Through Snow and Storm, Patriots Outlast Broncos in Epic AFC Championship Battle, Punching Their Ticket to Super Bowl 2026
DENVER — The Patriots are going to the Super Bowl.
Just eight years ago — and dating back to the early 2000s — that news would have been met with a ho-hum response.
Those Tom Brady-Bill Belichick Patriots, after all, went to nine Super Bowls and won six of them, dating back to 2001.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye scores past Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad in the second quarter of the AFC Championship game in Denver on Jan. 25, 2026.
But this is a new era in New England. A remarkable new era considering that this franchise went 4-26 in 2023 and 2024.
The Patriots outslugged, overcame and outlasted the AFC No. 1 seeded Broncos, 10-7, in conditions that turned blizzardous after halftime, making Empower Field at Mile High look like a winter wonderland.
Now, seven years removed from their last postseason with playoff victories, the 17-3 Patriots will play the winner of Sunday night’s NFC Championship game between the Rams and Seahawks on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
Now the Patriots, without Belichick and Brady, are hunting Lombardi Trophies again, thanks to the amazing job head coach Mike Vrabel has done since he was hired before this season.
“What an atmosphere,’’ Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said. “How about our defense? We’ve got to win to go win one more. We’re gonna play better. We’ve got more work to do. I’m so proud of this team. It took everybody.’’
The win was the Patriots’ ninth victory on the road without a loss, making them the first team in NFL history to go 9-0 on the road.
Their next game is on neutral turf.
After going 4-13 last season, the Patriots became the sixth team to reach the Super Bowl after having five or fewer wins the previous year.
Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepts a pass intended for Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims in the fourth quarter on Jan. 25, 2026.
The last team to win a Super Bowl the year after winning five or fewer games the previous season?
The 2001 Patriots in Brady’s first season as the New England starter.
This was New England’s first conference championship game appearance since 2018 (their last Super Bowl appearance), but their 14th trip since 2000. That was the season they last won a postseason game before this season.
This was the sixth all-time matchup between the two teams in the playoffs, with the home team winning the previous five.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel (l.) speaks to CBS’ Jim Nantz after winning the AFC Championship game on Jan. 25, 2026.
Four of those were in Denver, where the Patriots had never won in the playoffs.
Maye, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards and, after entering the game with six fumbles and two interceptions in these playoffs, didn’t turn the ball over in highly difficult conditions.
Maye has now done something Brady never did — win a playoff game in Denver.
The Broncos entered the game with a 15-5 all-time record at home in the playoffs, but could not sustain much offensively against the stout Patriots defense while playing backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round New England draft pick.
Early in the game, the Broncos had things right where they wanted it, and Denver head coach Payton was coaching a brilliant game.
Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) runs against the Patriots during the second half of the AFC Championship game on Jan. 25, 2026.
Stidham gained confidence early when, on the second Denver possession, he completed a majestic 52-yard pass to Marvin Mims Jr., which led to the Broncos’ only touchdown.
The long pass play, on which Mims beat New England’s best cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, set Denver up with a first down on the Patriots 7-yard line.
Two plays later, Stidham connected with Courtland Sutton on a 6-yard scoring pass for a 7-0 lead just 4:41 into the game.
With the New England offense struggling mightily — it managed only 72 yards and four first downs in the first 30 minutes — the Broncos had a great opportunity to separate themselves.
But Payton got greedy and went for a fourth-and-1 from the New England 14-yard line.
Going for the first down was questionable enough considering that this was a tight game between two defensive teams and the fact that the Patriots were out of sync offensively.
Broncos kicker Wil Lutz (3) misses a field goal during the fourth quarter in the AFC Championship game on Jan. 25, 2026.
Taking the 32-yard chip-shot field goal would have given Denver a 10-0 lead.
Instead, after taking a timeout, Payton opted to go for it.
Stidham rolled to his right and had New England linemen Milton Williams and Cory Durden in his face and his pass ended up in the dirt, giving New England the ball and, more importantly, some life.
Denver’s next possession ended in disaster when Stidham, under heavy pressure, threw a backwards pass that was recovered by New England’s Elijah Ponder at the Broncos 12-yard line with 2:52 remaining in the first half.
Two plays later, the Patriots tied the game at 7-7 on a 6-yard Maye keeper with 2:10 remaining in the half.
The Broncos had a chance to take a 10-7 lead into half, but their kicker, Wil Lutz was wide right on a 54-yard field goal attempt with 20 seconds remaining.
The Patriots then had their chance moments later, but their kicker, Andy Borregales, was wide left on a 63-yard attempt as time expired.
The Patriots took the 10-7 lead with the first possession of the second half — and what a possession it was: 16 plays, 64 yards that swallowed 9:31 off the clock.
The Patriots, on their second offensive possession of the second half, squandered points again when Borregales was wide right on a 46-yard field-goal attempt.
The Broncos had a chance to tie the game when Lutz lined up for a 45-yard field-goal attempt in the wind and snow and was wide left on it with 4:42 remaining in the game.
The kick was tipped by Leonard Taylor III, who was just elevated from the New England practice squad.
The final nail for Denver came when Stidham was intercepted by Gonzalez with 2:11 remaining in the game.
It was that kind of game. As Maye said, “It took everyone.’’
