1 month ago
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By Rob Maaddi
January 26, 2026 — 11.23am
MVP contender Drake Maye, coach Mike Vrabel, and a stifling defence have 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 (17-3) beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 on Sunday in the AFC championship game to advance to a 12th Super Bowl.
They’ll face the winner of the NFC championship game between the Los Angeles Rams (14-5) and Seattle Seahawks (15-3).
Either way, it’ll be a rematch.
Brady led the Patriots to a 20-17 victory over the heavily favoured Rams (who were then based in St. Louis) in 2002, for the franchise’s first Super Bowl win.
And the Patriots also defeated Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in 2019, to capture the franchise’s sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Broncos kicker Wil Lutz has a field goal attempt blocked.Credit: AP
New England edged Pete Carroll’s Seahawks 28-24 in the 2015 decider, when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass from the one-yard line.
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 and ran for 65. Stidham had 133 yards passing and one TD, one interception and the one costly fumble.
The grounds crew was kept busy during the AFC Championship game.Credit: AP
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 4-13 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 organization,” said Vrabel, who is a finalist for NFL 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.”
No team has played in the Super Bowl more than the Patriots, who are 6-5. They’re tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.
More to come ...
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