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 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: 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 group history that a quarterback had tossed at least three TD passes in a championship game. It was likewise the most considering 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 career and the Patriots attempted 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 likewise forced Allen to turn the ball over four times after he had gone six straight championship game without a turnover. Allen had 2 fumbles and 2 interceptions, consisting of one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, tossed 2 interceptions and fumbled 6 times, losing 3 of them.
Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been dismissed. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has been on hurt reserve since 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 lawns and two goals.
Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who went back to practice this week for the very first time considering that foot surgery in mid-November, was eliminated. ... WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both took part 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 area of Nix (ankle surgical treatment), 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 matches in between the groups, winning all 4 games in Denver. The two newest conferences were in the AFC national championship throughout 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 last conference between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
This will be the Patriots ´ 13th look in the AFC title 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 era to go unbeaten on the roadway with a brand-new head coach. ... Vrabel is attempting to end up being the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the in his first season with a group. ... Maye has finished 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more yards) through his first 2 championship game. The Broncos didn ´ t enable Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a conclusion and obstructed him twice on nine deep pass efforts in the divisional round. ... With a win, Maye would become the very first quarterback to win three championship game versus top-five defenses in the same postseason: the Chargers went into 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 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 since 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 period with five 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 played in 16 postseason video games and has 75 receptions for 965 yards and five touchdowns. He needs 35 yards to end up being the 18th NFL gamer to reach 1,000, and the 3rd Patriots gamer. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski are the only Patriots gamers to eclipse the mark. ... Diggs has actually played in the most postseason video games amongst all Patriots players with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is second with 11 postseason video games. ... LB K ´ Lavon Chaisson has 3 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 four in a single postseason. ... The Broncos are 18-5 perpetuity in home championship game since their first one in 1977 during the "Orange Crush" age. ... This is Denver's 11th look in the AFC championship game. ... Stidham is 1-3 in his 4 NFL begins with his only triumph coming against the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 31, 2023. ... K Wil Lutz made all four of his field-goal attempts and all 3 of his additional points versus Buffalo recently. His four field goals 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 championship game. By stripping 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 tackles last week, including 11 solo, were the most by a Denver defender in a playoff game this century. ... DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a huge video game against Buffalo. He had 1 1/2 sacks and recovered 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 via AP)
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) strolls 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 team's headquarters 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 against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)