FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — So maybe Bill Belichick has a heart after all.

Just when everyone in Gillette Stadium thought he was going to let Tom Brady throw yet another touchdown pass to set an NFL postseason record with the New England Patriots up by 32 points in the fourth quarter, they ran the ball.

Perhaps enough was enough.

The Patriots still got a field goal out of that drive, finishing off a near-perfect night.

With Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski tying NFL records, the Patriots put the Tim Tebow myth on ice in a chilly AFC divisional playoff game. There would be no Tebow Time on Saturday night. No fourth-quarter magic. The Patriots pulled away early.

The final score was 45-10. And yes, it was as easy for the Patriots as it looked.

Brady threw six touchdown passes. Gronkowski caught three.

“Everyone was relaxed,” said wide receiver Deion Branch, who caught a 61-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Whoever comes into Gillette Stadium next Sunday at 3 p.m. for the AFC championship game had better be prepared for anything — like tight end Aaron Hernandez lining up in the backfield and running the ball.

He gained 61 yards rushing, including a 43-yard run on the game’s fourth play, setting up the game’s first touchdown, a 7-yarder from Brady to Wes Welker on the next play.

The only concern is that Hernandez left the game with what the Patriots termed a “head injury” after he took a vicious lick midway through the fourth quarter. He said afterward that he felt fine.

Otherwise, it was cruise control for New England, which finally put together the game Vince Wilfork was looking for.

Earlier in the week, he said, “It’d be nice to start fast and finish well. I would like to see that at least once this year.”

Well, he did.

And Brady, perhaps fueled by season-ending home playoff losses in each of the last two seasons, led the way.

“Tom did a good job,” said Belichick. “Offensively we had a lot of guys have good games, certainly a lot better than the last couple of playoff games.”

Brady was magnificent, completing 26 of 34 passes for a franchise postseason record 363 yards. He even proved he can do more than just pass when he booted a 48-yard punt late in the fourth quarter.

Brady had five touchdowns in the first half, operating the Patriots’ no-huddle offense to perfection.

He hit Welker for 7 yards, Gronkowski for 10, Gronkowski again for 12, Branch for 61 and, yes, Gronkowski again for 19. The last two touchdown passes came within 1:52 of each other late in the second quarter.

He then tied the NFL record when he hit Hernandez with a 17-yard TD pass in the third quarter.

The record, however, meant little to Brady.

“It’s all about winning,” he said. “You lose a few playoff games and it’s a bitter end to the season. It sits in your head for a long time.

“For us to come out like we did it’s very gratifying. Now we’ve got eight days to the biggest game of the year.”

It was the type of performance that fans and his teammates expect.

“The guy’s great, it’s not by accident,” said Brian Waters, the veteran guard who came over from Kansas City this year and got his first playoff win. “He lives for games like this. He plays well.

“If you look at his record the guy’s got rings. He’s played at a very high level for a long period of time, so we’re not surprised at anything.”

According to Hernandez, all the offensive success starts with Brady. And Saturday night, Brady wasn’t going to let the Patriots lose.

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:

mlowe@pressherald.com

Twitter: MikeLowePPH