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 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 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: general (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: general (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 actually thrown a minimum of three TD passes in a playoff game. It was likewise the most since 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 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 tried to sign him last spring before he re-signed with Denver for $12 million over 2 years.
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 actually gone six straight championship game without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and two 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 questionable. ... 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 first 15 video 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 very first time given 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 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 matches in between the groups, winning all 4 games in Denver. The 2 newest conferences were in the AFC champion 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 last 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 groups in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated on the roadway with a new head coach. ... Vrabel is trying to end up being the eighth coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his first season with a team. ... Maye has actually completed 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more lawns) through his very first two playoff games. The Broncos didn ´ t allow Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a completion and obstructed him two times 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 versus top-five defenses in the very same postseason: the Chargers went into the playoffs ranked 5th, the Texans ranked first, and the Broncos ranked 2nd. ... Maye has actually been strip-sacked 11 times this season, including the playoffs. The Patriots have recuperated 6 of Maye ´ s fumbles on sacks, with 3 recoveries 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 one of three 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 championship game). ... WR Stefon Diggs has actually played in 16 postseason games and has 75 receptions for 965 lawns and 5 goals. He needs 35 backyards to become the 18th NFL player 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 games among all Patriots gamers with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is second with 11 postseason 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 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 throughout the "Orange Crush" age. ... This is Denver's 11th look in the AFC champion video game. ... Stidham is 1-3 in his 4 NFL begins with his only victory 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 versus 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 player in Broncos history to require two fumbles in a playoff game. By stripping the ball from Josh Allen two times, Bonitto joined Von Miller (versus Carolina in Super Bowl 50) and Tom Jackson (versus 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 huge video 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 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 group'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)
