New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye took the AFC Championship into his own hands at the weekend.
The signal caller sealed his spot in the Super Bowl in just his second season in the league on Sunday as the Patriots beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 victory in a blustery, snowy AFC Championship game.
Maye came up clutch on a crucial third down late in the fourth quarter which punched New England’s ticket to the big game for the first time since 2019 in the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era.
With the Patriots needing to convert on third-and-5, Maye took the snap and faked the handoff, before rolling back toward his left where he only had one Broncos defenseman to beat.
He managed to then evade Denver linebacker Jonah Elliss to seal the first down, and ultimately, the game.
If the Patriots had failed to convert on the third-down play, they would have been forced to punt on fourth down and leave their Super Bowl chances in the hands of their defense with the hope that they could stop Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
New England Patriotsquarterback DrakeMaye took the AFC Championship into his own hands
The signal caller reportedly went rogue when he ran the ball on a crucial third down
It was a genius play that Maye to cling on to victory that took even his own teammates by surprise.
Following the game, Patriots offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury revealed that neither he nor his teammates had any idea of what move Maye was going to pull.
‘I hit my block, and all the defenders started running the other way,’ Bradbury told the Boston Herald. ‘I’m like, ‘What? Oh my God.’ … After the game, Drake’s like, ‘I debated telling you guys if I was gonna (keep) it or not. But I just decided not to.’
Maye, who was cheered on by his wife, Ann Michael, and the Patriots had to rely on their running game throughout the second half as the snow began to fall on Empower Field at Mile High.
It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26F, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.
The frigid conditions hampered with Maye’s passing ability against the challenging Broncos defense.
The quarterback scored New England’s only touchdown of the game when he darted into the end zone following a costly Broncos turnover to tie the game in the first half.
Andy Borregales put the Patriots ahead in the second half when he nailed a 23-yard field goal for a three point lead.
Ann Michael Maye turned heads as she supported her husband at the AFC Championship
The 23-year-old converted on third down and sealed the 10-7 victory for the Broncos
‘What an atmosphere out here,’ Patriots quarterback Maye said. ‘Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.’
Christian Gonzalez intercepted Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, at New England’s 36 with 2:11 remaining and the Patriots iced their first playoff win in Denver when Maye ran for seven yards on the third-and-5 from his 41.
In Mike Vrabel’s first season as coach, New England became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.
‘I´m just proud of this team,’ Maye said. ‘Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.’
