By a score of 10-7, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots routed the Denver Broncos in the AFC Conference Championship to advance to the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
Many fans have criticized the Patriots for their easy schedule, which they say gives them an advantage over other teams. However, a former Pro Bowl quarterback is going against the status quo and calls it “The toughest path.”
Drake Maye Receives Praise From a Former Second-Overall Pick
Following the Patriots’ win over the Broncos, former Pro Bowl quarterback Robert Griffin III took to social media with the following post:
“Drake Maye faced the toughest path to the Super Bowl in NFL Playoff History. No QB has ever beat 3 Top 5 defenses to get to the Super Bowl. Until Drake Maye. Chargers were #5 Defense Texans were #1 Defense Broncos were #2 Defense PUT SOME RESPECT on Drake Maye’s name.”
Robert Griffin III’s argument can not be dismissed. In the playoffs, the Patriots faced a tough test to reach the Super Bowl, with all their opponents among the best defensive teams in football.
Drake Maye faced the toughest path to the Super Bowl in NFL Playoff History.
No QB has ever beat 3 Top 5 defenses to get to the Super Bowl.
Until Drake Maye.
Chargers were #5 Defense
Texans were #1 Defense
Broncos were #2 Defense
PUT SOME RESPECT on Drake Maye’s name. pic.twitter.com/hlMX8wYPHn
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 25, 2026
Here’s how the defenses ranked according to PFSN’s NFL Defensive Impact Metric (DEFi) from the 2025 regular season.
Los Angeles Chargers
In the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs, the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 16-3. In PFSN’s DEFi, the team ranked eighth in the league with a letter grade of B- and an impact score of 82.9. They averaged 20.0 offensive points per game (ninth), 179.9 offensive passing yards per game (fifth), 105.4 offensive rushing yards per game (eighth), and 1.4 takeaways per game (seventh).
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Houston Texans
In the Divisional Round, the Patriots beat the Houston Texans 28-16. In PFSN’s DEFi, the Texans ranked second with an impact score of 89.4 and a letter grade of B+. They allowed 17.4 offensive points per game (second), 183.5 offensive passing yards per game (sixth), 93.7 offensive rushing yards per game (fourth), and 1.7 takeaways per game (third).
Denver Broncos
In PFSN’s DEFi rankings, they ranked as the best, with an impact score of 90.1 and a letter grade of A-. They allowed 18.3 offensive points per game (third), 187.2 offensive passing yards per game (seventh), 91.1 offensive rushing yards per game (second), and 0.8 takeaways per game (26th).
Regardless of who wins the NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, the Patriots will face another tough defense. In PFSN’s DEFi, the Seahawks rank third in the league with an impact score of 88.4 and a letter grade of B+. Compared to the rest of the league, the Rams rank fifth with an impact score of 85.5 and a letter grade of B.
