Patriots' Drake Maye called his own number to seal Super Bowl spot, teammate reveals

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye enactment the crippled connected his shoulders connected the team’s last thrust of the AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos connected Sunday.

The Patriots needed to person connected 3rd down to fundamentally extremity the crippled and unafraid their archetypal Super Bowl quality since Tom Brady was throwing passes and Bill Belichick was roaming the sideline. If the squad got stopped, they would person had to punt the shot backmost to the Broncos and trust connected the defence to halt Jarrett Stidham 1 much time.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye (10) rushes the shot against Denver Broncos information Devon Key (26) during the archetypal fractional successful the 2026 AFC Championship Game astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High connected Jan. 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

On 3rd-and-5, Maye took the drawback and faked the handoff. He rolled backmost toward his near wherever helium lone had 1 feline to beat. Maye was capable to conscionable get astir Broncos' linebacker Jonah Elliss to get the archetypal down and seal the game.

While it seemed similar a elemental play-action telephone that Maye conscionable executed on, Patriots violative lineman Garrett Bradbury shared that nary 1 had immoderate thought it was coming. He told the Boston Herald that Maye didn’t stock what helium was going to do.

"I deed my block, and each the defenders started moving the different way," Bradbury said. "I’m like, ‘What? Oh my God.' ... After the game, Drake’s like, ‘I debated telling you guys if I was gonna (keep) it oregon not. But I conscionable decided not to.’"

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye (10) prepares to manus the shot disconnected against the Denver Broncos during the 2nd fractional successful the 2026 AFC Championship Game astatine Empower Field astatine Mile High connected Jan. 25, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)

DRAKE MAYE'S CONTROVERSIAL FOURTH-DOWN PLAY SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA FURY AS PATRIOTS HEAD TO SUPER BOWL LX

The play underscored what Maye was capable to bash with his legs successful the crippled arsenic the snowfall hampered his passing quality successful the 2nd fractional against an already pugnacious Broncos defense.

Maye scored the Patriots’ lone touchdown successful the crippled aft a costly Broncos turnover. The rushing touchdown tied the crippled successful the archetypal half. In the 2nd half, Patriots kicker Andy Borregales nailed a 23-yard tract extremity to springiness New England a three-point lead.

"What an ambiance retired here," helium said aft the game. "Battle of the elements. Love this team. How astir the defense? I emotion each and each 1 of them."

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye celebrates with the trophy aft the AFC Championship NFL shot crippled betwixt the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, successful Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Patriots volition look the Seattle Seahawks successful Super Bowl LX.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.