The Patriots had been the primary to qualify, with quarterback Drake Maye operating for a landing in the primary half and delivering a primary down to seal the AFC Championship Game in Denver as he performed co-star to New England’s stifling defence in a 10-7 victory over the Broncos.
“Dominate up front,” Patriots defensive sort out Milton Williams stated of the sport plan.
“And we did that.”
Maye turns into the second-youngest quarterback to begin the Super Bowl at age 23, trailing solely Dan Marino. The Patriots are in the Super Bowl for the twelfth time.
Maye led a crucial field-goal drive in the third quarter that included a fourth-down conversion and chewed up greater than 9 minutes on the clock. Those three factors, and the 10-7 lead, held up the remainder of the best way.
“That boy is a dog,” Williams stated.
Drake Maye got here up with a number of essential performs in the atrocious situations. (Getty Images: Hyoung Chang)
Coach Mike Vrabel’s kids are all older than Maye, a first-round decide he inherited when the Patriots introduced him again to the highest of the organisation one yr in the past.
On Sunday afternoon, native time, his remaining directions to Maye had been that he had to be the “conductor” and management the surroundings to “make as many positive plays” as he might discover.
New England turned the primary group to beat three groups in the play-offs with defences that completed the common season in the highest 5 defensively.
Maye was sacked 15 instances through the three-game run via the AFC — defeating the Chargers (No. 5), Texans (No. 1), and Broncos (No. 2) — however he stored discovering methods to make performs.
He had the Patriots’ two longest operating performs — highlighted by a 28-yarder — and ran 10 instances for 65 yards. Of his 10 completions, just one went greater than 11 yards in the air, a 31-yard reference to Mack Hollins on a flea-flicker, totalling 86 passing yards.
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, enjoying in his third convention championship recreation, is ready for his first Super Bowl in his first season with New England, and gave all of the credit score to Maye.
“That’s a soldier, man. That’s a MVP, man,” Diggs, 32, stated on the sector after the sport. “That’s a man that stands 10 toes, battles through adversity.”
Maye ran for a 6-yard landing to tie the sport at 7 in the primary half. That got here after the Broncos, who scored first on Jarrett Stidham’s 6-yard go to Courtland Sutton, bypassed a 32-yard field-goal try and a possible 10-0 lead to go for a fourth-down go, which was incomplete on the 9:22 mark in the second quarter.
Wil Lutz missed a 54-yard subject purpose in the second quarter.
On the essential third down after the ultimate two-minute warning, Maye took the snap beneath middle.
A unadorned bootleg to his left despatched Maye right into a footrace to the sticks with Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss. Maye wanted 5 yards to attain the marker on the New England 46. He acquired that and two extra, securing win No. 17 this season for New England.
Vrabel received three Super Bowls as a participant with the Patriots and has an opportunity to turn out to be the primary particular person to win the Lombardi Trophy with the identical franchise each as a participant and as a head coach.
Gary Kubiak was a backup quarterback for the Broncos on three shedding journeys to the Super Bowl (1986, 1987, 1989 seasons), and because the head coach guided QB Peyton Manning and Denver to a win the final time the sport was held in Santa Clara, California, 10 years in the past, beating the Carolina Panthers 24-10 on February 7, 2016.
Maye attended that recreation along with his father as a 13-year-old and now has an opportunity to carve his identify into NFL historical past.
To achieve this, the Patriots can have to overcome a fearsome Seattle squad, which can carry favouritism into the match-up after their win over Los Angeles in the NFC Championship recreation.
Sam Darnold performed certainly one of his greatest video games of the season to lead the Seahawks previous the Rams. (Getty Images by way of Los Angeles Times: Eric Thayer)
Reborn quarterback Sam Darnold threw for a season-high 346 yards and three touchdowns, Jaxon Smith-Njigba made 10 receptions for 153 yards and a landing, and Kenneth Walker III rushed for 62 yards and a rating for the Seahawks.
Darnold, on his fifth group in eight NFL seasons, completed 25 of 36 passing to attain his first Super Bowl.
The Rams acquired the ball on their 7-yard line with no timeouts and 25 seconds remaining however time expired as they reached midfield.
Matthew Stafford was 22 of 35 for 374 yards and three TDs for the fifth-seeded Rams. Puka Nacua made 9 catches for 165 yards and a rating. Davante Adams added 89 yards and a TD on 4 receptions.
Trailing by 4 factors, the Rams had a fourth-and-4 from Seattle’s 6-yard line with 4:54 remaining. Stafford’s go meant for Terrance Ferguson in the again of the tip zone was knocked down by Devon Witherspoon.
The Seahawks had been held on the primary possession of the second half, however Rams punt returner Xavier Smith tripped and fell backward because the ball approached.
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Smith tried to catch the ball simply earlier than he landed on his again however muffed the punt, and Seattle’s Dareke Young recovered at Los Angeles’ 17-yard line.
On the subsequent play, Darnold hit Jake Bobo in the again of the tip zone for a 24-13 lead. It was simply the fourth reception of the season for Bobo.
The Rams responded with a four-play, 75-yard drive, capped by Stafford’s 2-yard TD go to Adams to pull inside 4 factors.
Seattle moved proper again down the sector, restoring its double-digit lead on a 13-yard landing reception by former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp.
It appeared the Rams would have to punt from Seattle’s 49-yard line when Riq Woolen knocked down a go to Nacua to power the Rams into fourth-and-12.
But Woolen was referred to as for taunting after the play, a 15-yard penalty giving Los Angeles the ball on the 34. Stafford threw a strike to Nacua, beating Woolen on the entrance left pylon to pull the Rams inside 31-27 with 2:06 left in the third.
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