Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson was famished.

He caught five touchdown passes in the first five games, but only one over the team's final 11 games. It wasn't as if he didn't want to taste the end zone.

"I'm always hungry to catch another touchdown pass," said Watson.

His appetite was satisfied last night in the Pats' 31-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Gillette Stadium.

Watson snagged a pair of touchdown throws from Tom Brady, helping New England earn its berth in next Sunday's AFC title game.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder found his way to the back of the end zone with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter, and he and Brady teamed up for a nine-yard scoring strike with 49 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"It was just my chance to make some plays," said Watson, who caught 36 passes for 389 yards this season. "I'm just glad Tom found me in the end zone. That's what you work all these weeks for, just for the chance to come out here and play."

Not that Watson was the primary receiver on either TD.

On the first one, Brady surveyed the field and fired a high sizzler that Watson somehow was able to hang onto.

"I ran a flag route, and I didn't think Tom would come to me," said Watson, whose only two catches of the game found him in paydirt. "I looked back and everybody was covered. Tom kind of gave me a nod to go to the back [of the end zone] and [I was] uncovered and he put it right there."

Watson wasn't the primary receiver on touchdown number two, either. In fact, he was the third option.

"I think the DB fell down or something," he said. "It was a play designed to get somebody else open, but you never know who's going to open up. That's why you play every play like it's your last one. You try to get open on every play. Tom does a great job of getting the ball to the open receiver."