DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye ran for 68 yards and threw for 86 in sloppy, snowy conditions and scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, at New England’s 36 with 2:11 remaining and the Patriots (17-3) iced their first playoff win in Denver when Maye ran for 7 yards on third-and-5 from his 41.

In Mike Vrabel’s first season as coach, New England became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.

“I’m just proud of this team,” Maye said. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”

The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60.

Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime.

The Patriots fell behind 7-0, but had a key fourth-down stop near their own end zone to spark the comeback. Their victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.

It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.

“What an atmosphere out here,” Maye said. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”

After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that gave New England its first lead at 10-7.

The Patriots managed just four first downs and 72 yards in the first half, punting five times and missing a field goal. But they capitalized on a short field when New England’s defense set up Maye at the Denver 12 with a takeaway and Maye took it in from 6 yards out to tie it at 7 at halftime.

Stepping in for the injured Nix (ankle surgery), Stidham’s first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch that started the scoring.

The Broncos reached New England’s 14 early in the second quarter, but Payton decided to go for it — and Stidham’s throw to R.J. Harvey was incomplete on fourth-and-1.

Instead of going up double digits, the Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead, and Elijah Ponder recovered Stidham’s backward pass at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.

Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.

Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week. But he didn’t come out of the game and the extent of his injury — a broken right ankle — wasn’t known until he went for X-rays after the 33-30 win.

New England Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss (53) sacks Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) during the first half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye scores past Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad during the first the half of the AFC Championship NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)

An emotional Chris Finch took to the podium Sunday ahead of Minnesota’s home game at Target Center. At the same moment an anti-ICE protest took place outside the arena, the Timberwolves’ coach expressed support for his city.

“I’m more than a resident. This is my home. I love living here. I love being a part of this community. I’ve been embraced from Day 1. People have been amazing,” Finch said. “It’s sad to watch what is happening.”

Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Saturday morning, just a couple of miles away from Target Center. That, Finch noted, was the second time in less than three weeks that “we’ve lost another beloved member of our community in the most unimaginable way” after Renee Good was shot and killed by federal immigration agents on Jan. 7.

“As an organization, we are heartbroken for what we are having to witness and endure and watch,” Finch said. “We just want to extend our thoughts, prayers and concern for Mr. Pretti, family, all the loved ones and everyone involved in such an unconscionable situation in a community that we really love, (which is) full of people who are, by nature, peaceful and prideful.

“We just stand in support of our great community here.”

Golden State coach Steve Kerr echoed many of those sentiments, noting Minnesota has always been a stop he enjoyed along the NBA circuit.

“I love the city of Minneapolis. People here are wonderful, and it’s very sad what’s happening. I feel for the city,” Kerr said. It’s a wonderful place.

“As I said, I’ve always felt a great vibe here, Kerr said. “The expression ‘Minnesota Nice’ is a real thing. People here really, really care about each other and take care of their neighbors and go out of their way to help one another. It’s a beautiful city, and it’s just tough to see everybody really going through a lot of angst and anger and sadness and grief.”

Kerr has sensed “a pall” cast over the city.

“You can feel it,” he said. “A lot of people are suffering. Obviously a loss of life is the number one concern. Those families will never get their family members back.

“When all the unrest settles down, whenever that is, those family members won’t be returning home, and that’s devastating.”

Finch noted professional athletes and coaches are “forward-facing members of the community” whose duty it is to provide calming words or leadership in whatever small ways possible in moments of crisis.

“I think NBA players in general have always been very proud that they have had a platform and a voice and not afraid to use it,” Finch said. “I would expect that our guys would, at some point in time, when they felt the need, to be able to say the things they felt appropriate.”

The NBA Players Association put out a statement Sunday noting players “can no longer remain silent.”

“Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice,” the statement said. “The fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all.

“The NBPA and its members extend our deepest condolences to the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, just as our thoughts remain focused on the safety and well-being of all members of our community.”

Saturday’s game between Golden State and Minnesota was postponed to Sunday in the aftermath of the killing and ensuing protests, a decision made by the NBA to “prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.”

Kerr noted he received a call from Finch on Saturday about the possibility of not playing. Kerr noted he was going to lean on Minnesota’s perspective for such a decision. He also talked to Wolves forward Joe Ingles. Ultimately, the decision was made to play a day later, for which Finch and players alike were grateful.

“Playing basketball just didn’t feel like the right thing to do,” Finch said.

Who knows if it was Sunday, either. Finch said there have been no conversations around the team regarding a possible boycott of games or anything of that nature, though he added “we feel like we’ve got a lot of work to do” in the community.

As for where that work can begin, Kerr – who has long been one of the foremost public commentators among professional sports coaches – noted Americans have never been “perfect,” but he thinks the ideals and values have been in the right place.

“I think no matter what side of the aisle you stand on, I think remembering the values that come with the Constitution, that come with citizenship, the values of looking after each other are so important right now,” Kerr said. “Just because of the extremism that we can feel from all over the place. People are so angry. There should be an appeal to our better angels to look after one another, and to recognize what’s happening. We’re being divided by media for profit, by misinformation. There’s so much out there that is really difficult for all of us to sort of reconcile.

“And so in times like these you have to lean on values and who you are and who you want to be, either as an individual or a country, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Steve Kerr speaks prior to the start of an NBA game between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on January 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

There’s a basketball adage that says a shooter has got to shoot.

