TEAM NOTES
• Patriots advance to 12th Super Bowl; 11th under Robert Kraft
• Patriots now have the most postseason wins in NFL history with 40.
• Patriots win first postseason game at Denver.
• Patriots win an NFL record five times on the road in a Conference Championship.
• Mike Vrabel is the seventh to lead the team he played for to a Super Bowl berth
PATRIOTS ADVANCE TO 12TH SUPER BOWL; 11TH SUPER BOWL OF THE KRAFT ERA
The Patriots advanced to their 12th Super Bowl and their 11th Super Bowl in the Robert Kraft era with the win at Denver.
THE PATRIOTS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BREAK A TIE AND CLAIM THE MOST SUPER BOWL WINS
The Patriots will have a chance to break a tie with Pittsburgh for the most Super Bowl wins. The Patriots and Steelers both have six Super Bowl wins.
PATRIOTS NOW HAVE THE MOST POSTSEASON WINS ALL-TIME
The Patriots now have 40 postseason wins, moving out of a tie with San Francisco for the most postseason wins in NFL history.
PATRIOTS REACH SUPER BOWL A YEAR AFTER A LOSING SEASON FOR THE THIRD TIME
The 2025 Patriots improved from a 4-13 record in 2024 to a 14-3 record in 2025. The Patriots became the 15th team to reach the Super Bowl a year after finishing with a losing season. The Patriots have done that two other times in their history, reaching the Super Bowl in 1996 after a 610 finish the year before and reaching the Super Bowl in 2001, a year after finishing with a 5-11 record.
PATRIOTS ARE THE NINTH TEAM TO GO FROM LAST PLACE TO THE SUPER BOWL
This season, New England became the ninth team to go from "worst to first" and make the Super Bowl in the same season, joining the 1981 Cincinnati Bengals, 1988 Cincinnati Bengals, 1999 St. Louis Rams, 2001 New England Patriots, 2003 Carolina Panthers, 2021 Cincinnati Bengals, 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, and 2009 New Orleans Saints. Of that group, the Rams, Patriots, Eagles, and Saints won the Super Bowl.
SUPER BOWL REMATCH GUARANTEED
The Patriots are guaranteed to face a Super Bowl rematch with the winner of the NFC Championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the L.A. Rams. The Patriots and Rams have met in two Super Bowls - Super Bowl XXVI and Super Bowl LIII. The Patriots and Seahawks met in Super Bowl XLIX. There have been nine Super Bowl rematches. The Patriots have been involved in three Super Bowl rematches, after facing the N.Y. Giants, St. Louis/L.A. Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles twice. Dallas and Pittsburgh have played in three Super Bowls.
PATRIOTS WIN FIRST POSTSEASON GAME IN DENVER
The Patriots beat the Broncos in Denver in the postseason for the first time after losing four straight games, with two other AFC Championship Games in Denver. The Broncos' four postseason wins are the most playoff wins by any team against the Patriots all-time (no other team has more than two).
PATRIOTS HAVE FIVE CURRENT PLAYERS ON THEIR TEAM WITH SUPER BOWL EXPERIENCE
The Patriots have five current players with Super Bowl experience.
PATRIOTS WIN ON THE ROAD IN A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOR A RECORD FIVE TIMES
The Patriots are now 12-4 in Conference Championship games and have won on the road five times, the most in NFL history. Dallas is second with four road wins in the championship games.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
KRAFT ADVANCES TO 11th SUPER BOWL; MOST AMONG ALL OWNERSHIP GROUPS
Robert Kraft earned his 11th conference championship victory. His 11 conference championships are the most by any owner in the Super Bowl era.
KRAFT LEADS PATRIOTS TO 36TH POSTSEASON WIN TO TIE PITTSBURGH FOR SECOND-MOST
The New England Patriots have won 36 playoff games since Robert Kraft bought the franchise in 1994. The 36 wins are the most since Kraft purchased the team in 1994 and are tied for the second most postseason wins among all ownership groups.
VRABEL BECOMES SEVENTH TO LEAD THE TEAM THEY PLAYED FOR TO THE SUPER BOWL
Head coach Mike Vrabel is the seventh head coach to lead the team he played for to a Super Bowl berth, joining Don Shula (Super Bowl III with Baltimore), Tom Flores (Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII with the Raiders), Mike Ditka (Super Bowl XX with Chicago), Sam Wyche (Super Bowl XXIII with Cincinnati), Gary Kubiak (Super Bowl 50 with Denver) and Doug Pederson (Super Bowl LII with Philadelphia).
