Drake Maye did it. The young quarterback proved to be a worthy successor to Tom Brady, leading the New England Patriots back to the Super Bowl with a hard-fought victory over the Denver Broncos in extremely challenging conditions at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Patriots entered this game as the second seed in the AFC, directly behind the Broncos. They were the betting favorites after Denver quarterback Bo Nix was injured.
The conditions were already expected to be unfavorable due to the recent bad weather, but as the game progressed, the weather seemed determined to make things even more difficult for both teams.
In the end, Maye won the quarterback duel against Broncos backup Jarrett Stidham, securing New England’s ticket to Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX.
Maye overcame the winter weather at High Mile
The game was evenly matched throughout. However, after a punt for each side, Stidham surprised the Patriots’ defense with a 52-yard touchdown pass, setting up a six-yard touchdown pass from Stidham himself to Courtland Sutton.
Denver’s defense showed why it’s the best in the league, shutting down Maye’s explosive offense throughout the first quarter and most of the second.
However, as many teams know, it’s nearly impossible to keep Maye out of the end zone. In the second quarter, the young quarterback tied the game with a six-yard touchdown run.
In the third quarter, with a light snowfall, Maye orchestrated a 64-yard, 18-play drive, culminating in a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregales that made the final score 10-3.
A white hell for Borregales and Lutz
The heavy snowfall made it nearly impossible for offenses to play in the fourth quarter. However, the ones who suffered the most were the kickers, Andy Borregales and Wil Lutz, who each missed two field goal attempts.
Under these conditions, Stidham finished with 17 completions on 31 attempts for 133 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Maye, meanwhile, completed 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards, with no touchdowns but also no interceptions.
Beyond the numbers, the important thing for Maye and the Patriots is that they will be playing in their first Super Bowl since 2018 and also their first in the post-Tom Brady era. Now, the young signal-caller is just one win away from stepping out of the GOAT’s shadow.
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