The New England Patriots scratched and clawed their way to Super Bowl LX in a slugfest with unfavorable conditions. They weathered the storm — literally and figuratively — which is a major credit to the team's head coach, Mike Vrabel.
Patriots star second-year quarterback Drake Maye had a quiet performance outside of a few well-timed plays with his legs. Yet, New England overcame heavy snow and a hostile road environment to defeat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game. That's because Vrabel pulled the right strings.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton all but admitted that Vrabel's Patriots executed at a higher level than Denver after the contest.
Broncos HC Sean Payton practically concedes that Mike Vrabel's Patriots were better prepared
Payton was asked if he had any personal critiques with Denver's approach following the loss at the hands of the Pats. The Super Bowl XLIV champion highlighted a costly fourth-down decision that ultimately proved to be the difference. Moreover, his comments on the Broncos' ground game, or lack thereof, were basically an admission that Vrabel ran laps around him.
"I felt like we were going to be able to run the ball more consistently," Payton told reporters. "I thought that was going to be important. We felt like we had one of our better run plans going in."
Denver ostensibly tried doing everything in their power to keep the ball out of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham's hands, which is fair. He hadn't thrown a pass in the regular season since 2023, let alone in the playoffs with the Lamar Hunt Trophy at stake. Payton worked diligently to put together a blueprint that he believed in, only to have Vrabel blow up the strategy.
New England limited the Broncos to 79 rushing yards on 24 carries (3.3 yards per attempt). Denver produced zero double-digit yard runs. Payton's group had no room to operate against the Patriots' stout front seven. It's a testament to Vrabel having his defense ready for the challenge.
Frankly, Stidham's situation aside, we're not sure why Payton was steadfast on pounding the rock. The Pats allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game in 2025 (101.7) and were in the top half of the league in lowest yards per tote.