Sports
How the New England Patriots Muscled Their Way to the Super Bowl
The goal has been the same for the New England Patriots in three playoff games this month: win with defense.
That’s what the Patriots did in Sunday’s AFC Championship game. Second-seeded New England took advantage of a Denver team without starting quarterback Bo Nix (ankle surgery) and earned a 10-7 victory in conditions that made Empower Field at Mile High look like a snow globe.
New England (17-3) allowed 26 points and came away with eight turnovers in its three playoff games. Baltimore is the only team to allow fewer points in the three games leading up to the Super Bowl. The Ravens limited three AFC playoff opponents to 16 points in the 2000 season.
“What an atmosphere out here,” New England quarterback Drake Maye said. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”
New England averaged 18.0 points in its three playoff wins, which is the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Los Angeles Rams (15.0). That 18-point average includes a defensive touchdown scored in a 28-16 victory over Houston in the divisional round.
Denver (15-4) was limited to 181 yards on 58 plays Sunday (3.1 yards per play), much of which came on a 52-yard pass play in the opening quarter. Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham had a 52-yard pass to Marvin Mims early in the first quarter and not much else. He completed 17-of-31 pass attempts for 133 yards and was sacked twice, with a fumble and a fourth-quarter interception while trying to go deep with 2:12 remaining.
Two of the biggest plays Sunday were turned in by the New England defense.
Leading 7-0, Denver drove to the New England 14-yard line early in the second quarter but kept its offense on the field for a fourth-and-one play instead of attempting a field goal. Stidham was pressured by defensive tackle Milton Williams and had his pass knocked down by safety Craig Woodson.
“I just felt like, man, we had momentum, to get up 14 [points], felt like we had a good call,” Payton said. “I think the feeling was, man, let’s be aggressive. You know, to get up 14, I was just watching the way our defense was playing.
“There’s always regrets. I felt like here we are fourth-and-1, close enough and it’s also a call you make based on the team you’re playing and what you’re watching on the other side of the ball. So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”
Denver was held to 63 yards on its next eight drives. New England’s only touchdown came after the defense forced Stidham to fumble on a backward pass. The Patriots recovered on the Denver 12-yard line, and two plays later Maye scored a rushing touchdown that helped New England take the lead.
“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”
New England’s Leonard Taylor, who was cut by the New York Jets earlier this season, got a hand on a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepted the Stidham pass that proved to be Denver’s final offensive play.
The victory earned New England its 12th Super Bowl berth. The Patriots will have a chance to break a tie with Pittsburgh for the most Super Bowl wins when they face Seattle, the NFC champion, on Feb. 8. Both Pittsburgh and New England have won six Super Bowls.
“Definitely,” Williams said when he was asked if New England’s defense has been overlooked this season. “All year. We’ve got the chip on our shoulder to come out here every time we step between them white lines and show everybody who we are, and that’s the bottom line.
“It’s got to be done on the field, and we came out here and did that today.”
Sports
Acaden Lewis, Villanova thriving ahead of Marquette matchup
Feb 7, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Acaden Lewis (55) dribbles against the Georgetown Hoyas during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images In his first season at Villanova, head coach Kevin Willard has been lucky to have another Wildcats newcomer running his offense.
Freshman point guard Acaden Lewis aims to lead Villanova to its fourth straight win Tuesday when the Wildcats host Marquette in Big East action.
While playing all 23 games for the Wildcats (18-5, 9-3 Big East), Lewis leads them in assists (5.3) and steals (2.0) while contributing 12.4 points per game. He made two clutch 3-pointers and finished with 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting in Saturday’s 80-73 road victory over Georgetown.
“I have the utmost confidence in him,” said Willard. “He is progressing just the way you want a freshman to progress. He’s been great at getting everyone involved. Tonight, we needed him to score and he did that.”
Tyler Perkins chipped in with 15 points while Duke Brennan added 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats, who remain on track to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.
Meanwhile, Marquette (9-15, 4-9) is looking for its fourth win in six games following a stretch in which the team lost nine of its previous 10 contests.
The Golden Eagles topped Butler on Saturday, posting a 70-55 home victory as Chase Ross scored 19 points and Adrien Stevens pitched in with 18. Stevens and Ross combined to make 10 3-pointers for Marquette, which shot an impressive 45.2% from beyond the arc (14 of 31).
“It’s a testament to all of our guys, particularly our guards,” Golden Eagles coach Shaka Smart said. “Creating pretty high-quality outside shots.”
Villanova has won two straight meetings with Marquette after losing the previous eight matchups.
In the first encounter this season, the Wildcats posted a 76-73 victory in Milwaukee on Jan. 10. Lewis led the way with 20 points and eight assists, helping to overcome Nigel James Jr.’s 31 points for the Golden Eagles.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why the New England Patriots Can Get Back to the Super Bowl After Ugly Loss
The New England Patriots were overmatched in Super Bowl LX, losing to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 on Sunday night in Santa Clara, Calif.
