Sorry NFL, the evil empire is back in the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots have defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 to reach their 12th Super Bowl in franchise history, extending their NFL record. 

This is the first time the Patriots have made it back to the big game since the 2018 season, where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3. It’s also the first time since the 1996 season that the Patriots have made it to the Super Bowl without their legendary duo of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.

New England will etch their names in Super Bowl history, regardless of the game’s outcome. Quarterback Drake Maye became the second-youngest signal caller to ever reach the Super Bowl at 23 years old. It is a close second, with Maye being about a month older than former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino in Super Bowl XIX. Head Coach Mike Vrabel marks the eighth time a first-season head coach made it to the Super Bowl and is the first in a decade, the last being Gary Kubiak for the Broncos in 2015.

The conference championship game was dominated by the art of defense, as the scoreboard tells. Although it also featured four missed field goals, two by each team, this could have been due to the snowy weather that started building throughout the game, making it harder to kick because of 30 mph gusts of wind.

The Patriots found themselves in an early 7-0 deficit in the first quarter, but were able to rally behind crucial stops on 3rd and 4th down, especially in the fourth quarter. New England cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepted an underthrown pass from Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham with just over two minutes left in the game and a first down away from winning the game.

Inclement weather was no match for Maye’s legs as he had a crucial 7-yard scramble on 3rd- and-5 to seal the game. He ran for 65 yards on the ground through the game, including the Patriots’ only touchdown of the game toward the end of the first half. 

For fans of the AFC champions, the moment is surreal and an outcome that nobody saw coming.

“The past few years weren’t the most fun to watch,” University of Massachusetts Boston sophomore Michael Rodenmacher said. “Watching the glorious Drake Maye taking our team back into a championship run has been incredible to experience.”

Rodenmacher’s commitment to watching the Pats is unwavering, tuning in even during the back-to-back 4-13 seasons, but this year has given fans every reason to follow in his footsteps.

“Me and my family watch the Pats together like it’s religion,” he said. “We’ve loved every second this year. No matter what happens, it was an unbelievable feeling as a lifelong fan.”

Sixty-one-year-old Pats fan Pat McDonough didn’t need to wait for years again to see New England back in the Super Bowl unlike before the Brady-Belichick era. Still, he said it was worth every moment.  

“Emotionally, this seems unreal, but the Pats were perfect on the road,” McDonough said. “I had lots of faith, but that first touchdown by Denver told me this was going to be a battle.”

McDonough believes that the key to bringing home Lombardi Trophy number seven comes down to the one man that got them there: Drake “Drake Maye” Maye.

“Maye’s ability to make those key runs can break any game open,” he said. “He’s our secret sauce when it comes to making those first downs, and the defense needs to keep the same momentum to stay in these close games.”

New England will rematch the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX in San Francisco on Feb. 8, with kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Patriots fans will hope for a similar result to the last time they played Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX, as they won 28-24, highlighted by former cornerback Malcom Butler’s game sealing interception.