Thousands of fans showed up to cheer on the team as they boarded team buses to head to TF Green Airport in Providence.
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“My God, this is my first rally. I’m so happy, thank you Vrabel for bringing me here,” said one fan.
The Patriots beat the Denvers Broncos and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham last weekend 10-7 in the AFC Championship Game while Bo Nix was out with an ankle injury.
The team prepared in practice for the big game before traveling to California, however, quarterback Drake Maye did not practice due to a shoulder injury and illness.
The stadium quickly filled with big smiles and many layers, while others dressed not so warmly and ran with pure adrenaline.
The cold didn’t bother New England fans, many of them noting that while the team has faced some tough years, they were excited to see the Patriots return to the big stage.
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“Maye is the best quarterback, better than Sam Darnold,” said one fan.
One fan at the rally expressed hope for a more decisive victory in the upcoming game compared to previous appearances with quarterback Tom Brady.
“I hope we can finally get a blowout in the Super Bowl,” the fan said. “We’ve had very close games for a while, so I’m looking for an explosion here.”
Super Bowl LX will take place next Sunday in Santa Clara. Some fans at the rally confirmed they will attend the game in California, while others plan to watch from home.
The Dropkick Murphys kicked off the rally, as owner Robert Kraft and the team captains spoke to the crowd thanking them for their support throughout the season.
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“We love you all. 32 years ago, we bought the team, it was snowing the first day and you guys were lined up on Route 1. I came here and you guys were buying season tickets so we could have our first sold-out season in team history,” Kraft said.
“This is beyond my wildest dreams, that the fans have embraced us the first year of this program the way you have. I always said that if our players played at the level that you expected, then the effort they would put in and their style of football would come out,” coach Mike Vrabel said.
“And you came out, thank you. Every week we played here it got better and better, that last game we played against Texas was unreal,” he said.
“First of all, I want to thank you guys, you’ve been great all season long. Man, we wouldn’t be here without you. What a journey, and we still have work to do, shout out to these guys, I love them,” quarterback Drake Maye said.
“I want to say a big thank you to our fans; Pats Nation, you guys did a great job, we have one more left. To everyone traveling, travel safe. It’s time to get after this, we have everything we have, everything we need,” receiver Stefon Diggs said.
The O-Line were the surprise Keepers of the Light and rang the bell before boarding the buses to TF Green Airport.
Maye did not practice Friday due to illness and a shoulder injury. The Patriots will spend a week in California before playing the Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 8 at 6:30 pm Bad Bunny is scheduled to perform at halftime.
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The last time the Patriots won a Super Bowl was in 2019 against the Los Angeles Rams.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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