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 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)

Last week: Patriots beat Texans 28-16; Broncos beat Bills 33-30 in overtime.

Patriots offense: overall (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 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 at least three TD passes in a championship game. It was likewise the most considering that Tom Brady had three 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 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 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 3 times. They likewise required Allen to turn the ball over four times after he had gone six straight championship game without a turnover. Allen had 2 fumbles and two interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has actually been sacked 10 times, thrown 2 interceptions and fumbled 6 times, losing 3 of them.

Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been eliminated. CB Carlton Davis (concussion procedure) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. ... WR Mack Hollins, who has actually been on hurt reserve since Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was triggered on Saturday. He played in the very first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, capturing 46 passes for 550 lawns and 2 touchdowns.

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 took part in practice today. 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 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 between the groups, winning all 4 games in Denver. The two latest conferences remained in the AFC national championship 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 conference between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

This will be the Patriots ´ 13th appearance 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 age to go unbeaten on the roadway with a new head coach. ... Vrabel is trying to end up being the 8th coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his very first season with a team. ... Maye has actually completed 3 of 10 deep passes (20 or more yards) through his very first two playoff video games. The Broncos didn ´ t enable Buffalo ´ s Josh Allen a conclusion and obstructed him two times on nine deep pass attempts in the divisional round. ... With a win, Maye would become the very first quarterback to win 3 playoff games against top-five defenses in the same postseason: the Chargers went into the playoffs ranked 5th, the Texans ranked first, and the Broncos ranked 2nd. ... Maye has been strip-sacked 11 times this season, including the playoffs. The Patriots have recuperated 6 of Maye ´ s fumbles on sacks, with three recoveries 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 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 champion game). ... WR Stefon Diggs has actually played in 16 postseason games and has 75 receptions for 965 backyards and five goals. He requires 35 yards to become the 18th NFL player to reach 1,000, and the third 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 players with 16. CB Carlton Davis III is second 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 with at least four in a single postseason. ... The Broncos are 18-5 perpetuity in home championship game given that their very first one in 1977 during the "Orange Crush" age. ... This is Denver's 11th appearance in the AFC champion 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 attempts and all 3 of his extra points versus Buffalo recently. His 4 field goals are one shy of the franchise playoff record of five set by Brandon McManus in the playoffs following the 2015 season. ... Recently OLB Nik Bonitto became the third gamer in Broncos history to require two fumbles in a playoff game. By stripping the ball from Josh Allen two times, 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 tackles last week, consisting of 11 solo, were the most by a Denver defender in a playoff game this century. ... DE Malcolm Roach is coming off a big game against 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 by means of AP)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) strolls 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 concerns after an NFL football practice at the team's head office 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 game versus the Houston Texans, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)