Throwing the ball wasn't working very well for the New England Patriots on Sunday, so Drake Maye leaned on his scrambling to lead his team to Super Bowl LX.
Facing a vicious Denver Broncos defense and snowy weather that whitened the field by game's end, Maye threw for only 86 yards on 21 pass attempts. But the quarterback's hidden weapon -- his scrambling -- was the difference, as Maye ran for 65 yards and the Patriots' only touchdown in a 10-7 AFC Championship Game victory in Denver.
"We were running the football and protecting the football," said Maye, who piloted the Patriots to a field-goal drive to begin the second half. "Once we got those three points out of halftime, that was a huge drive. Just protect the football and let our defense keep doing their thing.
"It was tough elements for our offense, but (both) defenses were playing great. Really just give ourselves a chance to not lose the game and turn the ball over or do something where we put our defense in a bad spot. Our defense showed up every time, time and time again."
With less than two minutes remaining in the game, the Patriots faced a third-and-5 and would have had to punt the ball back to the Broncos had they not converted. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels entrusted his quarterback to get it done, calling a naked bootleg to the wide side of the field.
Maye outran Broncos linebacker Jonah Elliss to the edge and gained seven yards on the game-clinching play, reaching the ball past the sticks and running out of bounds.
Three kneel-downs later, Maye and the Patriots punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California two weeks from Sunday on Feb. 8 against the Seattle Seahawks.
"We were in big personnel, (looking as if we were) running the same deal to the right, a little stretch play. Then, at some point, they get lackadaisical, and I got a chance to get around the edge," Maye said. "I thought (Elliss) was gonna track me and hawk me down, but I got enough to pick up the first. Coach Vrabes will probably get mad about running out of bounds, but at that point, it doesn't matter when you get the first down."
Maye's first run of the game was his 6-yard QB draw to tie the game at 7. After that, Maye had scrambles of 16, 28 and 13 yards, giving the Broncos something they couldn't handle. His 28-yarder was a key play in New England's go-ahead field-goal drive that drained the first 9:31 off the clock to start the third quarter.
"That's a soldier, man! That's an MVP, man!" Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. "I'm riding with Drake Maye, man. I'm thankful to have a quarterback like that."
Maye became the first quarterback to take five or more sacks in three playoff games in a single postseason, according to NFL Research. But the Patriots QB also became the first to take down three top-five defenses in one postseason, besting the Chargers (fifth in total defense), Texans (first) and Broncos (second).
"He's a playmaker, man. He's gonna fight," Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte told Wolfe. "Man, we all trust in him, we all believe in him. He's been doing great all season. He's the engine of the offense. He keeps up going."
Not counting kneel-downs, Maye averaged 9.7 yards per rush attempt. Maye attempted only seven passes after halftime – and only one in the fourth quarter – with the snow quickly accumulating.
"That's a great thing about Drake, the ability to extend plays and, if it's not there, gain chunks," Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said. "He's done that most of the year. Again, we'll have to get a lot of things corrected and we'll have to play our best football game in two weeks if we want to finish (as) champions."
Maye struggled to make passing connections early on, starting the game 3-for-6 passing for 7 yards. At halftime, Maye had thrown for only 41 yards, taking three of his five sacks on the day. The Patriots had trouble getting the ball to some of their best weapons. Diggs, Hunter Henry and Boutte combined for eight receptions for 25 yards on 15 targets. Prior to Maye's game-sealing run, the Patriots handed off in the second half on third-and-7 and third-and-10.
"We didn't play our best ball in the first half, and second half, (we) came out and just battled in the elements, snow and the elements," Maye said. "It was a gritty win, and our defense, they stepped up. It was fun to watch."
Wide receiver Mack Hollins, who played for the first time since Week 16, gave the Patriots a lift with catches for 20 and 31 yards. Hollins' over-the-shoulder 31-yarder – Maye's best throw of the game -- helped set up Andres Borregales' 46-yard field-goal attempt, but it was no good, the second of two misses by the rookie kicker.
With the Patriots defense holding the Broncos down, intercepting Jarrett Stidham with just over two minutes remaining, all Maye needed to do was play turnover-free ball and let his legs take the Patriots home.
"He put the game on his shoulders," Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams said, "and went out there and won it for us."
Maye knows the Patriots' offensive showing was far short of artful, and they've averaged only 18 points per game in the three playoff victories. But they have two weeks to clean things up as they prepare for Super Bowl LX.
"I think we still haven't played our best football yet in the playoffs, and I'm looking forward to seeing that and hopefully having that click to win the Super Bowl," Maye said. "That'd be pretty cool."
