BSJ Game Report: The Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl, beating the Broncos, 10-7

Everything you need to know from the Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Broncos in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

HEADLINES

PATRIOTS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL - That's not a sentence I thought I'd be typing this year. A little over a year after the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, they went to Denver and won the AFC Title under rapidly changing conditions. The day started off bright and sunny, and the second half devolved into a game of field position. But the Patriots handled it better than the Broncos did, and, of course, it helped having Drake Maye.

IT TOOK THE PATS DEFENSE A MINUTE BEFORE THEY GOT THEIR BEARINGS, BUT ONCE THEY DID, THEY   EMASCULATED THE BRONCOS AND BACKUP QB, JARRETT STIDHAM - I suspected the Pats wouldn't be afraid of a) Stidham, b) the run game, or c) their receivers. Other than the deep shot to Marvin Mims, the Pats dominated on the outside, controlled the run game by winning up front, and helped turn Stidham into a pumpkin.

OFFENSE STRUGGLED MIGHTILY IN THE FIRST HALF - Josh McDaniels had his work cut out for him the first half trying to find something that worked. Basically, nothing did. The Pats had 12 yards in the opening quarter, fewest in a quarter since the Chargers regular season game back in week 17 of 2024 (Mayo era). By the half, that number jumped (!) to 72 total yards, their fewest in a playoff half since they recorded 54 in the 1st half vs the Jaguars in the 1998 Wild Card Playoffs (lost 25-10). Maye was sacked 3 times, hit a few other times, and the offense produced just four first downs against what appeared to be a zone-heavy plan from Broncos DC Vance Joseph. They were lucky to be tied at 7.

MAYE'S LEGS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE - The Patriots couldn't throw it. They ran it a little better, but nothing they could live on. So Maye's legs took center stage, first on the QB draw to tie the game at 7, and then with a 28-yard mad dash on the opening series of the third quarter. That not only converted a 3rd-and-9 from near midfield but also got the Pats into the red zone. The drive ultimately didn't result in a touchdown, but Andy Borregales drilled a chip shot field goal to give the Pats their first lead of the game, 10-7. 

IT WASN'T OVER UNTIL CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ INTERCEPTED JARRETT STIDHAM LATE IN THE 4TH QUARTER - The cornerback had given up a little too much space to Mims on the play before. But on this one, he was comfortably positioned on Mims' shoulder, read the underthrow and picked off a woefully underthrown ball. 

TURNING POINT

There are two. Sean Payton's decision to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Patriots' 14-yard line early in the second quarter. Based on how the Denver defense was playing, ignore the analytics and take the points. He didn't, and the Pats came up with a big stop. Milton Williams put immediate pressure on Jarrett Stidham, forcing him to get rid of the ball too soon. Craig Woodson nearly came up with the interception in the right flat, but the mission was accomplished.

The next came later in the second quarter. Jarrett Stidham was operating well when he was kept clean. But as the Pats turned up the defensive pressure, the career backup wilted. The Broncos were trying to run a screen to the left side. Christian Elliss broke through, got in Stidham's face as the quarterback continued to drift back. He half-heartedly tried to throw the ball away, but after some discussion, it was ruled (correctly) a fumble. Ponder had the recovery and would have scored had they not blown the whistle. The offense picked them up, scoring two plays later when Maye executed a well-designed QB draw to run it in from 6 yards out (Stevenson and Bradbury good blocks) and tie the game at 7.

SECOND GUESS

From a Patriots perspective, the red zone sequence prior to the go-ahead field goal by Borregales was...curious? The tush push with Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga nearly came unglued on the snap, as Williams bumped into Maye. He squirmed back to the left and was given the first down, although upon seeing the overhead replay, I think the Pats got lucky with the spot (the ball didn't get extended, and I'm not sure how it got to the line). The Broncos challenged it, but the call on the field was upheld. Later, McDaniels called a direct snap to Rhamondre Stevenson (with Maye acting like it was a high snap). But the running back juggled the shotgun snap with one hand and went nowhere, actually losing a yard. Maye then got sacked on third down, wisely eating the ball but forcing the Pats to settle for 3 after a 16-play drive that used over 9 minutes of the clock.  

MANY UP

K'Lavon Chaisson: He is making himself a whole lot of money with his play in the postseason. He blew up a TE screen in the 4th quarter, just a couple plays after closing down from the backside as a run defender and stopping RJ Harvey short of a first down. In fact, it was his work vs. the run that I appreciated the most in this one.

QB Drake Maye: Not his best game throwing the ball, but after nearly getting picked off on the opening drive, he protected the football and Jarrett Stidham didn't. Between that and his legs, he did just enough for the Pats to return to the Super Bowl. 

DTs Christian Barmore and Milton Williams: One or the other seemed to be affecting Stidham as a passer for chunks of the game. 

Leonard Taylor: Elevated from the practice squad again (no restrictions in the playoffs), the big fella got one of his big mitts on Will Lutz's 46-yard field goal late in the 4th quarter that could have tied the game.

THREE DOWN

Bryce Baringer: 8 punts. 37.9 average. I'll cut him some slack in the conditions, but that 26-yarder in the 4th quarter could have been costly if not for Taylor's field goal block.

Andy Borregales: Missing a 63-yarder is no big deal, but the 46-yarder in the third quarter? Not great. Yes, the conditions were rough, but that was the right side to be kicking, with the wind more at his back. He didn't hit it well, and quite frankly, the whole operation looked dicey.

Christian Gonzalez/Jaylin Hawkins: Can't assign blame on the 52-yard bomb to Marvin Mims that was the prelude to the Stidham TD pass to Courtland Sutton

INJURIES

Robert Spillane was injured in the opening quarter. He went to the locker room with an ankle injury, and while he returned to the sideline, he didn't play another snap.

Denver's Pat Bryant (hamstring) was injured on opening drive. Didn't return.

TOP PLAYS

THREE TAKES GIARDI WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

1. This is where my brain went so bare with me. The Pats defense is playing as well as any in the league. If the Rams emerge from the NFC, they'll need to keep that up. But if it's the Seahawks, it might be hard for Seattle to get more than 17 points. The defense is flying around, rarely missing tackles, and has confounded a slew of QBs over the last six weeks or so. 

2. You'll notice how much the Patriots leaned on Stevenson in this game. Even if there wasn't much room for running, he carried it 25 times for 71 yards and never once gave you that feeling you had last year or for the first few weeks this year (the one-handed direct snap was not on him). The veteran back has been a critical component of the offense's physicality and toughness (mental included).

3. You realize how bananas this is, right? This team was 4-13 in back-to-back seasons, and the roster will have some real turnover this off-season. But there's another game to play because this team continues to seize the opportunity that gets put in front of them. No 'Happy to be there' energy. This is 'We're here so why not us?' Why not, indeed.