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 chances: 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: 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 3 goal passes in the Patriots ´ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in group history that a quarterback had actually tossed a minimum of three TD passes in a playoff game. It was likewise the most considering that Tom Brady had three in Super Bowl 52 versus Philadelphia.


Jarrett Stidham. Bo Nix's backup hasn't thrown a pass in two 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 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 2 years.


Maye versus Denver's defense. The Broncos led the league with a franchise-record 68 sacks this season and sacked Josh Allen 3 times. They also forced Allen to turn the ball over 4 times after he had gone 6 straight playoff games without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and two interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, tossed 2 interceptions and fumbled 6 times, losing three of them.


Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has actually been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has actually been on hurt reserve considering that Dec. 27 with an abdominal area injury, was activated 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 2 goals.


Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who went back to practice this week for the very first time since foot surgical treatment in mid-November, was dismissed. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both got involved 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 squad.


The Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matchups in between the teams, winning all 4 video games in Denver. The 2 newest meetings were in the AFC championship video games throughout 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 final conference in 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 period to go undefeated on the roadway with a new head coach. ... Vrabel is trying to become the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his very first season with a group. ... Maye has actually completed 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more lawns) through his very first 2 championship game. The Broncos didn ´ t allow Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a conclusion and obstructed him twice on 9 deep pass efforts in the divisional round. ... With a win, Maye would end up being the very first quarterback to win 3 playoff games against top-five defenses in the very same postseason: the Chargers went into the playoffs ranked fifth, the Texans ranked first, and the Broncos ranked 2nd. ... Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, including the playoffs. The Patriots have actually recovered six 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 among 3 quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era 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 national championship). ... WR Stefon Diggs has played in 16 postseason video games and has 75 receptions for 965 backyards and five goals. He needs 35 backyards to become the 18th NFL gamer to reach 1,000, and the 3rd Patriots player. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are the only Patriots players to eclipse the mark. ... Diggs has played in the most postseason video games among all Patriots gamers 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 at least 4 in a single postseason. ... The Broncos are 18-5 perpetuity in home playoff games since their first one in 1977 throughout the "Orange Crush" era. ... This is Denver's 11th look in the AFC national championship. ... Stidham is 1-3 in his 4 NFL begins with his only success coming versus the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023. ... K Wil Lutz made all 4 of his field-goal attempts and all three of his extra points against Buffalo last week. His 4 field objectives 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 ended up being the third gamer in Broncos history to force 2 fumbles in a playoff game. By removing the ball from Josh Allen twice, Bonitto signed up with Von Miller (against Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (versus 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 championship game this century. ... DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a huge game versus 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 video game against 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 speaks at a press conference after an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)