DENVER -- In an improbable turnaround under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, the New England Patriots are headed to Super Bowl LX after recording a gritty 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos in Sunday's AFC Championship Game as most of the second half was played in windy, snowy conditions -- with some players saying it was challenging to see plays unfold.
Perhaps Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls with the franchise as a player, summed up the Patriots' stunning resurgence when he said: "You have to believe things sometimes before you can see them."
That was also the message Vrabel shared with players in a celebratory locker room in Denver, where the team stayed overnight due to a snowstorm in New England. Owner Robert Kraft presented Vrabel a game ball, noting that the Patriots -- who like to refer themselves as "road warriors" -- became the first team in league history to finish 9-0 on the road (including playoffs).
"We have a great group of guys, and they continued to believe in the things we did, and they formed and created an identity and try to protect it," said Vrabel, who makes his first Super Bowl appearance as a head coach. "And today was an example as things kind of change and unfold [with the weather], our ability to adjust. We did enough to win the football game in tough conditions."
Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, will mark the Patriots' 12th appearance in the game and the 11th in Kraft's 32-year ownership tenure. The 12 Super Bowl appearances are the most in league history, followed by the Dallas Cowboys, Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers at eight each.
But this appearance is among the most unexpected after the franchise had fallen on hard times, winning four games apiece in 2023 and 2024. That led to Vrabel being hired last January, replacing Jerod Mayo after one year.
Much like the Patriots' first title team, in which Vrabel played a key role as an outside linebacker, this season's squad is riding its defense and special teams in the playoffs. The Patriots have allowed 26 points in the playoffs, which is the fewest in a three-game span within a postseason since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. In Sunday's win, a strip sack by linebacker Christian Elliss deep in Denver territory helped set up the Patriots' lone touchdown.
Defensive tackle Leonard Taylor III -- who was elevated from the practice squad for Sunday's game -- was credited with a block of Wil Lutz's 45-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that could have tied the game at 10.
Sunday seemed almost like two games because of the weather, with Vrabel citing midway through the third quarter as a critical juncture.
The Patriots had a 16-play drive coming out of halftime that culminated in 23-yard field goal by rookie Andy Borregales, giving them a 10-7 lead. Snow began to blanket the field and Vrabel said, "It just kept getting worse and worse." Vrabel said that changed the way the Patriots approached the rest of the game, focusing on not putting the football in harm's way.
The Patriots didn't have any turnovers in the sloppy conditions, which was critical. Quarterback Drake Maye finished 10-of-21 for 86 yards passing, hurting the Broncos more with his legs as he totaled 65 yards on 10 rushes. A 28-yard run on third-and-9 helped set up the Borregales field goal, and Maye's 7-yard run on a bootleg on the final drive kept the ball away from the Broncos.
"We're going to the Super Bowl -- that sounds pretty good," Maye said. "I'm proud of this team. I'm proud of the defense. We didn't play our best ball [on offense] in the first half, but the second half we came and battled the elements. Our defense stepped up -- it was fun to watch."
Despite their defensive success this season, including in the playoffs, some players said they believe the unit has been overlooked.
"We have one more game to take care of business and see if we can get some credit then," said defensive tackle Milton Williams, who returns to the Super Bowl for a second straight season after helping the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs last year. "We have that chip on our shoulder every time we step between the white lines to show everybody who we are."
Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez, whose interception late in the fourth quarter helped seal the win, agreed.
"It's been two weeks in a row -- they talked about the Texans' defense, and this week it was all about the Broncos' defense," he said. "Like Milt said, it's great if you want to count us out."
Linebacker Christian Elliss described the Patriots as a "gritty" team. They are underdogs in Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks, who opened as 3.5-point favorites, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
"No one expected us to be here, no one gave us the benefit of the doubt," he said. "But Vrabes, kudos to him, came in and made a culture we believed in. We stuck with it, and here we are."
The Patriots have won six Super Bowl championships and can break a tie with the Steelers for most in NFL history with a victory.
