Patriots' Drake Maye Faces Broncos' D And Jarrett Stidham Steps In
New England (16-3) at Denver (15-3)
Sunday, 3 p.m. EST, CBS/Paramount+
BetMGM NFL odds: Patriots by 5.
Against the spread: Patriots 13-5-1; Broncos 8-9-1.
Series record: Broncos lead 31-24.
Last conference: Patriots won 26-23 in Denver on Dec. 24, 2023.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham warms up before an NFL divisional round playoff football video game versus the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Last week: Patriots beat Texans 28-16; Broncos beat Bills 33-30 in overtime.
Patriots offense: overall (3 ), rush (6 ), pass (4 ), scoring (2 ).
Patriots defense: total (8 ), rush (6 ), pass (9 ), scoring (4 ).
Broncos offense: general (10 ), rush (16 ), pass (11 ), scoring (14 ).
Broncos defense: general (2 ), rush (2 ), pass (7 ), scoring (3 ).
Turnover differential: Patriots plus-3; Broncos plus-1.
Drake Maye. The MVP finalist had three touchdown passes in the Patriots ´ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in team history that a quarterback had actually thrown a minimum of three TD passes in a playoff video game. It was also the most given that Tom Brady had 3 in Super Bowl 52 against Philadelphia.
Jarrett Stidham. Bo Nix's backup hasn't tossed a pass in 2 seasons and the only breeze he played this season came on a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has actually appeared in 20 games with 4 starts in his six-year NFL profession and the Patriots tried to sign him last spring before he re-signed with Denver for $12 million over two years.
Maye versus Denver's defense. The Broncos led the league with a franchise-record 68 sacks this season and sacked Josh Allen three times. They also required Allen to turn the ball over 4 times after he had gone 6 straight championship game without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and 2 interceptions, consisting of one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, tossed two interceptions and fumbled six times, losing three of them.
Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both doubtful. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has been on injured reserve considering that Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was triggered on Saturday. He played in the first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, capturing 46 passes for 550 yards and 2 goals.
Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice today for the first time given that foot surgical treatment in mid-November, was dismissed. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both participated in practice today. Center Luke Wattenberg was triggered off injured reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month. He took the lineup spot of Nix (ankle surgery), who went on IR on Saturday, ending his season. The Broncos likewise promoted WRs Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore from their practice team.
The Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matches between the teams, winning all four games in Denver. The two latest conferences were in the AFC championship video games during the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and were both won by the Broncos. Denver's 20-18 win in the 2015 AFC title game on Jan. 24, 2016, was the last conference between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
This will be the Patriots ´ 13th look in the AFC title game in the previous 25 seasons. ... The Patriots (Mike Vrabel) and San Francisco 49ers (George Seifert 1989, won the Super Bowl) are the only teams in the Super Bowl age to go unbeaten on the road with a brand-new head coach. ... Vrabel is attempting to end up being the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his very first season with a group. ... Maye has completed 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more lawns) through his first 2 championship game. The Broncos didn ´ t enable Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a completion and obstructed him twice on 9 deep pass efforts in the divisional round. ... With a win, Maye would become the very first quarterback to win three championship game against top-five defenses in the same postseason: the Chargers entered the playoffs ranked fifth, the Texans ranked first, and the Broncos ranked second. ... Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, consisting of the playoffs. The Patriots have actually recuperated 6 of Maye ´ s fumbles on sacks, with 3 healings by LT Will Campbell. The only other quarterbacks strip-sacked 10 or more times because 2020 are Matt Ryan (11 in 2022), Derek Carr (10 in 2021) and Kirk Cousins (10 in 2021). ... Maye is one of 3 quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with 5 or more turnovers and 10 or more sacks. He signs up with Russell Wilson (2014, lost in the Super Bowl) and Roger Staubach (1973, lost in the NFC championship game). ... WR Stefon Diggs has actually played in 16 postseason games and has 75 receptions for 965 backyards and five touchdowns. He requires 35 backyards to end up being the 18th NFL gamer to reach 1,000, and the 3rd Patriots player. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are the only Patriots gamers to eclipse the mark. ... Diggs has actually played in the most postseason video games among all Patriots gamers with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is 2nd with 11 postseason video games. ... LB K ´ Lavon Chaisson has three sacks this postseason. With another he ´ ll joint Willie McGinest (5 in 2003 and 4 1/2 in 2005) and Garin Veris (4 in 1985) as the only Patriots with a minimum of four in a single postseason. ... The Broncos are 18-5 all time in home championship game because their very first one in 1977 during the "Orange Crush" age. ... This is Denver's 11th look in the AFC national championship. ... Stidham is 1-3 in his 4 NFL begins with his only triumph coming versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023. ... K Wil Lutz made all four of his field-goal efforts and all 3 of his additional points against Buffalo recently. His four field objectives are one shy of the franchise playoff record of 5 set by Brandon McManus in the playoffs following the 2015 season. ... Last week OLB Nik Bonitto ended up being the 3rd gamer in Broncos history to require 2 fumbles in a championship game. By stripping the ball from Josh Allen twice, Bonitto signed up with Von Miller ( in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (against Dallas in Super Bowl 12). ... ILB Alex Singleton's 14 deals with last week, consisting of 11 solo, were the most by a Denver protector in a playoff game this century. ... DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a big video game versus Buffalo. He had 1 1/2 sacks and recuperated a fumble.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fires a pass during an NFL football practice Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe by means of AP)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) strolls off the field after an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham reacts to concerns after an NFL football practice at the team's headquarters Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Centennial, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye speaks at a news conference after an NFL divisional playoff football game versus the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)