at times. But, against a Kansas City team that enjoyed a +20 turnover differential, New England did not cough up the ball one single time.
It's unclear how healthy the Patriots will be next week. Injuries continued to plague them again Saturday, as second-team All Pro selection Jamie Collins departed in the second half with a back injury, never to return. Edelman, meanwhile, scooted into the X-ray room following the game but wasn't providing any information on why that was necessary. "Not allowed to talk about injuries,'' he deadpanned.
Next Man Up is hardly a novel concept. Every team in every sport implements that rallying cry when they lose players to injury. New England has become an expert at the practice, but there's one guy they they'd rather not live without: their slow-moving quarterback who remains the heart and soul and emotional center of a team that just moved one step closer to the only game that matters.