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Mics Caught Drake Maye’s Fired-Up Reaction to Game-Winning First Down

The young quarterback booked his team a trip to the Super Bowl with this play.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was fired up to get the game-winning first down to book a trip to the Super Bowl.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was fired up to get the game-winning first down to book a trip to the Super Bowl. | NFL/Screengrab

The Patriots are headed to Super Bowl LX thanks in part to quarterback Drake Maye’s decision to run for a first down to seal the AFC championship game victory over the Broncos on Sunday.

With 1:57 left in the game as New England led 10–7, the Patriots needed to convert a first down on a third-and-5 play in order to win the game and book a trip to the Super Bowl. If they failed to do so, the Broncos would get the ball back with plenty of time to either tie up the game or win it.

Maye elected to run the ball himself, even though offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called for the Patriots to hand off to running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Maye got the first down and the victory.

Inside the NFL caught the electrifying moment on audio for fans to hear the fired-up reaction Maye had to his seven-yard run.

“That’s how you do that!” Maye repeated five times while celebrating his first down.

In just his second year, Maye could lead the Patriots to an NFL record-breaking seventh Super Bowl title in two weeks when facing the Seahawks. He’s also still in the running to capture the NFL MVP award. And, he’s done all of this after the Patriots went 4–13 last season.

He has every right to be fired up.


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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