The New England Patriots outlasted the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl for the first time since the Bill Belichick, Tom Brady dynasty ended.
The Pats have been discredited throughout their run this season, whether it be on account of thier strength of schedule or the pedestrian play of young quarterback Drae Maye. Defensive tackle Milton Williams acknowledged the defense used their doubters as bulletin board material leading up to the conference title game.
“It definitely fueled the whole defense. Nobody has been talking about our defense all year. We’ll see what they say today,” Williams said, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
“Every week, we’re trying to come out and dominate, knowing that they do have a great defense, but in our minds, it was our defense versus their defense. See who could make more plays, create more turnovers, stop the run, and get the ball back to our offense.”
However, head coach Mike Vrabel couldn’t care less about his team’s detractors or what they have to say.
“It doesn’t matter,” Vrabel said during a Tuesday appearance on WEEI. “We’re in the Super Bowl. Like, we can pump this thing up for 10 days. I mean, we’re all compensated very well for what we do, so I don’t think there’s any disrespect from this building, or my appreciation for our football team. It doesn’t bother me.”
The Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on February 8th.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.