Pats Clinch Super Bowl Spot
DENVER — The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl.
If you rewind to just eight years ago, reactions to this news would have been pretty different, possibly vague. I mean, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s Patriots have been to nine Super Bowls since 2001 and, well, they won six of those.
But things have shifted in New England. This feels especially remarkable considering the team only managed a 4-26 record in 2023 and 2024.
Mile High’s Empower Field looked stunning, almost like a winter wonderland, as the Patriots edged out the top-seeded Broncos 10-7 in blizzard-like conditions after halftime.
Fast forward seven years since their last playoff victory, and the 17-3 Patriots are gearing up to face either the Rams or Seahawks on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
With Belichick and Brady out of the picture, it’s exhilarating to see the Patriots back in the mix for the Lombardi Trophy, thanks to coach Mike Vrabel’s impressive coaching since he took over before this season.
“What a great atmosphere. How’s our defense doing?” Patriots quarterback Drake Maye shared. “We’ve got to keep winning. There’s room for improvement, but I’m proud of this team; it took everyone to get here.”
This victory marks the Patriots’ ninth consecutive road win, which makes them the first team in NFL history to go 9-0 on the road.
The next match will be on neutral ground.
Given that they went 4-13 last season, the Patriots have now become the sixth team to reach the Super Bowl after winning five or fewer games the year before.
Speaking of historical feats, who was the last team to win the Super Bowl the year after winning fewer than five games? It was the 2001 Patriots, marking the beginning of Brady’s journey as a starter in New England.
This is New England’s first trip to the conference championship since 2018, the last time they made it to the Super Bowl, but it’s their 14th appearance since 2000. Many might remember the last time they snagged a postseason win was also this season.
This game also marked the sixth playoff meeting between these teams, with home teams winning the past five times.
Interestingly, four of these matches took place in Denver—a venue where the Patriots had never won in the playoffs.
Maye completed 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards and, despite entering the game with six fumbles and two interceptions, he managed to keep the ball secure under tough conditions.
He did something Brady never accomplished: winning a playoff game in Denver.
The Broncos came into this game with a strong playoff record of 15-5 but struggled to find their rhythm against a solid Patriots defense, especially with backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham calling the shots.
At the beginning, the Broncos seemed to have a handle on the game, and head coach Sean Payton was strategizing effectively.
Stidham gained confidence early on with a stunning 52-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr., helping set up Denver’s only touchdown.
Mims managed to outpace New England’s top cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, resulting in a first down at the Patriots’ 7-yard line.
Just two plays later, Stidham found Cortland Sutton for a 6-yard touchdown pass, giving the Broncos a 7-0 lead just 4:41 into the game.
The Patriots’ offense initially struggled, racking up only 72 yards and four first downs in the first half, yet the Broncos had a prime opportunity to extend their lead.
Yet, Payton decided to go for it on a fourth-and-1 from the Patriots’ 14-yard line instead of taking what would have been an easy field goal to put them up 10-0. It was a gamble, especially considering the close nature of the game.
Stidham rolled out, only to have his pass hit two New England linemen and land incomplete, giving the Patriots a much-needed lifeline.
On Denver’s next possession, disaster struck when Stidham, under pressure, threw a backward pass that was recovered by New England’s Elijah Ponder at the Broncos’ 12-yard line just before the half.
Two plays later, the Patriots equalized at 7-7 with a 6-yard keeper from Maye, with 2:10 left in the half.
The Broncos had a chance to regain the lead before halftime, but kicker Will Lutz missed a 54-yard attempt, while the Patriots’ Andy Borregales also missed a 63-yard attempt as time expired.
The Patriots seized the lead with their first possession of the second half—what a drive it was! Sixteen plays, 64 yards, taking 9:31 off the clock.
Yet again, the Patriots wasted a scoring chance when Borregales missed a 46-yard field goal attempt.
In the swirling wind and snow, Lutz had an opportunity to tie the game again for the Broncos but missed a 45-yard attempt wide left with 4:42 remaining.
New England’s Leonard Taylor III, who had just been called up from the practice squad, made a crucial interception of Stidham’s pass with 2:11 left on the clock.
That effectively sealed the game. Maye summed it up well, saying, “It took everyone.”