After the sting subsides and the New England fan base has had time to lick its wounds, those fans will turn the page and begin thinking about next season. When they do, they’ll ponder the following question: Can the Patriots return to the Super Bowl next year?
Despite how things unfolded Sunday, the answer is an unequivocal “yes.”
New England’s level of success this season was unexpected — the Patriots were 4-13 in 2023 and 2024 — and it’s certainly reasonable to expect the team to take another step forward next year.
New England will lose some players to free agency, but none who you would call “core” contributors. Edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, an unrestricted free agent, may be the best of the bunch.
What Vrabel said after Patriots loss
“Disappointed,” first-year New England head coach Mike Vrabel said following Sunday’s loss.
“I reminded them that we’re 307 days into what hopefully is a long, successful relationship and program. It’s OK to be disappointed and upset together. … Every year, somebody’s going to lose this game. We have to remember what it feels like and make sure it’s not repeatable.”
The quarterback/coach combo is in place with Drake Maye and Vrabel, and the defense has cornerstone pieces with cornerback Christian Gonzalez, 23, and tackle Milton Williams, 26, both of whom are in their prime.
Of course, to make another lengthy playoff run, Maye will have to perform like he did in the regular season — not the postseason. Maye was sacked 21 times and had four passes intercepted in four playoff games.
“You’re going to have times like this and it’s how you bounce back,” Maye said. “All those guys in the locker room are going to use this as fuel and I’d go to war with those guys any time, any day, anywhere. It’s motivation to get back here and not have this feeling and have what they’re feeling out there. … Can’t wait to get back and play in another one.”
Vrabel said the significant jump the Patriots made this season won’t be very valuable if the organization can’t find ways to improve the team in the offseason.
The New England fan base can also take solace in the fact that the team’s front office earned high marks in both free agency and the draft last season.
Sunday’s outcome certainly highlighted New England’s shortcomings and will undoubtedly influence what team management does to help the roster.
Even with a low draft position, the Patriots should be able to bolster their offensive line and add a much-needed playmaker to their offense. Those two areas are arguably where the team needs the most upgrading.
The schedule will be more difficult next season, but the Patriots play in the weaker of the two conferences. Two of the top teams in the AFC — Buffalo and Baltimore — will each have a first-year head coach next season, and the AFC East is certainly manageable. It always helps to play the New York Jets twice a year.
DraftKings lists New England at +1200 to reach next year’s Super Bowl, behind Seattle (+950), the Los Angeles Rams (+950), and Buffalo (+1000).
It shouldn’t surprise anybody if the Patriots get there.
Sports
David Coit takes over late as Maryland beats Minnesota
Feb 8, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Isaac Asuma (1) works around Maryland Terrapins guard George Turkson Jr. (11) during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images David Coit scored seven of his 29 points in the final 26 seconds as Maryland snapped a four-game losing streak, outlasting Minnesota 67-62 Sunday in Big Ten play at Minneapolis.
Andre Mills added 12 points and Darius Adams contributed 11 points as Maryland improved to 18-3 all-time against Minnesota.
Solomon Washington put up nine points and 10 rebounds for the Terrapins (9-14, 2-10 Big Ten), who had lost their previous four games by an average margin of 28 points.
After Cade Tyson hit two free throws with 53 seconds left to put Minnesota up 62-60, Coit scored the game’s final seven points.
The key play came with 26 seconds left when Coit drained a side-step 3-pointer to put the Terrapins up 63-62. Coit then added four free throws in the final 11 seconds.
“Coach got on me after the last game. He called me out. I was being selfish with my body language,” Coit said. “I had to respond.”
Coit made 9 of 13 shots from the floor, 4 of 7 from distance and hit all seven of his free throw attempts.
Isaac Asuma scored all 18 of his points from behind the arc to lead Minnesota (11-13, 4-9), which was coming off an upset of No. 10 Michigan State on Wednesday. The loss was the Golden Gophers’ eighth in their last nine games.
Tyson finished with 12 points and Langston Reynolds contributed 11 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Golden Gophers.
Midway through the first half, Mills made a 3-pointer which gave Maryland a 17-14 lead, before Asuma responded with consecutive triples to give Minnesota a lead that it held the rest of the period.
Two 3-pointers by Bobby Durkin pushed the Golden Gophers’ edge to 33-26. Coit answered with a 3-pointer and a driving three-point play to cut the deficit to 33-32 at the break.
Midway through the second half, two driving layups by Reynolds gave Minnesota the biggest lead of the second half, 53-47.
But Coit put the Terrapins on his back scoring 15 of his points in the final 8:41.
–Field Level Media
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