Patriots' Drake Maye Faces Broncos' D And Jarrett Stidham Actions 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 meeting: 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 versus 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: total (8 ), rush (6 ), pass (9 ), scoring (4 ).
Broncos offense: overall (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 3 touchdown passes in the Patriots ´ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in team history that a quarterback had tossed at least three TD passes in a playoff video game. It was also the most since Tom Brady had three 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 began a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has actually appeared in 20 video 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 2 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 likewise forced 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, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, tossed two interceptions and fumbled 6 times, losing 3 of them.
Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has actually been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion procedure) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both doubtful. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has actually been on hurt reserve considering that Dec. 27 with an abdominal area injury, was triggered on Saturday. He played in the very first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who went back to practice today for the first time because foot surgery in mid-November, was ruled out. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both participated in practice this week. Center Luke Wattenberg was triggered off hurt reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month. He took the roster spot of Nix (ankle surgical treatment), 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 matchups in between the groups, winning all four games in Denver. The 2 most current conferences were in the AFC champion games during the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and were both won by the Broncos. Denver's 20-18 win in the 2015 AFC title video game on Jan. 24, 2016, was the final meeting in between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
This will be the Patriots ´ 13th appearance in the AFC title video game in the past 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 period to go undefeated on the road with a brand-new head coach. ... Vrabel is attempting to become the 8th coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his first season with a group. ... Maye has finished 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more lawns) through his very first 2 playoff video games. The Broncos didn ´ t enable Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a completion and intercepted him twice on nine deep pass attempts in the divisional round. ... With a win, Maye would end up being the first quarterback to win three playoff games against top-five defenses in the same postseason: the Chargers got in the playoffs ranked 5th, the Texans ranked initially, and the Broncos ranked 2nd. ... Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, consisting of the playoffs. The Patriots have actually recovered six of Maye ´ s fumbles on sacks, with three healings by LT Will Campbell. The only other quarterbacks strip-sacked 10 or more times since 2020 are Matt Ryan (11 in 2022), Derek Carr (10 in 2021) and Kirk Cousins (10 in 2021). ... Maye is one of three quarterbacks in the Super Bowl period with 5 or more turnovers and 10 or more sacks. He joins Russell Wilson (2014, lost in the Super Bowl) and Roger Staubach (1973, lost in the NFC national championship). ... WR Stefon Diggs has actually played in 16 postseason video games and has 75 for 965 lawns and 5 goals. He needs 35 backyards to become the 18th NFL gamer to reach 1,000, and the 3rd Patriots gamer. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are the only Patriots players to eclipse the mark. ... Diggs has actually played in the most postseason video games among all Patriots players with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is second 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 since their first one in 1977 throughout the "Orange Crush" period. ... This is Denver's 11th appearance in the AFC championship game. ... Stidham is 1-3 in his four NFL starts with his only triumph coming against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023. ... K Wil Lutz made all four of his field-goal efforts and all three of his extra points against Buffalo last week. His four basket 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 became the 3rd gamer in Broncos history to require two fumbles in a playoff game. By removing the ball from Josh Allen twice, Bonitto joined Von Miller (against Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (against Dallas in Super Bowl 12). ... ILB Alex Singleton's 14 takes on recently, consisting of 11 solo, were the most by a Denver defender in a playoff video game this century. ... DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a huge game against 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) walks off the field after an NFL divisional playoff football video game versus 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 group's head office Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Centennial, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye speaks at a press conference after an NFL divisional playoff football video game versus the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
