Key moments and takeaways:
– A tense defensive nip-tuck affair, with the lone second-half scoring coming from a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregales on the opening drive of the third quarter to break a 7-7 tie ๐ฅ
– Maye wasnโt flashy, but he did enough: 10 of 21 passing for 86 yards, plus a 6-yard rushing TD in the first half and 65 rushing yards on 10 carries ๐
– Ground game dominance from Rhamondre Stevenson, piling up 71 yards on 25 carries to steady the offense ๐
– Denverโs Jarrett Stidham started in place of the injured Bo Nix, going 17/31 for 133 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT; a backward pass in the second quarter was ruled a fumble, setting up New Englandโs next score ๐
– Weather played a major role, heavily limiting offense and turning this into a gritty playoff slog โ๏ธ
– Maye becomes the second-youngest QB to start a Super Bowl at 23 years, 162 days, trailing only Dan Marinoโs record as the youngest starter in Super Bowl history (Marino was 23y 127d) ๐
– Quick historical comparison: Marinoโs Dolphins fell to Joe Montanaโs 49ers 38-16 in that lone young-SB-start moment, with Montana delivering 331 yards and 3 TDs in the win while Marino posted 318 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT in a valiant effort
Big picture: New England survives the storm, leans on defense and a disciplined run game, and now eyes the ultimate prize in Super Bowl LX. ๐๐ฅ๐
