New England Patriots edge out Denver Broncos 10-7 to secure spot in Super Bowl LX.
The New England Patriots secured their place at Super Bowl LX with a narrow victory over the Denver Broncos, edging out their opponents 10-7 in a snowy and blustery AFC Championship game.
In the first half, the Broncos took an early lead after quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. However, New England Patriots' defense came up strong, holding Denver's offense to just one first down and 32 yards in the second half.
New England almost eclipsed their total first-half yardage on their opening possession of the second half after the break, driving 64 yards to set up a 23-yard field goal. The game was clinched when Patriots quarterback Drake Maye ran in a six-yard touchdown off a Stidham fumble two plays later.
Despite a costly decision to go for it on fourth and one from their own 14-yard line earlier in the second quarter, the Broncos were left to rue that mistake after New England's defense held firm.
The Patriots will now travel to Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX in two weeks' time, seeking to win a seventh championship without legendary quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick at the helm.
Key stats:
- Patriots QB Drake Maye: 10/21, 86 yards
- Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham: 17/31, 133 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (& 1 fumble)
- Broncos RB RJ Harvey: 13 carries, 37 yards
The New England Patriots secured their place at Super Bowl LX with a narrow victory over the Denver Broncos, edging out their opponents 10-7 in a snowy and blustery AFC Championship game.
In the first half, the Broncos took an early lead after quarterback Jarrett Stidham threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. However, New England Patriots' defense came up strong, holding Denver's offense to just one first down and 32 yards in the second half.
New England almost eclipsed their total first-half yardage on their opening possession of the second half after the break, driving 64 yards to set up a 23-yard field goal. The game was clinched when Patriots quarterback Drake Maye ran in a six-yard touchdown off a Stidham fumble two plays later.
Despite a costly decision to go for it on fourth and one from their own 14-yard line earlier in the second quarter, the Broncos were left to rue that mistake after New England's defense held firm.
The Patriots will now travel to Santa Clara for Super Bowl LX in two weeks' time, seeking to win a seventh championship without legendary quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick at the helm.
Key stats:
- Patriots QB Drake Maye: 10/21, 86 yards
- Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham: 17/31, 133 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (& 1 fumble)
- Broncos RB RJ Harvey: 13 carries, 37 yards
, reminds me of the AFC Championship game between Pats and Jets back in 2007 where they came back from 10 points down to win it all. this may not be Belichick's Patriots but you gotta respect their resilience 
and Drake Maye is a legit QB he just needs some experience under pressure 
now that they're heading to the big game for the first time without TB12 I'm curious to see how they'll hold up 
! I mean, 10-7? Are you kidding me? Where's the excitement? The Patriots are basically being carried by their defense, and it's like they're phoning it in on offense. Drake Maye's stats are straight crickets 
, I don't even know how he managed to throw a TD with all those dropped passes 
.
. Stidham's gotta be feeling like such trash after that one 
. It's a shame, too, 'cause I think they had this game in the bag if they'd just called it right.
. Maybe these teams will bring some real drama to the stage? Doubtful though 
i was on the edge of my seat the whole time. patriots are looking pretty solid w/o brady and belichick at the helm 
they're gonna crush it in super bowl lx can't wait to watch drake maye's stats go thru the roof 
they kept it together even when their QB was having a bit of a slump lol. Drake Maye he's all like "hey I got this" and runs in that touchdown 
. And OMG did you see the Broncos' decision to go for it on fourth down? like total fail 
, can't wait for Super Bowl LX 
i'm so hyped for the patriots now, can't wait to see them take on whoever the other team is at super bowl lx 
So the Patriots won the game against the Broncos but it was super close? I mean, 10-7 is not a lot of points... 
They had to drive really far on their last play just to score and then the other team fumbled 
. It's crazy how that one play can change everything. The Patriots are going to Super Bowl LX now, which is like the biggest game in football! 
anyways, gotta say congrats to drake maye and co for makin it to super bowl lx - those guys are def on fire right now 
How are they gonna keep winning without Tom Brady? I mean, Drake Maye is on fire right now 
10/21 for 86 yards? That's crazy! And that final TD run by Maye was pure clutchness 
nice game... whoever wins super bowl lx gotta be ready for the weather, snow can be brutal 
. also, bravo to patricia patriots defense, they really stepped up when it mattered most 
u guys r gonna be talkin bout the Patriots' win but idk what's more annoying is that they got to go straight to the super bowl without even havin a decent QB for years now 
i mean, cant praise them enough for keepin it together despite all the drama off the field 
and still manage to secure that spot. but lets be real, its not like they're gonna make it look easy or anythin'... those Broncos r a tough opponent and ill be on edge watchin this whole thing 
I'm hyped for the Patriots to make it to the Super Bowl again, but gotta give props to the Broncos, they gave it their all in those crazy conditions 
. I love how Drake Maye stepped up and made some clutch plays when it mattered most