After knocking off the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans in the first two rounds of the NFL playoffs, the New England Patriots are one win away from the Super Bowl.
The path to this point has been relatively easy for the Patriots, who benefited from one of the easiest regular-season schedules in recent NFL history. New England took full advantage, going 14-3 and tying for the best record in the league.
Much of their regular-season success came from their offense and Drake Maye, who emerged as an MVP candidate in his second season. Maye has struggled during his first taste of the postseason, however, completing fewer than 60 percent of his passes while taking 10 sacks, fumbling six times and getting picked off twice.
Fortunately for Maye, his defense has picked up the slack, limiting the Chargers and Texans to just 19 points combined while forcing six turnovers and notching nine sacks.
In fact, the Patriots’ defense has been historically good, allowing just 3.42 yards per play in these playoffs. That’s the fifth-lowest mark in NFL postseason history through at least two games, ranking near legendary defenses such as the 1985 Chicago Bears and 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The four teams ahead of them all made the Super Bowl, with three of them winning it.
Much of New England’s defense success has stemmed from its aggressive pass rush, which leads all teams this postseason with 72 pressures, per PFF. The Los Angeles Rams are second with 59.
The Patriots have wreaked havoc in the backfield, sending Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud running for their lives and forcing numerous bad throws. They capitalized on Los Angeles’ depleted offensive line and Stroud’s poor decision-making under duress.
That strategy should serve them well in Sunday’s AFC title game against Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who’s filling in for the injured Bo Nix. Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game in two years and has never appeared in the playoffs, so New England’s defense should feast on him and punch the Patriots’ ticket to the Super Bowl.
