The New England Patriots pull off a 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game. It was a wild contest that took place in a blizzard, but New England got the job done to punch its ticket to the Super Bowl.
Mike Vrabel and his Patriots ended the game thanks to a gutsy play call from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. New England ran a bootleg run with quarterback Drake Maye, who beat a Broncos defender to get the first down. It allowed the team to kneel out the clock and earn the victory.
DRAKE MAYE OUTRUNS HIM
NEvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1FoNGda29L
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
The blizzard was certainly a factor in this matchup, as it served as an opponent for both the Patriots and Broncos. A time-lapse video that was shown on the broadcast and on social media revealed exactly how crazy the conditions were on the field. In the clip, you can see just how quickly the snow took over the game.
How the game started —> where the game is now pic.twitter.com/B58tsnpALu
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 25, 2026
New England ended the game with just 206 total yards of offense. The key difference-maker in the contest seemed to be the field goal scored in the third quarter, right before the snow engulfed the field. Once the blizzard hit and was in full swing, both clubs struggled to do much of anything on offense.
This will be the Patriots’ first Super Bowl appearance since the 2018-19 season, when the team beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3. Bill Belichick was still the head coach, while Tom Brady was playing under center as the starting quarterback. After a seven-year championship drought, the franchise heads back to the championship game, with a seventh title in its sights.
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