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 heats up before an NFL divisional round playoff football video game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Recently: Patriots beat Texans 28-16; Broncos beat Bills 33-30 in overtime.
Patriots offense: total (3 ), rush (6 ), pass (4 ), scoring (2 ).
Patriots defense: general (8 ), rush (6 ), pass (9 ), scoring (4 ).
Broncos offense: general (10 ), rush (16 ), pass (11 ), scoring (14 ).
Broncos defense: overall (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 group history that a quarterback had actually tossed at least 3 TD passes in a playoff game. It was likewise the most because Tom Brady had 3 in Super Bowl 52 against Philadelphia.
Jarrett Stidham. Bo Nix's backup hasn't thrown a pass in two seasons and the only snap he played this season came on a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has appeared in 20 games with four starts in his six-year NFL career 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 four times after he had gone 6 straight playoff video games without a turnover. Allen had 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, tossed two interceptions and fumbled 6 times, losing three of them.
Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been dismissed. CB Carlton Davis (concussion procedure) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both doubtful. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has been on hurt reserve because Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was triggered on Saturday. He played in the first 15 video games of the season prior to going on IR, capturing 46 passes for 550 yards and two goals.
Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice this week for the very first time since foot surgical treatment in mid-November, was ruled out. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both took part in practice this week. Center Luke Wattenberg was activated off hurt reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month. He took the lineup area of Nix (ankle surgery), who went on IR on Saturday, ending his season. The Broncos also promoted WRs Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore from their practice squad.
The Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matchups between the groups, winning all four video games in Denver. The 2 newest 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 groups in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated on the road with a brand-new head coach. ... Vrabel is attempting to become the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his 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 allow Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a conclusion and obstructed him twice on 9 deep pass attempts in the divisional round. ... With a win, Maye would end up being the very first quarterback to win 3 championship game versus top-five defenses in the very same postseason: the Chargers got in the playoffs ranked fifth, the Texans ranked initially, and the Broncos ranked second. ... Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, including 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 considering that 2020 are Matt Ryan (11 in 2022), Derek Carr (10 in 2021) and Kirk Cousins (10 in 2021). ... Maye is among three quarterbacks in the Super Bowl age with five 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 video game). ... WR Stefon Diggs has actually played in 16 postseason games and has 75 receptions for 965 yards and 5 goals. He needs 35 lawns to become 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 played in the most postseason video games among all Patriots players with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is 2nd with 11 postseason 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 at least 4 in a single postseason. ... The Broncos are 18-5 all time in home playoff games given that their very first one in 1977 throughout the "Orange Crush" age. ... This is Denver's 11th appearance in the AFC national championship. ... Stidham is 1-3 in his four NFL starts with his only victory coming versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023. ... K Wil Lutz made all 4 of his field-goal efforts and all three of his additional points against Buffalo last week. His 4 basket are one shy of the franchise playoff record of 5 set by Brandon McManus in the playoffs following the 2015 season. ... Recently OLB Nik Bonitto became the third gamer in Broncos history to require 2 fumbles in a championship game. By removing the ball from Josh Allen twice, Bonitto signed up with Von Miller (versus Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (against Dallas in Super Bowl 12). ... ILB Alex Singleton's 14 takes on last week, including 11 solo, were the most by a Denver protector in a playoff video game this century. ... DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a big video Buffalo. He had 1 1/2 sacks and recuperated a fumble.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fires a pass throughout an NFL football practice Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe through AP)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) walks off the field after an NFL divisional playoff football game versus the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham reacts to questions after an NFL football practice at the group'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 video game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)