The performances in the AFC championship game might not have matched the sky-high stakes.
With a berth in Super Bowl 60 on the line, both the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos needed ample time to sort things out on Jan. 25. The first half was marked by sloppy offensive play on both sides and an inability for either team to finds its stride. And with the wind and snow wreaking havoc after time, the Patriots secured a 10-7 win by minimizing their mistakes.
Now, a tilt in Santa Clara, California, against the winners of Sunday's matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks awaits.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from Sunday:
It's fair to point out all the ways in which things have broken the Patriots' way this season, from a favorable schedule to getting to take on a backup quarterback in a storm in the AFC title game. But a Patriots team that looked to be in the wilderness just a year ago is headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018, and Vrabel affirmed his place as the driving force behind that resurgence. This was a game that called for all of Vrabel's situational football acumen, and his team overcame being thoroughly outplayed in the first half to squeeze out the top-seeded Broncos. Mistake-free football was needed to prevail, and the Patriots largely delivered.
