The New England Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl after defeating the Denver Broncos in the 2025 AFC Championship Game.
As NFL.com noted, Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams didn’t take any time before calling out the Broncos after the win.
Williams immediately unloaded with a blunt message directed to Denver’s highly regarded offensive line:
“No. 1 offensive line can kiss my a**,” Williams said while walking through the tunnel, according to MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
Williams doubled down later when speaking with NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, framing the matchup as personal:
“Everybody doubted us. Everybody talked about we ain’t this, we ain’t that,” Williams said.
“They got the number one offensive line? I want to hear something today. Talk [expletive] today.”
Broncos’ Offense Collapses After Fast Start
Denver jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after a 52-yard deep pass to Marvin Mims Jr. that set up a Courtland Sutton touchdown.
The Broncos were in control for most of the first half, but the game flipped on Jarrett Stidham’s backward pass that was ruled a fumble.
This set up New England with great field position that led to a game-tying touchdown.
The Broncos went into halftime tied 7-7, but it felt like they left points on the field and missed a chance to build a bigger lead.
Then, the weather worsened significantly.
After scoring at the 10:19 mark of the first quarter, the Broncos failed to put another point on the board the rest of the game.
Over their final eight possessions, Denver totaled just 63 yards, struggling to move the ball as snow and wind made conditions increasingly difficult at Empower Field.
Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of the injured Bo Nix, was under constant pressure.
The Patriots sacked him three times and forced a fumble on a backward pass that directly led to New England’s only touchdown.
New England’s pass rush pressure was a major reason for Stidham’s late-game interception that sealed the Pats win.
Williams was central to that disruption, registering multiple pressures and helping limit Denver to just three rushing first downs on the day.
This was a stunning outcome for an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL during the regular season.
Patriots Defense Dominates Broncos Offense
Sunday’s performance was just the latest statement from a Patriots defense that has quietly dominated throughout the postseason.
New England has now allowed only 629 total yards across three playoff games, forcing eight turnovers against the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos combined.
Even including Denver’s lone 52-yard completion, the Broncos finished with just 181 total yards and averaged 3.1 yards per play.
Williams said the mindset was simple from the start:
“Cut the tape on,” he told Wolfe. “No. 1 O-line, we don’t care nothing ’bout that.”
For Denver, the loss marked a frustrating end to a season that had exceeded expectations.
The Broncos will remember the missed opportunities, but the defining factor was Milton Williams and the Patriots’ defensive line overpowering Denver’s offensive front.
Patriots Defender Unloads on Broncos After AFC Championship Win