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Drake Maye Had Four-Word Message for Rest of NFL After Patriots' Win Over Broncos
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The Patriots are headed back to the Super Bowl.
By taking down the Broncos, 10-7, in Denver on Sunday New England crowned themselves AFC champions and secured a spot in Super Bowl LX, with the opponent to be determined. It was a very ugly game that featured very little offensive success by either side but the Pats did just enough to win the day.
Speaking to CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson after the final whistle, New England quarterback Drake Maye had a four-word message for the rest of the NFL.
“Pats are back, baby,” Maye said after shouting out his teammates and the Patriots’ defense for leading the way.
PATS ARE BACK BABY @DrakeMaye2 pic.twitter.com/0ILp2aBvUN
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 25, 2026
The Patriots are, indeed, back. New England struggled to rebound after the Tom Brady era ended in 2019 but lucked into Maye with the third pick of the 2024 draft. Thanks to his immediate success under center, as well as the decision to replace Jerod Mayo with Mike Vrabel, the Pats didn’t suffer through much of a postseason drought at all before getting back in the playoff picture; they earned the No. 2 seed in the AFC this year after winning 14 regular-season games.
Sunday’s game was a trudge, however. Hindered at first by an elite Denver defense and then snowy weather, Maye finished with fewer than 100 yards passing and completed only 10 passes. Overall the Patriots barely mustered over 200 total yards of offense and their only touchdown came after a turnover deep in the Denver red zone. It was far from the team’s best showing of the season and came after two similarly ugly playoff games against the Chargers and Texans. But they all ended the same— in a Patriots win.
It was quite a ride for New England, and it’s not done yet. The toughest test of the year awaits in the last game of the season, whether the Rams or Seahawks claim the NFC crown. But for now fans everywhere in the Northeast will be celebrating around Maye’s rally cry.
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Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.
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