DENVER — As the radiant, cloudless skies of the opening half became a distant memory, the New England Patriots abandoned any thoughts of a passing game.
With only one minute and 57 seconds remaining in the AFC championship contest, a crucial third-and-6 situation presented itself. Snow had engulfed Empower Field at Mile High to such an extent that stadium personnel continuously operated snowblowers during every break to reveal the yardage markers disappearing beneath the accumulating flakes.
Despite encountering what Patriots center Garrett Bradbury described as a “horizontal snowstorm,” merely one first down was needed for the Patriots to secure a trip to the Super Bowl.
The Denver Broncos, understanding that the extreme weather significantly reduced the likelihood of a pass, pulled their deep safeties. Observing New England’s earlier alignment with heavy personnel for a right-side stretch run, the defenders shifted their positions toward their left flank accordingly.
As Drake Maye assessed his options within an offensive scheme that places significant demands on the quarterback while simultaneously empowering him, he inwardly mused: “Eventually, they’ll become complacent.” This implied that if the Broncos continued to slide towards his right, Maye intended to exploit the left edge.
Broncos outside linebacker Jonah Elliss appeared to shadow Maye as the quarterback initiated his run behind the line of scrimmage, then surged beyond it, approaching the first-down markers. However, as Elliss lunged to thwart Maye’s conversion, he instead found himself sprawled in the snow, as Maye’s agility proved unaffected by the slippery conditions that both his teammates and opponents confirmed hindered their ability to maintain solid footing.
“If a pass play is called, then our priority is to protect him as best we can, and he obviously possesses that threat to take off, so we’ll back him wholeheartedly,” Bradbury commented from a jubilant postgame locker room. “He understands his abilities and how he can damage a defense. I mean, that truly must be demoralizing for an opposing defense.
“A courageous effort from him given those circumstances.”
Having secured a 10-7 victory over the Broncos, the Patriots are now bound for the Super Bowl. This outcome arose on a day when two formidable defenses were further strengthened by conditions that stifled the passing game, a style of play the NFL has actively tried to foster, while the Broncos’ primary mobile quarterback was confined to the fourth level of the stadium, relying on a scooter.
While Bo Nix continues his recovery from a broken ankle sustained during the Broncos’ divisional-round overtime win, Maye solidified his status as an MVP finalist for the current season, accumulating 65 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Maye is set to become the youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl since Dan Marino in 1985.
Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams echoed Bradbury’s sentiments from the opposing side of the locker room.
“It’s disheartening,” he remarked concerning Maye’s elusive style. “I mean, those guys, they’re rushing hard. They’re trying to get to him, and he’s quick. He [is] fast, and that’s a killer when you [are] rushing and you can’t get back there. Now you have to chase him after you’ve already beaten your man.
“That was a monumental play by Drake that secured it for us. We’re heading back to the Bowl.”
Drake Maye outran linebacker Jonah Elliss for a game-clinching first-down run in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s AFC championship game. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
(AAron Ontiveroz via Getty Images)
Patriots’ Offensive Approach Against Broncos: Avoid Self-Inflicted Errors
Three days prior to the Patriots’ arrival for a game where head coach Mike Vrabel predicted the weather would progressively worsen, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels offered candid thoughts on the nature of NFL playoff contests.
Indeed, not all of them conclude with a mere 17 combined points, as the 58-point NFC championship game would demonstrate to viewers just hours later.
However, McDaniels stated on Thursday that high-stakes matchups featuring elite players and coaches often don’t unfold without some degree of difficulty.
“It resembles a compelling boxing match: I don’t believe either participant exits the ring after a 12-round split decision thinking they decisively bested the other.”
As McDaniels prepared for his sixth Super Bowl appearance as a coordinator, this analytical framework aptly characterized the offensive performances in the AFC championship.
Beyond each team managing only a single touchdown and missing two field-goal attempts apiece, both the Patriots’ and Broncos’ offenses struggled to sustain drives.
The Patriots converted a mere one-third of their third-down opportunities (six-of-18), which was still a slightly *better* performance than the Broncos’ 28.6% (four-of-14). The Broncos amassed only 79 rushing yards on 24 carries, while Maye completed less than half of his pass attempts (10 of 21 for 86 yards).
The ultimate “boxing decision” would be determined by Maye’s mobility — commencing with a contrasting second-quarter sequence that would prove decisive in the game.
