Patriots advance to Super Bowl after defeating Broncos in snowy AFC title game

The Pats, returning to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019, will play the Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.

The New England Patriots are heading back to the Super Bowl. 

The Pats held on in late blizzard-like conditions to edge the top-seeded Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game to return to familiar territory.

They'll play the winner of the NFC Championship Game between the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 on Feb. 8 on NBC and Peacock.

“The Pats are back, baby,” quarterback Drake Maye said. “Now, gotta win one.”

New England advanced to their 12th Super Bowl, and first since 2019, with some late stops in what was a defensive showdown.

Jarrett Stidham, playing for the first time this season after starting quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle late in the Broncos' divisional round win, gave Denver an early lead in the first quarter when he connected with Marvin Mims Jr. for a 52-yard completion that set up a six-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton.

The Patriots pulled even on a six-yard touchdown run by Maye with 2:10 remaining in the half. The Pats went in front on a 23-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead with 5:29 to go in the third quarter by Andy Borregales, who had been wide on two long tries just before the snow came in at halftime.

With just under seven minutes remaining, the Broncos took possession in blizzard-like conditions at the Patriots' 33-yard-line. A potential game-tying 45-yard field goal attempt by Will Lutz was then tipped by Leonard Taylor III with 4:55 left.

After the Patriots went three-and-out, Stidham was intercepted on a downfield pass by Christian Gonzalez with just over two minutes left. Maye then sealed the win with a with a seven-yard run on third-and-5.

Maye completed 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards and had 10 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown in the win. Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 71 yards on 25 carries.

The 23-year-old Maye, a finalist for AP NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, will become the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino. 

“I’m just proud of this team,” Maye said. "Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”

Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale, went 17-for-31 for 133 yards with a touchdown, interception and fumble. The Patriots defense held the Broncos to just 181 total yards.

“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.

In Mike Vrabel's first season as coach, New England became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.

“What an atmosphere out here," Maye said. "Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”

New England returns to the big game for the first time since 2019 when they defeated the Rams 13-3 in Tom Brady's final Super Bowl appearance and playoff victory with the team. The following season, Brady and the Patriots lost in the wild-card round to a Tennessee Titans team coached by Vrabel, ending a Pats' dynasty that included nine Super Bowl appearances -- and six championships -- in two decades under Brady and coach Bill Belichick.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots in the 2000s, turned the team around in his first season as coach. New England went from 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo to 14-3.

Vrabel is trying to become the first person to win a Super Bowl as a head coach and player for the same team. Tom Flores, Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy and Doug Pederson won Super Bowls playing for one team and coaching another.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with these guys and this organization,” said Vrabel, who is a finalist for AP NFL Coach of the Year. “I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game, I promise you. It won’t be me that’ll win it and I promise you I’ll do everything that I can and our staff to have them ready for the game.”

The Patriots have gone 6-5 in the Super Bowl and are tied with the Steelers with the most wins all time in the big game.

The Associated Press contributed to this report