𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

FOXBORO, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel talked about the positives from Sunday’s win: the way the defense played, his team’s aggressive mindset and Kayshon Boutte’s continued emergence. And he talked about the areas where they’ll need to be better, like on the offensive line and keeping the ball off the ground.

Snow clung to the tree branches outside Gillette Stadium, but otherwise it would’ve been hard to tell this Monday apart from after a game in September. Little about Monday at the facility would’ve given away the still-incredible punchline: that the Patriots are headed back to the AFC Championship Game this weekend.

More to the point, there’s a feeling that surrounds the Patriots now, an air of inevitability. The road to the Super Bowl is paved, and there’s only the backup quarterback-led Denver Broncos standing in their way. And that has complicated the reality of what remains for New England.

At this point, everything should be gravy. Coming off back-to-back 4-13 seasons and somewhat muted expectations to begin 2025, it should feel like the Patriots are playing with house money. It should feel like this season has been an incredible success, regardless of what happens Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. No one thought they’d get this far, so it should be celebrated for the triumph it was.

But the season-ending injury to Broncos quarterback Bo Nix changed everything. It’s no longer enough to be happy the Patriots made it this far. For some reason, the football gods have blessed the franchise — one that has already won six Super Bowls — by clearing the AFC for New England to win another conference title. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills lost a game that would’ve sent them to Foxboro, and the Broncos lost their starting quarterback in the process. Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 fourth-round draft pick by none other than the Patriots, will get the start for Denver.

So, sure, you could deem this season a success for the Patriots already, regardless of what happens from here. But it also feels like a Super Bowl berth is ripe for the picking — that it would be a disappointment to make it this far, face this quarterback and get sent packing.

Yes, the Broncos are a good football team. And, yes, they’ve posed plenty of problems for the Patriots in past playoff matchups. But this is different.

Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in a meaningful NFL game in two years. The 29-year-old, once a potential successor to Tom Brady, was eventually traded to the Las Vegas Raiders and then-coach Josh McDaniels in a late-round pick swap.

The Patriots were interested in a reunion with Stidham this offseason, too, now that McDaniels is back as offensive coordinator.

“I think he sees things really well,” Vrabel said. “I think he’s athletic enough to extend, like we talk about a lot of quarterbacks. Accuracy. I think the decision-making — he’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched. This is even going back to when I was in Tennessee as well.”

All of that may be true. But it’s also true that the Patriots have been gifted this opportunity to reach the Super Bowl, merely needing to beat a team led by a career backup who has just eight NFL passing touchdowns (and eight interceptions) to his name.

By the way, the Patriots defense has gotten healthy and is playing like one of the best units in the NFL. It has allowed just one touchdown in its opponents’ 24 playoff possessions, while nabbing six turnovers in that span.

Plus, the Patriots were the only team in the league to go undefeated on the road this season, with a perfect 8-0 mark.

“I just think that they really focus in on the road environment, on starting well, not beating ourselves, trying to be good at the line of scrimmage, the communication offensively that’s required to make sure that everybody’s on the same page, that the snap count is good and that guys are moving when they’re supposed to be moving,” Vrabel said of his team’s success this season away from home. “I think we’ve executed in some critical situations when we’ve needed to on the road, and those are things that are important.”

Now, the Patriots are on to Denver. And New England has plenty to worry about. The offense has been in a relative funk for the last two games. The offensive line has struggled. The running game hasn’t been consistent.

All are legitimate reasons for concern heading into Sunday’s game. Plus, the Broncos have tons of talent — especially on defense — even if they’ll have a backup under center.

But the Patriots are beginning to feel like a team of destiny. There are 2001 vibes with this group, as everything seems to click and break its way. The Pats have won 15 of their last 16 games.

So, as amazing as it sounds, anything less than a Super Bowl appearance now will probably end up feeling like a major disappointment.