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Patriots survive snow storm to set up Super Bowl clash with Seahawks
By Rob Maaddi
MVP contender Drake Maye, coach Mike Vrabel and a stifling defence combined to take the New England Patriots back in the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won their sixth ring together seven years ago.
The Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 on Monday (AEDT) in the AFC championship game to advance to a 12th Super Bowl.
There they will face the Seattle Seahawks, who later beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 to become NFC champions.
Maye scored on a six-yard touchdown run in the second quarter after a critical turnover by Jarrett Stidham, who made his fifth career start filling in for injured Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
“The Pats are back, baby,” Maye said. “Now, gotta win one.”
Playing through a snowstorm in the second half, Maye only threw for 86 yards, but ran for 65. Stidham had 133 yards passing and one TD, one interception and one very costly fumble.
The 23-year-old Maye, a finalist for NFL MVP and offensive player of the year, will become the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl, behind Dan Marino. He’s the fourth second-year QB in the past seven years to lead his team to the NFL title game. Patrick Mahomes (2018) won it, while Joe Burrow (2021) and Brock Purdy (2023) lost.
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 a 4-13 win-loss record 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 organisation,” said Vrabel, who is a finalist for 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.”
Broncos kicker Wil Lutz has a field goal attempt blocked in the snow.Credit: AP
No team has played in the Super Bowl more than the Patriots, who are 6-5. They are tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.
In Seattle, Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, while the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defence came up with a critical fourth-down stop in their win.
Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold – an eight-year veteran playing for his fifth team – the Seahawks reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years.
Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Kenneth Walker scores for the Seahawks to help send them to the Super Bowl.Credit: AP
Darnold, who flopped in his play-off debut last season with the Minnesota Vikings, played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving – the second-most in a play-off game in franchise history – and a touchdown on 10 catches.
“It’s amazing,” Darnold said. “To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”
AP