Patriots headed back to Super Bowl after snowy 10-7 defeat of Broncos

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE AND HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL, BRONCOS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON AFTER AFC CHAMPIONSHIP (RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SHOTLIST) SHOWS: DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 25, 2026) (NFL NETWORK – Editorial use only. Must courtesy NFL Network. No resales. No monetisation.) 1. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER 10-7 WIN OVER THE DENVER BRONCOS IN AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME AT EMPOWER FIELD AT MILE HIGH 2. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE AFTER BEING ASKED ABOUT BEING THE SECOND YOUNGEST STARTING QUARTERBACK TO GET TEAM TO SUPER BOWL, SAYING: "Proud of this team, man, what an effort out there tonight. We're going to the Super Bowl, that sounds pretty good. That sounds pretty cool so just proud of this team, proud of the defense. We didn't play our best ball in the first half and the second half came out and just battling the elements, snow and the elements and it was a gritty win and our defense stepped up, it was fun to watch." 3. WHITE FLASH 4. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE AFTER BEING ASKED HOW THE FIELD CONDITIONS WERE IN THE SECOND HALF DUE TO SNOW, SAYING: "Yeah, it was definitely a little slick I think, definitely a little slick. It's hard for, you know, when it's grass for it to, you know I think underneath what the heaters like our stadium does, it's hard with grass, I guess, you know, to do that, but no, I think it was good enough on the last run to get around the edge and I think, you other than that, we had some times where we had some chances to score and I think we got to help our defense out more, but hey, it is what it is and that was, man, it's awesome going to the Super Bowl so, I can't complain." 5. WHITE FLASH 6. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE AFTER BEING ASKED HOW IT FEELS TO BE FIRST PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK TO GET A PLAYOFF WIN IN DENVER, SAYING: "Yeah, like I said, the history and everything about it, it's a new team, it's new era and I respect and appreciate what the Patriots' dynasty did and unfortunately they didn't come out with some wins here but we changed that narrative and look forward to bringing our best football for Santa Clara (California – site of Super Bowl 60). That'll be pretty special. Thank you guys." 7. PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER WIN 8. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PATRIOTS HEAD COACH MIKE VRABEL, SAYING: "I know that it's going to be a lot of questions about this and that and the other thing, you know we did enough to win the football game in tough conditions. When we got that field goal, the defense, and talking to them I said, if they don't score, you know then it's gonna be hard for them to win the football game, obviously. We took care of the ball and then the five minute drive we were able to run it just enough and then came up with a big call there at the end of the game to seal it." 9. BRONCOS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON SPEAKING AT POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER LOSS 10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BRONCOS HEAD COACH SEAN PAYTON, SAYING: "Couple things, obviously, man…disappointment. You hurt for every one of those players in that locker room…you don't know how a game's gonna unfold and then how it began to unfold, I liked early and the way, I felt like most of the first half we played on their side of the field. We didn't score enough points offensively or capitalize on that field position. The turnovers hurt us and, you know, we had our opportunities but starts, starts with the head coach, the rest of our staff. Tip our hats to New England. It was a hard fought game. I thought defensively, like, you don't know…that it's gonna be like this three point game, but it became apparent that with each possession, a field goal, that type of thing was going to be real important. We weren't able to get it done and that's tough, especially in this game, especially in this game." STORY: Drake Maye ran for a touchdown in the first half and delivered a first down to end the AFC Championship Game on Sunday (January 25) in Denver, when he played co-star to New England's knockout defense. Maye becomes the second-youngest quarterback to start the Super Bowl at age 23, trailing only Dan Marino. The Patriots are in the Super Bowl for the 12th time. Maye led a critical field-goal drive in the third quarter that included a fourth-down conversion and chewed up more than nine minutes of clock. Those three points and the 10-7 lead held up the rest of the way. Coach Mike Vrabel's children are all older than Maye, a first-round pick he inherited when the Patriots brought him back at the top of the organization one year ago. On Sunday afternoon, his final instructions to Maye were that he had to be the "conductor" and control the environment to "make as many positive plays" as he could find. New England became the first team to beat three teams in the playoffs with defenses that finished the regular season in the top five in total defense. Maye was sacked 12 times during the three-game run through the AFC — defeating the Chargers (No. 5), Texans (No. 1), and Broncos (No. 2) — but he kept finding ways to make plays. He had the Patriots' two longest running plays — highlighted by a 28-yarder — and ran 10 times for 65 yards. Of his 10 completions, only one went more than 11 yards in the air, a 31-yard connection with Mack Hollins on a flea-flicker, totaling 86 passing yards. Maye ran for a 6-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7 in the first half. That came after the Broncos, who scored first on Jarrett Stidham's 6-yard pass to Courtland Sutton, bypassed a 32-yard field goal attempt and a potential 10-0 lead to go for a fourth-down pass, which was incomplete at the 9:22 mark in the second quarter. Wil Lutz missed a 54-yard field goal in the second quarter. On the crucial third down after the two-minute warning, Maye took the snap under center. A naked bootleg to his left sent Maye into a footrace to the sticks with Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss. Maye needed six yards to reach the marker at the Broncos' 49. He got that and one more, securing win No. 17 this season for New England. Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a player with the Patriots and has a chance to become the second person to win the Lombardi Trophy with the same franchise both as a player and as a head coach. Gary Kubiak (Broncos) was a backup quarterback to John Elway during their Super Bowl victory and led Peyton Manning and Denver to a win the last time the game was held in Santa Clara 10 years ago. Vrabel, a linebacker before his coaching career, has built a rugged defense playing with swagger. In three playoff games, the Patriots have allowed only 26 total points. With a 7-0 lead, the Broncos opted not to kick a field goal and went for a first down but failed, further fueling New England's "no respect" narrative. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepted Stidham with 2:11 remaining to help secure the win. The Patriots also jumped on a backyard pass from Stidham earlier. (Production: David Grip)

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