Third down, 5 yards to go, 2 minutes left in the game, near-blizzard raging. And what did New England quarterback Drake Maye do?
He skated for 7 yards and a game-clinching first down in the Patriots’ 10-7 victory in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High.
In a game that ended with a 7-degree wind chill, the Patriots snowplowed their way to their 12th Super Bowl on a handful of crucial plays, many of them by Maye. He broke out of the pocket for six first downs, including a fourth-down play.
“Those long legs came in handy,” Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. “He was running around, stiff-arming guys. He was making plays at a high level. He was being smart. I think the biggest thing in a game like this is just being smart and not turning the ball over.”
The Patriots will now play the winner of Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
Maye completed just 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards, and he was sacked five times for 21 yards. But he carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards and ran for the Patriots’ only touchdown — a 6-yard sprint in the second quarter after the Patriots recovered a fumble by Denver QB Jarrett Stidham.
“It wasn’t ideal,” Maye said of the conditions. “But our defense, they’ve been stepping up all playoffs. We’re going to play better. But man, I’m just so proud of this team.”
Compare what Maye did to what the Broncos couldn’t do. They rushed for just 79 yards as a team and saw their season slip-slide away when they failed to get anything going in the second half.
“Tip our hats to New England,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “It was a hard-fought game. We weren’t able to get it done, and it’s tough, especially in this game.”
A contingent of Patriots fans in Denver shouted “MVP! MVP!” when Maye took hold of the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the game.
“I was just trying to control the football,” Maye said. “What an atmosphere out here. We battled the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them, man. Pats are back, baby.”
The game’s momentum changed with New England’s first drive of the second half. The Patriots ground out 64 yards on 16 plays and took 9:31 off the clock. The key play was Mayes’ 28-yard scramble on third-and-9. The drive ended with a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregalles, which turned out to be the game-winner.
“Today was just another example of when things kind of change and unfold, our ability to adjust things,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “We did enough things in tough conditions to win the football game.
“When we got that field goal, our defense took it to them, and if they can’t score, it was going to be hard to win the football game, obviously.”
Regarding his quarterback, Vrabel said, “The great thing about Drake is his ability to extend plays. If it’s not there, he gains chunks. He’s done that most of the year.”
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PHOTOS: Denver Broncos fall to New England Patriots 10-7 in AFC Championship Broncos-Patriots report card: Sean Payton, Broncos’ offense falls in snow in AFC Championship loss Broncos four downs: Sean Payton’s costly fourth-down call probably cost Denver Super Bowl trip Broncos wideout Pat Bryant exits AFC Championship Game with hamstring injury Broncos WR Troy Franklin ruled out for AFC Championship vs. PatriotsIn Vrabel’s first season as coach, the Patriots became just the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship scoring 10 points or fewer. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Rams beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC Championship Game.
Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots. He’s trying to become the first person in NFL history to also win a Super Bowl as a head coach for the same franchise.
“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”
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