The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, much to the chagrin of the rest of the league. The Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 in a snowy AFC Championship Game to clinch their spot in Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, Calif. It was an incredible turnaround for the Patriots, who had an abysmal 2024.
It certainly helps that quarterback Drake Maye has played at an NFL MVP level throughout the year. But it's no secret that the team trended in a positive direction after moving on from Jerod Mayo as head coach and replacing him with Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel, following his stunning firing by the Tennessee Titans, has led the team he used to play for back to the Super Bowl in his first year on the job. It's no secret that the Patriots have gotten this far thanks to Vrabel's specialty: a dominant defense. Maye has not played his best this postseason, but the defense has more than made up for it.
Over three playoff games, the Patriots' defense forced eight turnovers and allowed only two touchdowns—pure domination.
Patriots defense during the playoffs:
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 25, 2026
- 8 turnovers forced
- 2 TDs allowed pic.twitter.com/NwAlqLii9T
Patriots' defense main reason for return trip to Super Bowl
The saying "defense wins championships" rings true. Sure, you can outscore your opponents with an explosive offense. But the job of winning a Super Bowl becomes much easier if you have a defense that can shut an offense out.
Critics may fault the quality of opponents the Patriots faced in the playoffs, but they had no say in who they faced. The Patriots just capitalized on who was lined up opposite them. The defensive players all bought into the message that Vrabel and playcaller Zak Kuhr have relayed to them.
In the Wild Card Round, the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in a one-sided affair. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was limited to just 159 yards of passing while turning it over once.
The Divisional Round saw the Patriots' defense play the role of nightmare for the Houston Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. In the game, Stroud threw four interceptions, completely negating the Texans' impressive defense. Stroud completed just 20-of-47 pass attempts for 212 yards. Additionally, the Texans' run game was limited to just 48 yards on 22 carries.
In the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos were without their starting quarterback, Bo Nix, who suffered an ankle fracture in the team's Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. That left backup Jarrett Stidham as the starter for the rest of the season. The Patriots' defense did its part, limiting the Broncos' offense to just 181 yards on 58 carries.
Through these playoffs, the Patriots have allowed an average of 209.7 yards and 8.7 points per game, both the best among all eligible teams.
The Patriots will face an actual test in the Super Bowl, as they take on a juggernaut Seahawks offense that averaged 36.0 points over two playoff games, the highest among all playoff teams. Not to mention, the Seahawks defense can smother opposing offenses, as evidenced by their 41-6 Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Vrabel knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl as a player. If he and his coaching staff continue to plan the way they have on defense, they could very well make things miserable for the Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold in Super Bowl 60.
These playoffs just go to show what can happen if you hire the right coach. Vrabel has been everything the Patriots could have hoped for, and then some. Now, behind a dominant defense, the Patriots are one win away from winning their seventh Super Bowl title.