In a frigid and snow-tinged AFC Championship clash at Denver, the New England Patriots edged the host Broncos 10-7, securing a place in their 12th Super Bowl. The game was defined by harsh weather and robust defensive efforts, with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye navigating the conditions better than his opponents. While Maye's passing yardage was modest at 86 yards, his mobility was vital, rushing for 65 yards and culminating in the decisive 7-yard touchdown run on a third-and-five play late in the game.
This victory marks the first Super Bowl appearance for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. The team now awaits the outcome of the NFC Championship contest between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks to determine their Super Bowl adversary on February 8 in Santa Clara, California.
“I’m just proud of this team,” Maye expressed. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.” At 23 years old, Maye becomes the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, following Dan Marino of Miami.
The Patriots’ defense executed two critical takeaways, with cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepting Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham with just over two minutes remaining, effectively sealing the game. The drive that followed featured Maye’s key touchdown run, which tied the score at halftime.
Stidham, filling in for the injured Bo Nix who watched the game after undergoing ankle surgery earlier in the week, displayed flashes of offensive explosiveness. His first completed pass—a 52-yard connection to Marvin Mims Jr. reaching New England’s 7-yard line—set up Courtland Sutton's 6-yard touchdown reception. Yet, inconsistency plagued Stidham as he threw two interceptions and completed 17 of 31 passes for 133 yards.
“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham reflected.
The Patriots’ journey to the Super Bowl is notable given their modest offensive output, scoring only 10 points in this game and maintaining an average of 18 points per game during the playoffs. They join an exclusive group of teams in the Super Bowl era to reach this stage while scoring 10 points or fewer in a conference championship game.
Mike Vrabel, who boasts three Super Bowl wins as a player with New England, has the opportunity to make NFL history as the first to also win a Super Bowl as the franchise’s head coach. In acknowledging the gravity of the upcoming challenge, Vrabel credited the players as pivotal to success.
“I won’t win it. It'll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”
The Broncos, finishing with a 15-4 record, fell just short of fulfilling coach Sean Payton’s preseason Super Bowl aspirations. Payton expressed regret over a tactical decision on fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 14-yard line, where opting for a field goal might have extended their lead before snow complications set in. Instead, the failed conversion led to a momentum shift favoring New England.
“There’s always regrets,” Payton acknowledged. “Here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”
Further compounding Denver’s challenges were unforced errors, such as Stidham’s backward pass fumble recovered by Elijah Ponder at Denver’s 12-yard line, which set up New England’s tying touchdown. Stidham also missed a key opportunity by failing to accept a sack, which would have flipped field position in Denver’s favor.
Both teams struggled with kicking accuracy amid the cold and shifting snow conditions. Denver's Wil Lutz and New England's Andy Borregales each missed two field goals, frustrated by the challenging environment. Lutz's 45-yard field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped, falling short.
The Patriots’ 40th playoff victory established a new NFL record, surpassing the San Francisco 49ers’ previous record. The game's temperature dropped from a 26-degree kickoff to a 16-degree finish, complicating play as snow accumulation forced groundskeepers to clear the field multiple times.
“It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”
Maye acknowledged the atmosphere as special amid battling harsh elements, highlighting the team's defensive efforts and cohesive spirit. The Patriots’ defense allowed just 26 points over three playoff games, an exceptional performance matched only by the 2000 Ravens, who conceded 16.
Starting the second half with a robust, 16-play, 64-yard drive in the swirling snow, New England consumed over nine minutes of game clock, finishing with Borregales’ 23-yard field goal that ultimately proved decisive.
With Bo Nix sidelined by injury, Stidham’s first start in more than two years carried additional significance. Remarkably, the Broncos had not deployed their backup quarterback in any snaps or handoffs across the previous two seasons.
The Patriots’ playoff scoring average, the lowest since the 1979 Rams, reflects a grind-it-out, defense-oriented approach to reaching the Super Bowl. Veteran receiver Diggs encapsulated the team’s mindset:
“I’ll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs stated. “Nobody’s satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”
Despite disappointment, the Broncos remain hopeful about their trajectory. Surtain conveyed a commitment to progress and future opportunities for postseason success.
“This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better,” he affirmed.
The game carried additional poignancy as Nix, who had engineered 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, was sidelined during Denver’s overtime loss last week. His absence contributed to lingering what-ifs in Denver’s postseason narrative.
“It (stinks),” noted linebacker Alex Singleton. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”
Notably, Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane exited early from the game due to an ankle injury, and Broncos wide receiver Pat Bryant left the contest in the second quarter with a hamstring ailment.