Sean Payton all but admitted he got out-coached by Mike Vrabel in AFC title game

"They weathered the storm - literally and figuratively - which is a major credit to the team's head coach, Mike Vrabel. Patriots star second-year quarterback Drake Maye had a quiet performance outside of a few well-timed plays with his legs. Yet, New England overcame heavy snow and a hostile road environment to defeat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game. That's because Vrabel pulled the right strings."

""I felt like we were going to be able to run the ball more consistently," Payton told reporters. "I thought that was going to be important. We felt like we had one of our better run plans going in." Denver ostensibly tried doing everything in their power to keep the ball out of backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham's hands, which is fair. He hadn't thrown a pass in the regular season since 2023, let alone in the playoffs with the Lamar Hunt Trophy at stake."

"Broncos head coach Sean Payton all but admitted that Vrabel's Patriots executed at a higher level than Denver after the contest. Payton was asked if he had any personal critiques with Denver's approach following the loss at the hands of the Pats. The Super Bowl XLIV champion highlighted a costly fourth-down decision that ultimately proved to be the difference. Moreover, his comments on the Broncos' ground game, or lack thereof, were basically an admission that Vrabel ran laps around him."

New England battled heavy snow and a hostile road environment to beat the Denver Broncos 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game and advance to Super Bowl LX. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye provided occasional rushing plays while the Patriots' offense remained limited. Head coach Mike Vrabel's game planning and defensive preparation neutralized Denver's run game and frustrated the Broncos' attack. Denver managed just 79 rushing yards on 24 carries with no runs of 10+ yards. Broncos head coach Sean Payton cited a costly fourth-down decision and acknowledged that New England executed at a higher level and disrupted Denver's strategy.

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