With one win standing between the New England Patriots and a Super Bowl title, longtime fan Dave Portnoy is on the verge of turning a bold $50,000 preseason wager into a jaw-dropping $1.8 million payout. And if you ask him, this playoff run feels a little too familiar-in the best way possible.
The Patriots punched their ticket to the 2026 Super Bowl with a gritty 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t easy, but it was vintage Patriots football: smart, tough, and opportunistic, even in the swirling snow of Mile High.
Portnoy, the Barstool Sports founder and lifelong Patriots loyalist, didn’t wait long to draw a parallel that many in New England are starting to whisper about: rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s postseason path is starting to resemble the one a young Tom Brady carved out more than two decades ago.
“This feels quite a bit to me like when a young quarterback, Tom Brady, went on this magical run,” Portnoy said on Barstool’s “Wake Up” show. “Won a blizzard game, went into Pittsburgh, won there, and then they’re going to the Super Bowl versus the greatest show on turf and everyone said they can’t beat this team.”
It’s hard to ignore the echoes of the past. Back then, Brady was the untested backup who stepped in and led a team-first operation built on defense, special teams, and timely plays. Now, Maye is doing something eerily similar-riding a stingy defense and a few clutch moments all the way to the big game.
Portnoy’s confidence is sky-high heading into Super Bowl Sunday, where the Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8. And he’s already picturing two weeks of highlight reels from Brady’s first title run dominating the airwaves.
“I think my 50 grand to win 1.8 million on the Patriots cashes,” he said.
After the final whistle in Denver, Portnoy took to Instagram to celebrate-and he didn’t hold back. The snow had stopped, but the energy hadn’t.
“We’re going back to the Super Bowl where this team belongs,” he said. “And it’s not lost on me that this dynasty started in a blizzard with the tuck rule. And it’s starting again right here in Denver in a blizzard.”
He also gave a nod to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who’s quickly proving he’s more than just a former player with rings-he’s a sideline tactician with a knack for big-game decisions. One of the game’s defining plays came in the fourth quarter, when New England blocked a potential game-tying field goal that would’ve made it 10-10. Portnoy made sure to spotlight that moment, calling it a turning point.
It’s worth noting that Denver was without starting quarterback Bo Nix, who suffered a broken ankle in the divisional round against Buffalo. That forced the Broncos to roll with backup Jarrett Stidham, who battled but couldn’t break through New England’s defense. As the snow started falling at halftime, the game turned into a classic AFC slugfest-low scoring, high drama, and a finish that leaned on execution and grit.
Now, the Patriots are one win away from a full-circle moment. A rookie quarterback.
A blizzard in the playoffs. A gritty road win.
And a Super Bowl matchup that few saw coming back in September-except, apparently, for Portnoy and his $50,000 ticket.