Patriots-Broncos on Championship Sunday: What We Learned from New England's 10-7 win

FULL BOX SCORE

• REWATCH: Patriots-Broncos on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Maye uses legs to send Patriots to Super Bowl
• READ: Patriots D stands tall in snowy win over Broncos
• READ: Payton laments first-half mistakes in AFC title loss
• READ: Five key factors that will determine Super Bowl LX

1. Patriots hang on in brutal conditions, head to Super Bowl LX. The Mile High weather turned on a dime in the second half, creating snow globe-like conditions that made it difficult for offenses to gain any traction. Mike Vrabel's defense smothered Denver down the stretch, allowing just 32 yards on five possessions in the second half. Facing backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, the Pats didn’t allow the Broncos to find life on the ground, allowing 3.3 yards per carry and just three rushing first downs. New England gave up one splash play early -- a 52-yarder to Marvin Mims Jr. -- that set up Denver’s lone score. From there, the Pats dominated, forcing two key turnovers and allowing four first downs on the Broncos' final eight possessions. New England’s defensive line controlled things against a good Denver blocking unit, sacking Stidham three times, allowed just one completion on 10 pass attempts under pressure, and just 4 of 14 on third downs. A defense that entered the postseason with questions has answered them resoundingly every step of the way. 
2. Maye’s scrambles pivotal Pats' win. It wasn’t pretty passing the ball for MVP candidate Drake Maye, but the second-year quarterback used his legs to spearhead New England to its 12th AFC Championship Game victory. Maye completed just 10 of 21 pass attempts for 86 yards and took five sacks, but, unlike his counterpart, didn’t commit a turnover. It was Maye’s legs that proved the difference. The QB scrambled 10 times for 65 yards and the Patriots' only TD of the contest. Maye’s gains of 28, 16 and 13 yards were the longest of any player on either team. With the passing game stalled and Rhamondre Stevenson averaging 2.8 yards per carry, Maye’s scrambles provided inflection points. His rushing score tied the tilt in the first half. His 28-yard scramble on third-and-9 set up the go-ahead third-quarter field goal. It was apropos that Maye used his legs to ice the tilt, scrambling for 7 yards on third-and-5 to ensure Denver didn’t have a late chance. During Maye’s magical season, he’s proven steely at every turn. He became the first QB to win three playoff games against top-five total defenses in a single postseason. On Sunday, when things weren’t going his way through the air, with blustery, snowy conditions, he once again showed the mettle to push the Pats to victory.
3. Stidham’s turnovers cost Broncos. Thrust into his first action in more than 700 days, Jarrett Stidham came out wobbly, missing on his first three passes. Then, he dropped a 52-yard dime and connected on a short TD toss to settle his nerves. The backup seemed to find his groove until the Pats ratcheted up the pressure and forced Stidham into a crucial mistake. The QB tried to avoid a third-down sack deep in his own end in the second quarter. Instead, he flipped the ball backward for a fumble, setting up a New England offense that had punted four straight times to open the tilt with the ball in scoring range that the Pats turned into a touchdown. Stidham made a few nice throws but struggled mightily under pressure, going 1 of 10 for 4 yards with an interception, per Next Gen Stats. In the snowstorm, Stidham finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with a TD and an INT that wiped out the Broncos' last chance late in the contest. 
4. Pats come up with massive FG block. New England didn’t have a banner day on special teams, with punter Bryce Baringer particularly struggling throughout the contest. Rookie kicker Andres Borregales also missed two field goal attempts -- 63 yards and 46 yards. However, when they needed a big play, the third unit delivered. With the Broncos lining up for a 45-yard field goal to tie the game with 4:46 left, Leonard Taylor III, who was called up off the practice squad, got a hand on the ball, forcing the miss. In a tight game, Taylor’s hand proved to be a difference maker to send the Pats to Santa Clara, California, where they'll face the Seattle Seahawks.
5. Payton’s decision to eschew early FG stings. The Broncos held a 7-0 lead against a New England squad that had generated just one first down on three possessions. Denver put together its second solid drive, getting the ball into the red zone. However, after a Jarrett Stidham scramble came up just shy, Sean Payton elected to go for it on fourth-and-1 instead of kicking a field goal. The play was dead on arrival, with the QB’s pass closer to being intercepted than completed under heavy duress. Given the circumstances with a backup quarterback starting his first tilt since 2023, and employing a smothering defense, the decision not to take a two-score lead proved game-changing. Instead of controlling the tenor of the contest, the Broncos wound up playing from behind as Mother Nature ripped through Denver with her wind and snow. Hindsight is 20-20, and if Payton had known the extent to which the weather would turn, maybe he would have made a different choice. It’s a decision that will hover over Denver all offseason.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Patriots-Broncos (via NFL Pro): Milton Williams and Elijah Ponder each recorded a team-high four pressures to lead the Patriots defense in their AFC Championship Game win against the Broncos. 

NFL Research: The Patriots have averaged 18.0 PPG this postseason, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams (15.0).