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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye put the game on his shoulders in the team’s latest AFC Championship drive against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
The Patriots needed to convert on third down to essentially end the game and secure their first Super Bowl appearance since Tom Brady was throwing passes and Bill Belichick was roaming the sideline. If the team had been stopped, they would have had to punt the ball back to the Broncos and rely on the defense to stop Jarrett Stidham once again.
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) runs the ball against Denver Broncos safety Devon Key (26) during the first half of the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on Jan. 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Image Images)
On 3rd and 5, Maye took the center and faked the handoff. He retreated to his left, where he only had one guy to beat. Maye was able to get around Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss for the first down and seal the game.
While it seemed like a simple play that Maye had just executed, Patriots offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury shared that no one had any idea what was going to happen. He told the Boston Herald that Maye didn’t share what he was going to do.
“I hit my block and all the defenders started running the other way,” Bradbury said. “I was like, ‘What? Oh my God.’ … After the game, Drake says, ‘I debated whether I was going to tell them if I was going to (keep him) or not.’ But I just decided not to.”
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) prepares to hand off the ball against the Denver Broncos during the second half of the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on January 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Image Images)
DRAKE MAYE’S CONTROVERSIAL QUARTER DOWN PLAY PROVOKES FURY ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS PATRIOTS HEAD TO SUPER BOWL LX
The play underscored what Maye was able to do with his legs in the game when snow hampered his passing ability in the second half against an already tough Broncos defense.
Maye scored the Patriots’ only touchdown in the game after a costly Broncos turnover. The rushing touchdown tied the game in the first half. In the second half, Patriots kicker Andy Borregales kicked a 23-yard field goal to give New England a three-point lead.
“What an atmosphere it is here,” he said after the game. “Battle of the Elements. I love this team. How’s the defense? I love each and every one of them.”
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye celebrates with the trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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The Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
