The New England Patriots become the first team to book their spot in Super Bowl 60 after grinding out a 10-7 win at the Denver Broncos.
The New England Patriots have become the first team to book their spot in Super Bowl 60 after grinding out a 10-7 win at the Denver Broncos.
Defences dominated the AFC Championship game, which ended in a blizzard, and the Patriots did enough in Denver to reach their first Super Bowl since Tom Brady led the franchise to its sixth NFL championship in 2019.
Denver were the top seed in the NFC but had to give back-up quarterback Jarrett Stidham his first start in two years after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in last week's Divisional Round win over Buffalo.
And although he threw a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to give the Broncos the lead in the first quarter, two Stidham turnovers proved decisive.
New England's second-year quarterback Drake Maye punished the first by running in a touchdown in the second quarter and the Patriots edged in front with a field goal in the third.
A deep shot by Stidham was then intercepted by Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez with just over two minutes left, giving New England the chance to secure a record-extending 12th Super Bowl appearance.
They will face the winners of the NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the NFL's title decider.
Super Bowl 60 takes places on Sunday, 8 February in Santa Clara, California, at the home of the San Francisco 49ers.
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Vrabel's instant impact with resurgent Patriots
New England may have won six Super Bowls, sharing the NFL record with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they had to rebuild after Brady joined Tampa Bay in 2020 and legendary coach Bill Belichick left after a 4-13 record during the 2023 season.
Less than two hours after another 4-13 season ended last January, owner Robert Kraft made the bold decision to fire Jerod Mayo before letting Mike Vrabel bring in his own coaching staff.
That decision has paid off immediately. Little was expected of the Patriots as they headed into the season but they improved to 14-3, with that 10-win swing tied for the biggest turnaround in NFL history.
Maye established himself as a leading contender for the NFL's Most Valuable Player award and again showed maturity beyond his years on Sunday.
Denver's defence led the league for sacks this season and although they sacked Maye five times, he made some key plays with his legs.
The 23-year-old scrambled out of the pocket to earn some crucial first downs and scored the Patriots' only touchdown after Stidham fumbled right in front of the Broncos' end zone.
The game then became a defensive battle, with both teams missing field goals before half-time, before Maye kept a New England drive going for more than nine minutes, resulting in what proved to be the game's decisive score from kicker Andy Borregales.
In just half a quarter, the entire field was covered in snow, making it virtually impossible for either side to get their offence going in the final period, and Denver's Wil Lutz missed a 45-yard field goal before Stidham's desperate pass was picked off by Gonzalez.
The resurgent Patriots have become the first team to reach the Super Bowl after 13 losses in the previous season while Maye will be the second-youngest quarterback to start the NFL's championship game after Dan Marino with the Miami Dolphins in 1985.
And having won three Super Bowls as a linebacker with New England, 50-year-old Vrabel could now become the first man to become an NFL champion as a player and a head coach with the same team.
Category: General Sports
