NFL play-offs: Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots win to reach Super Bowl 60
New England may have won six Super Bowls, tying the NFL record with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they had to rebuild after Brady joined Tampa Bay in 2020 and legendary coach Bill Belichick left following a 4-13 record in the 2023 season.
Less than two hours after the end of another 4-13 season last January, team owner Robert Kraft made the bold decision to fire Jerod Mayo and allow Mike Vrabel to bring in his own coaching staff.
This decision paid off immediately. Little was expected from the Patriots entering the season, but they improved to 14-3 with 10 wins, tied for the greatest comeback in NFL history.
Denver is also 14-3 this season, securing the NFC’s top seed, but was forced to give backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham his first start in two years after Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in last week’s Divisional Round win over Buffalo.
Although Courtland scored to Sutton in the first quarter, two turnovers by Stidham proved decisive and Maye once again showed maturity beyond his years.
Denver’s defense led the league in sacks this season, and although they sacked Maye five times, he made some big plays with his legs.
The 23-year-old came out of the pocket to earn some key first downs, scoring the Patriots’ lone touchdown after Stidham fumbled just in front of the Broncos’ end zone.
Maye then continued New England’s drive for more than nine minutes in the third quarter, resulting in what proved to be the game’s decisive score by kicker Andy Borregales.
In just half a quarter, the entire field was covered in snow and Denver’s Wil Lutz missed a 45-yard field goal, then Stidham’s desperation deep shot was stopped by Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez with just over two minutes remaining.
This gave New England a chance to qualify for its 12th Super Bowl and become the first team to reach the Super Bowl after 13 losses in the previous season.
Vrabel, 50, who won three Super Bowls as a linebacker in New England, may now become the first person to win an NFL title as a player and head coach on the same team.
