Broncos ‘definitely the better team’ than Patriots

Broncos defensive lineman’s daring declare: Following the Patriots’ slender 10-7 AFC Championship recreation victory over the Broncos in Denver, clearly not everybody was happy with the end result.

New England, having ended Denver’s season in a snowstorm, was not universally seen as rightful AFC champions by the opposing Broncos following the ultimate whistle. This was vocalized by visibly pissed off Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto.

Chatting with reporters within the locker room after the loss, Bonitto mentioned he nonetheless thinks the Broncos — which entered Sunday because the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed — are the superior squad.

“It’s sickening to suppose that every one we fought by this yr, all of the video games we needed to win, realizing we had been undoubtedly the higher crew, however it simply didn’t work out that method as we speak,” mentioned Bonitto, via Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports.

Requested a follow-up query about if it “hurts probably the most whenever you say you knew you had been the higher crew,” Bonitto confirmed his preliminary reponse.

“Yeah, we all know,” he replied, per Dever Sports 104.3’s Will Petersen.

Queried about what went improper for the Broncos, he stored his evaluation simple.

“Didn’t make sufficient performs to win the sport, actually, they made extra performs than we did. They discovered a method,” Bonitto concluded.

Bonitto, 26, has been a standout pass-rusher for the Broncos over the previous three seasons (together with notching a complete of 14 sacks in 2025). However regardless of enjoying 30 snaps on Sunday, he didn’t present up within the field rating.

The Broncos and Patriots each had 14-3 common season data. Denver notched the No. 1 seed by having a greater document towards widespread opponents (because the Patriots’ Week 1 loss to the Raiders — who Denver defeated twice — was the tiebreaker).

Fittingly for a soccer matchup in January between groups from New England and Denver, the sport would have been performed in a snowstorm both method.

The main problem for the Broncos was clearly that Denver’s season-long beginning quarterback, Bo Nix, was dominated out after final week’s win within the divisional spherical because of a damaged ankle.

Trivia: Mike Vrabel can turn into simply the fifth head coach to win the Tremendous Bowl in his first season with a crew. Are you able to identify the opposite 4?

(Reply on the backside).

Trace: The years through which they gained the Tremendous Bowl had been 1971, 1990, 2003, and 2016.

Scores and schedules:

The Patriots defeated the Broncos 10-7 within the AFC Championship recreation on Sunday. New England will face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.

Tonight, the Bruins face the Rangers in New York at 7 p.m.

Elsewhere, the Celtics host the Path Blazers at 8 p.m.

On Wednesday, the Boston Fleet play the New York Sirens on the Tsongas Heart at

Extra from Boston.com:

Contained in the locker room: Mike Vrabel quoted “The Warriors” because the Patriots celebrated an AFC title recreation victory.

The performs that determined the sport: Two of the Patriots’ younger stars made the performs within the fourth quarter that put New England again within the Tremendous Bowl. First, cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepted Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham:

After which Drake Maye scrambled to get the primary down, clinching the AFC Championship:

On today: Paul Pierce put up a triple-double (27 factors, 13 rebounds, 13 assists) in a 91-83 win over the Magic, however it was relegated under the fold because the Buccaneers’ Tremendous Bowl XXXVII victory over the Raiders took middle stage.

Day by day spotlight: With all the soccer drama from the weekend, take a minute to understand the unimaginable high-speed save from Norwegian skier Adrian Sejersted (and the decision from NBC’s Steve Porino). After catching an edge proper on the prime of a leap, Sejersted nonetheless managed to make the gate and miraculously land on one ski earlier than recovering to complete fifth within the Tremendous G occasion at Kitzbuhel in Austria on Saturday (the replay at 1:25 can also be price a watch).

Trivia reply: Don McCafferty, George Seifert, Jon Gruden, Gary Kubiak

Hayden Chook is a sports activities workers author for Boston.com, the place he has labored since 2016. He covers all issues sports activities in New England.

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