In an ugly, snow-soaked slugfest, the New England Patriots punched their ticket to the Big Game with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos, marking the franchise’s record 12th Super Bowl appearance. It was cold all afternoon, but the weather took a turn for the worse in the second half, making passing the ball and kicking field goals nearly impossible. Maye finished just 10-of-21 for 86 passing yards, but the MVP candidate made an impact as a runner, scoring a TD and rushing for 65 yards on 10 carries.

With Maye held in check by the snow and Denver’s defense, New England survived by controlling the clock and winning the turnover battle.  The Patriots forced two turnovers and sacked QB Jarrett Stidham three times, while Rhamondre Stevenson handled the dirty work on offense — rushing for 71 yards and playing mistake-free football in the elements. Nothing fancy, but fantasy managers should note he out-touched rookie TreVeyon Henderson, who had just five rushing yards, 25 to three. Keep that in mind before reaching on Henderson early in 2026 drafts.

Next up for New England: a date with the Seattle Seahawks on February 8th in Santa Clara, CA, in Super Bowl LX.

Author: Wolf Trelles-Heard (@DynastyFFWolf on X/Twitter)