The New England Patriots have tried and failed often when it comes to winning the AFC Championship Game in Denver. They were 0-4 before Sunday, when they finally beat the Broncos 10-7 to advance to Super Bowl XL. It will be their 12th trip to the big game.

 Winning on the road in the AFC title game is a bit rare. It's only happened 18 times in 56 years, a .321 winning percentage.

The Patriots have set an NFL record for road success this year. They are now 9-0 on the road this season, and that's the first time any NFL team has won nine road games in a season without a loss.

What's even more rare is that the Patriots went 4-13 for two straight seasons before this year. Mike Vrabel's hiring, clearly, has made a wold of difference.

“You’ve got to take care of the football,” Vrabel said when talking about their success on the road. “You’re going to have to try to find a way to win in critical situations at the end of the half, at the end of the game, whether that’s five-minute (offense).

"I just think back to, defensively, getting stops in Miami, we made a critical kick. Tampa Bay, we executed at the end of half. Certain situations – five-minute (offense) in New Orleans. So, I think each game kind of has its own story, but you better take care of the football, especially in Denver."

The Patriots didn't have a single turnover on Sunday, despite the sloppy conditions. Considering they turned it over a combined five times in their first two playoff wins this year against the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans, this was a big deal.

The first AFC Championship Game after the NFL-AFL merger was after the 1970 season. The home teams, the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins, won the first two teams, and the 1972 Dolphins were the first team to win on the road.

The Patriots have the most wins with five, although Sunday was their first win in Denver. They were 0-4 previously in AFC Championship Games.

The Steelers have lost the most AFC title games at home, dropping a shot at a Super Bowl five times on their home field.

1972 — The Miami Dolphins defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-17 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.
1974 — The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Oakland Raiders 24-13 at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, Calif.
1980 — The Oakland Raiders defeated the San Diego Chargers 34-27 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, Calif. 
1985 — The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-14 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla.
1986 — The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 23-20 at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. 
1992 — The Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 29-10 at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Fla.
1994 — The San Diego Chargers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-13 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa. 
1997 — The Denver Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.
1999 — The Tennessee Titans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-14 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. 

2000 — The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Oakland Raiders 16-3 at Oakland Colisuem in Oakland, Calif. 
2001 — The New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-17 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa. 
2004 — The New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-27 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa. 
2005 — The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos 34-17 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.
2012 — The Baltimore Ravens defeated the New England Patriots 28-13 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.  
2018 — The New England Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. 
2021 — The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 at Arrowhead Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
2023 — The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens 17-10 at M&T Bank in Baltimore, Md. 
2025 — The New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.