The New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship game in near-blizzard conditions to earn a spot in Super Bowl LX.
The Patriots had only 72 yards of offense and three first downs in the first half, but a fumble by Denver’s Jarrett Stidham took them to the break at 7-7.
The Broncos’ backup quarterback, making his first NFL start in two years after Bo Nix suffered a season-ending injury in the divisional round, got off to a strong start, putting Denver up 7-0 in the first quarter with a 52-yard strike by Marvin Mims followed by a touchdown toss to Courtland Sutton.
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Leonard Taylor III blocks Denver Broncos’ Will Lutz’s field goal attempt to send New England Patriots to Super Bowl
However, the Broncos’ defense completely shut down New England’s offense, forcing Denver to rue Stidham’s fumble from its own 33-yard line, giving the Patriots a tying score.
Elijah Ponder returned a fumble and appeared to score a touchdown, but the referee called it too early and the game was called dead. However, the mistake wasn’t too costly as Patriots QB Drake Maye scored a 6-yard TD off a turnover two plays later.
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Jarrett Stidham follows up a nice deep ball to Marvin Mims with a 6-yard touchdown toss to Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos.
Denver could and should have still held the lead at halftime, but the decision to go for a fourth-and-1 from New England’s own 14-yard line instead of kicking a field goal early in the second quarter was a mistake, as the Patriots’ defense held firm and forced a turnover on downs.
Both teams missed field goal attempts just before halftime, with Will Lutz missing a shot from 54 yards for the Broncos, but Andy Borregals missing another opportunity shot from 63 yards for the Pats as time expired.
Drake Maye celebrates as New England Patriots advance to Super Bowl LX with victory over Denver Broncos
Leader in statistics:
patriots
Passing: Drake May, 10/21, 86 yards Rushing: LaMondre Stephenson, 25 carries, 71 yards Receiving: Mack Hollins, 2 catches, 51 yards
broncos
Passing: Jarrett Stidham, 17/31, 133 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT (& 1 fumble) Rushing: RJ Harvey, 13 carries, 37 yards Receiving: Marvin Mims Jr., 4 catches, 62 yards
During the interval, conditions quickly deteriorated for Denver with high winds and heavy snow, making second-half scoring even more difficult, but the Patriots scored the game-clinching three points from their first drive to win decisively.
New England nearly surpassed its first half total yards on its first possession after intermission, driving 64 yards to set up a 23-yard field goal. Moments later, May made a crucial fourth point and one play, and the Pats chose to go for it.
That was the difference, as New England’s defense completely shut down Denver’s offense in the second half, limiting them to just one first down and 32 yards, earning a berth to the Super Bowl in Santa Clara in two weeks.
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Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye’s reactions after the New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos won the AFC Championship.
Both teams attempted additional field goal attempts but failed, with Denver’s 46-yarder blocked with 4:46 left in the game, while Stidham threw an interception with just over two minutes remaining that nearly ended the game.
The win extends New England’s record for Super Bowl appearances to 12, as they seek their first seventh championship without legendary quarterback/coach Tom Brady and Bill Belichick at the helm.
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