Patriots Best the Broncos in Denver, Advance to Super Bowl LX
“I think I died in an accident ‘cause this must be heaven” - Kanye West, Touch The Sky
Before the NFL season, the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl odds were +8000. That means if you had bet $10 on them to win, you would receive $810 back.
If you bet that same amount on them now, you’d only get $28. The Patriots are just one game away from ultimate glory, and what they’ve achieved this season already cannot be overstated.
No team with fewer than five wins in a season has gone to the Super Bowl the next year. At least, not until the Patriots just did it. No team has ever beaten three top-five defenses in the same postseason. The Patriots just did that as well.
Now, they head to Levi Stadium for a Super Bowl XLIX rematch against the Seattle Seahawks. It took a full team effort in an unconventional championship game to get them there, so let’s review how it went down.
Patriots vs. Broncos Highlights
The game started slowly for both sides. They traded three-and-outs until Denver struck the first blow. A Courtland Sutton touchdown, set up by a bomb by Jarrett Stidham to Marvin Mims, put the Broncos up seven. After three more drives ending in punts, Stidham basically handed the ball to the Patriots with a failed throw-away, resulting in a fumble at the Broncos’ ten. Two plays later, Drake Maye ran it in himself to even the contest.
The Patriots opened the second half with their best drive of the playoffs, even though it only resulted in three points. They wasted over nine and a half minutes driving 64 yards, right through the gut of the Broncos’ defense. Conditions got worse and worse as they drove with snow falling and wind picking up. Despite this, Andy Borregales was able to put the ball through the uprights for a 10-7 lead.
In the next 15 minutes, the weather would go from flurries to a blizzard. Neither team could move the ball in the second half, and you could barely see the Patriots’ road jerseys in the snow. That proved pivotal in the outcome of the contest, as with just two minutes left, Jarrett Stidham chucked up a prayer to Marvin Mims that a lurking Christian Gonzalez intercepted. The game wasn’t over, though, and it took a Drake Maye rollout and race to the pylon to ice the contest. After a couple of kneeldowns, the Patriots were AFC champions for the tenth time this century.
There’s been a lot of online criticism of Drake Maye’s performance in the game. While it’s true that he only passed for 86 yards, he rushed for 65 and five first downs. He ran in a touchdown and set up multiple field goal attempts with his legs, plus he iced the game on the ground. Maye did exactly what he had to do in a defense-centered game: He protected the ball. No fumbles, no interceptable passes, Maye kept it clean and let his defense preserve the lead he gave them. I expect him to look more prolific in the Super Bowl.
Seahawks vs. Patriots, The Rematch
It doesn’t snow in Levi Stadium. The Seahawks have a great defense, but it’s not as good as the Broncos’ or Texans’. I expect this game to be a very, very different contest than the other Patriots playoff games this season, and can’t wait to watch two of the best offenses in football duel it out. I’ll delve deeper into my expectations for the game next week, but just know that I’m certain there will be fireworks.
But to be frank, I’m just happy to be here, still writing in late January with my team alive and with a chance at a ring. The most unlikely Super Bowl matchup in history, made possible by a new head coach and a second-year quarterback. What an incredible journey it’s been.