Former UNC standout Drake Maye set to make Super Bowl history for Patriots

Drake Maye added another first to his rapidly growing resume Sunday. He become the first former UNC Tar Heels quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl after guiding the New England Patriots to a tough 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough. With snow swirling and points at a premium in the second half, Maye delivered when New England needed him most at Empower Field. The Patriots leaned on their second-year quarterback as conditions worsened, and Maye responded beyond his years.

Denver entered the game shorthanded after rookie starter Bo Nix broke his ankle in the closing moments of last week’s win over Buffalo, forcing the Broncos to turn to backup Jarrett Stidham. The result was a defensive struggle that tilted on one decisive play.

Maye finished 10 of 21 for 86 yards, but his legs proved decisive. He rushed for 65 yards and scored the game’s only touchdown, cutting through the Broncos defense that gave New England a tie game at halftime. 

At 23, Maye is now the second-youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history, trailing only Dan Marino, who led the Miami Dolphins to Super Bowl XIX against the San Francisco 49ers in 1985.

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Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is also nearing history. A win in Super Bowl LX would make him the first to win a Super Bowl as both a player and a coach with the same franchise. New England is also the first NFL team to reach the Super Bowl with 13+ losses the previous season.

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The Patriots will face the winner of the Los Angeles Rams–Seattle Seahawks matchup in two weeks. The game will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, airing on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock, with halftime headlined by Bad Bunny.

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