VRABEL TIES FOR MOST TOTAL WINS BY A COACH IN THEIR FIRST SEASON WITH A TEAM
Vrabel tied George Seifert (17 wins in 1989 with San Francisco) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first season with a team, including the postseason.
VRABEL IS THE EIGHTH HEAD COACH TO LEAD HIS TEAM TO THE SUPER BOWL IN HIS FIRST SEASON
Vrabel is the eighth head coach to lead his team to the Super Bowl in his first season with the team. Don McCaffrey, George Seifert, Jon Gruden, and Gary Kubiak were the only head coaches to win a Super Bowl in their first season as head coach for that specific team. Coaches Who Reached the Super Bowl in Their First Season with a Team Don McCaffrey – Baltimore Colts in 1970 – Super Bowl V Red Miller – Denver Broncos in 1977 – Super XII George Seifert – San Francisco 49ers in 1989 – Super Bowl XXIV Jon Gruden – Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002 – Super Bowl XXXVII Bill Callahan – Oakland Raiders in 2002 – Super Bowl XXXVII Jim Caldwell – Indianapolis in 2009 – Super Bowl XLIV Gary Kubiak – Denver Broncos in 2015 – Super Bowl 50 Mike Vrabel- New England in 2025 – Super Bowl LX
ONE OF EIGHT HEAD COACHES TO PLAY IN A SUPER BOWL AND THEN REACH ONE AS A HEAD COACH
Vrabel is now one of eight head coaches who played in a Super Bowl and then reached a Super Bowl as a head coach. Player Super Bowl as a player Head Coach Mike Vrabel (Patriots) Gary Kubiak (Broncos) Ron Rivera (Bears) Tony Dungy (Steelers) Dan Reeves (Cowboys) Sam Wyche (Redskins) Mike Ditka (Cowboys) Forrest Gregg (Packers) XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII XXI, XXII, XXIV XX XXIII V, VI, VII V, VI I, II Patriots – LX Broncos – 50 Panthers - 50 Colts – XLI Broncos – XXI, XXII, XXIV Falcons – XXXIII Bengals – XXIII Bears - XX Bengals - XVI
DIGGS BECOMES 11TH PLAYER TO REACH 80 POSTSEASON RECEPTIONS
WR Stefon Diggs became the 11th NFL player with at least 80 postseason receptions. He entered the game with 75 and added 5 receptions to reach 80. He is also the ninth player to do so in 11 seasons or less.
SCHOOLER COMES UP BIG ON SPECIAL TEAMS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT GAME
S Brenden Schooler followed a 3-tackle game on special teams vs. Houston (1/18) with 2 special teams tackles against Denver.
MAYE HAS 28TH CONSECUTIVE GAME WITHOUT MULTIPLE INT.
Drake Maye has gone 28 consecutive starts without throwing multiple interceptions, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak ever by a Patriots quarterback (Tom Brady – 21 straight from 201314).
MAYE IS THIRD QB TO REACH SUPER BOWL BEFORE 24TH BIRTHDAY
Maye joined Dan Marino (1984) and Ben Roethlisberger (2005) as the only quarterbacks to reach the Super Bowl before their 24th birthday.
MAYE BECOMES FOURTH QB SINCE 2000 TO WIN EACH OF HIS FIRST THREE POSTSEASON GAMES
Maye is the fourth quarterback since 2000 to win each of his first three career playoff starts, joining Tom Brady (won first 10 starts), Joe Burrow (three) and Jake Delhomme (three).
MAYE GOES AGAINST TOP DEFENSES
Maye is the first quarterback in history to win three games against top-five defenses in a single playoff. The Chargers had the No. 5 defense, the Texans No. 1, and the Broncos No. 2.
MAYE HAS LONG RUN AGAIN
Maye had a 28-yard run in the third quarter. It is the second-longest postseason run after his 37-yard run vs. the LA Chargers in the Wild Card round (1/11). Maye finished with 65 yards rushing against Denver, the second-most by a Patriots quarterback in the postseason to the 66 yards rushing by Maye vs. the Chargers.
LINEUP NOTES
• WR Mack Hollins returned to action after being activated from the injured reserve list after missing the final two games of the season and the first two postseason games. He was in the starting lineup.
• LB Anfernee Jennings started at linebacker in place of LB Harold Landry III, who was out due to injury. Jennings started three games in the regular season and the Divisional playoff game vs. Houston (1/18).
• Rookie LB Bradyn Swinson played in his first postseason game after being inactive for the first two postseason games.
• DL Khyiris Tonga saw some plays at fullback for the second straight postseason game.
• DT Milton Williams saw his first-ever action on offense on a fourth-and-1 situation in the third quarter.
