Patriots Extend Wild 15-Year Streak By Making AFC Championship Game

For all the NFL’s parity, the New England Patriots restored some regularity by advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots continued their title pursuit with a 28-16 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. They’ll play the Denver Broncos for the conference crown this Sunday at Mile High.

New England’s return to the grand stage extended a long-running trend. Either the Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs has now played in each of the last 15 AFC Championship Games.

However, this will mark the first game during that span without Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes.

One of those two juggernauts has competed for the AFC title every year since Ben Roethlisberger’s Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New York Jets in 2011. Brady then led the Patriots to eight consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances, a stretch that included two losses to Peyton Manning’s Broncos.

That run ended with New England defeating Kansas City for a spot in Super Bowl LII during Mahomes’ first postseason as a starting quarterback. Mahomes and Andy Reid defeated Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans in the ensuing AFC Championship Game and made it back five more times before stunningly missing the 2025 playoffs.

Kansas City’s absence seemed to create an opening for other AFC contenders hungry for a title push, but New England has risen back up the hierarchy behind Vrabel and Drake Maye. The Patriots upended the Los Angeles Chargers and Texans in two dominant defensive showings at home to make their 16th AFC Championship Game.

New England can capture its record-setting 12th AFC title by defeating Denver this Sunday. The game starts at 3 p.m. ET on CBS.