Amaya Battle has been doing that all season for the Minnesota women’s basketball team. She’s just making more attempts as of late.

Battle scored 18 points, nearly equaled her season total coming in with three 3-pointers, and Minnesota scored 32 of the game’s final 39 points to dominate Wisconsin 88-53 Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena.

The 35-point win ties the largest margin for Minnesota in the series, also doing so on March 10, 1993.

Tori McKinney bounced back offensively, tying a season high with 20 points and had her second straight strong rebounding performance with seven to go with three steals. She had just four points, but seven rebounds in Wednesday’s win at Oregon, her first game after missing two in the concussion protocol.

“Just the spark she brings up both ends of the court, especially defensively. I mean, she really frustrates other teams. And she can beat almost anybody off the dribble,” Grace Grocholski said of McKinney.

“She’s a motor, so we can always rely on her to get something whether that’s a bucket, that’s a stop, a steal, whatever. She’s always a constant force for our team that we can always rely on,” Battle added.

Grocholski also scored 18 points for the Gophers (14-6, 5-4 Big Ten), including seven in a 12-0 run for a 22-point Minnesota lead early in the fourth quarter. The Gophers finished the game on an 18-2 run.

Those surges further electrified the season-high 5,749 fans in attendance, including 77 program alumni.

“The Barn, when it’s packed, it gets really loud. I remember this from high school. Because they’ll have state tournament games here, and whenever there’s a ton of fans it gets super loud,” said Battle, who played at perennial power Hopkins.

“That was just an awful lot of fun. And I recognize it’s not all that warm outside. So to leave home, when the game is being televised, is something that we really appreciate,” coach Dawn Plitzuweit said.

Battle just missed topping 50% from the field for the fourth straight game — she was 5 for 11 — after making 13 of 41 shots in the first four conference games.

“I try to just come into the game with a clear mindset and just trying to go out there and play, do whatever my team needs me to do. It just has started to click a little bit. And then obviously just staying in, keeping reps in the gym, so I think that’s just starting to show, too,” she said.

Her performance included a trio of 3-pointers after entering 4 for 24 for the season, including nine straight games without a make.

When did you become a 3-point shooter?

“Today, I guess,” she said smiling. “Today was the day.”

Destiny Howell led Wisconsin (13-8, 5-5) with 16 points. Kyrah Daniels had 13, and Ronnie Porter, a Como Park alum, finished with nine.

Minnesota next plays Wednesday at Penn State, a team that is 0-10 in conference play, and is home to Purdue next Sunday.

Minnesota’s Grace Grocholski, left, plots her next move while being defended by Wisconsin’s Destriny Howell (1) during the first half of Sunday’s Big Ten game at Williams Arena (Courtesy of Gopher Athletics)

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U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi made a series of demands to Minnesota officials this weekend, including cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and access to welfare and voter data, something state officials called an attempt at coercion.

The Saturday letter to Gov. Tim Walz came the same day as the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis, escalating the conflict between Minnesota and the federal government.

Bondi asked the state for greater cooperation and said moves, including providing “voter rolls” to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division were “simple steps” that would “help bring back law and order to Minnesota and improve the lives of Americans.”

“Minnesota can and should be a partner with this administration,” Bondi wrote. “Do not obstruct federal immigration enforcement; do not allow rioters to take over the streets and houses of worship; do not hinder federal officials from investigating financial fraud and violations of election laws.”

In a Sunday statement, Secretary of State Steve Simon, the state’s top election official, said he wouldn’t cooperate with President Donald Trump’s attorney general, calling the letter an “outrageous attempt to coerce Minnesota into giving the federal government private data on millions of U.S. Citizens in violation of state and federal law.”

“It is deeply disturbing that the U.S. Attorney General would make this unlawful request a part of an apparent ransom to pay for our state’s peace and security,” said Simon, a Democrat. “More broadly, the federal government must end the unprecedented and deadly occupation of our state immediately.”

The Trump Administration had already asked Minnesota for access to voter and welfare information last year. Minnesota has resisted the federal push for voter data, and Simon noted that the matter is subject to ongoing litigation.

Bondi also demanded that Maine release its voter data, prompting a similar reaction from that state’s top elections official, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, also a Democrat. The Trump administration sued Arizona and Connecticut for voter data earlier this month.

Bondi also asked Minnesota for all Minnesota records on Medicaid and food stamps, and the repeal of sanctuary polices blocking local officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.

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“The lawlessness in the streets is matched by the unprecedented financial fraud occurring on your watch,” the attorney general wrote. “It is a tragedy that Americans have lost faith in Minnesota’s ability to keep its taxpayers’ funds secure and its citizens safe.”

The arrival of thousands of federal immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota came after widespread government fraud in Minnesota caught the attention of the Republican administration late last year.

The office of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz didn’t say whether it would consider any of Bondi’s demands. In a statement, it said the surge of federal immigration enforcement over the past month had “brought chaos and destruction” to Minnesota and questioned the motivation of requests from President Donald Trump’s attorney general.

“We repeat our request to the administration to engage in a serious conversation about ending this federal occupation,” the governor’s office said in a statement. “This is not common sense, lawful immigration enforcement. That is not what this occupation is about. And it’s not what the attorney general’s letter is about.”