The Broncos faced a third-and-4 from their own 33-yard line when Jarrett Stidham, Nix’s replacement, attempted to create a play from scratch. However, the Broncos’ offensive line failed to contain linebacker Christian Elliss off the left edge, prompting Stidham to try and release the ball, resulting in what was ruled a backward pass and a fumble recovered by Patriots outside linebacker Elijah Ponder.
This occurred before the sun had set and the snow had begun to fall, yet the Patriots’ offense had already faced difficulties against the Broncos’ defense, which boasted the league’s top sack unit and second-best overall defense.
The advantageous short field position offered a perfect remedy. On the first play, Maye connected with receiver Kayshon Boutte for a 6-yard gain in the red zone. On the subsequent play, Maye faked a throw to his left, then tucked the ball and powered up the middle for a 6-yard touchdown.
By the end of the day, Maye’s rushing prowess not only accounted for the Patriots’ solitary score but also for three of New England’s five longest offensive plays.
General manager Eliot Wolf had observed this mobility throughout Maye’s collegiate career, where the quarterback amassed 1,147 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in his final two seasons at UNC. With a league-leading accurate arm this season, opposing defenses have been compelled to respect both Maye’s passing ability and his scrambling threat. Defenses that have played him honestly have paid the price.
“The seamless way that’s carried over to this level has been quite impressive to witness,” Wolf remarked to Yahoo Sports. “From the perspective of possessing an additional tool to extend plays, it’s clear that some of our most impactful plays today stemmed from those situations.
“A pivotal factor in the game’s outcome.”
Robert Kraft’s Confidence in Vrabel Has Yielded Immediate Returns
Another distinguishing element of the game manifested along the Patriots’ sideline on Sunday afternoon, showcasing the successful formula head coach Mike Vrabel introduced to New England this season.
Vrabel has now equaled the NFL’s all-time record for the most victories in a head coach’s inaugural season with a franchise (17). He stands as the eighth head coach in NFL history to guide a team to the Super Bowl in his first year, and the seventh to lead the very team he once played for to the Super Bowl, according to the team’s postgame records.
Vrabel has elevated the Patriots through his strategic influence and his emphasis on swiftness and aggression in defensive execution. However, as a hands-off coach who delegates play-calling duties on game day, Vrabel’s impact has also deeply permeated the team through his rare knack for simultaneously empowering his players while holding them to high standards.
His postgame address profoundly reflected this philosophy.
The Patriots’ internal media released a video excerpt of Vrabel’s speech, where he assured his players he would “permit you to celebrate,” as they had “earned the right.” He also reminded them of the importance of foresight and conviction, sometimes before tangible evidence, because “every individual’s path to the Super Bowl is distinct.”
The team did not, however, upload the portion where Vrabel outlined the specific guidelines for their celebration.
Williams, nonetheless, shared his coach’s specific instructions.
“He’s proud of us, said no curfew tonight, but the bus departs at 8 in the morning, so if you’re not on it, you’re not participating in the [Super] Bowl,” Williams stated. “So I’m quite certain everyone will be present.”
Did Vrabel genuinely utter those words?
“Oh yes, I’m not kidding,” Williams confirmed. “He explicitly said that.”
Thus, a night of revelry in snowy Denver awaited before the Patriots hoped improved weather would allow their return to New England on Monday to commence preparations for the ultimate stage. An offense whose difficulties predated the snowfall (for instance, conceding five sacks for three consecutive weeks) is prepared to find ways to contribute more substantially to its final outcome, while team leadership stressed their desire for Maye to remember his option to scramble.
Patriots kicker Andy Borregales will undoubtedly be relieved that this year’s Super Bowl is slated for the San Francisco 49ers’ home stadium in the Bay Area, where snow is highly improbable to feature in the forecast.
And Patriots defenders will again have the opportunity to draw motivation from narratives suggesting they are not the premier defensive unit advancing to this contest.
The Seattle Seahawks, in Mike Macdonald’s second season, recorded the league’s lowest points allowed per game (17.2) throughout the entire season.
Preparations will persist, involving analyses of situational play, strategic advantages, and optimizing personnel going forward.
In due course, the gravity of the achievement may fully sink in. On Sunday night, for numerous players, it had not.
“It’s impossible to articulate what this signifies,” Bradbury expressed. “It feels surreal. Is this actually happening, like a simulation?”
Maye, similarly, was still processing the events after lifting the Lamar Hunt Trophy on a stage erected on his opponents’ field, with “MVP” chants largely obscuring his responses to any questions posed to him.
“An opportunity to go and win the Super Bowl,” Maye articulated later at the podium, as if testing out the phrase. “That’s what it boils down to, and that’s rather remarkable.”
