The New England Patriots are returning to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2018.
The Patriots will be on the road when they take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Denver will be without starting quarterback Bo Nix due to an ankle injury. Many questions surround the Broncos as backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham prepares to take the reins for Denver, having never played in the postseason in his seven-year career.
New England’s defense has consistently limited their opponents in both of their playoff matchups thus far. With quarterback Drake Maye leading their offense, the Patriots will look to advance to the Super Bowl behind a well-balanced attack on both sides of the football.
Patriots Wire went behind enemy lines with Broncos Wire’s Brandon Walker to forecast the affair.
There seems to be more confidence surrounding Jarrett Stidham than anticipated after the Bo Nix injury. What do you attribute that to?
I think can be attributed to a number of things; Stidham has been in head coach Sean Payton’s system since 2023, one year longer than Nix. He knows Payton’s scheme by now, and can run it well. Although the most recent film on Stidham is from the preseason, we can still glean that he can make good throws, move around and make plays. I think the biggest confidence booster (at least for me) was when Payton came out and announced that Nix would be done for the year, Payton immediately said, “Stiddy’s ready.” Fans have rallied behind that confidence.
Denver’s notable defense has allowed opponents to score more points in recent weeks. They’ve given up at least 26 points to opponents in four of their last seven games. Does that concern you at all?
Anytime there are points on the board, fans are nervous. The Broncos have been giving up points, but they have made plays in crucial spots. To your point, during the Jaguars game, it looked like the defense was confused the entire day. Missed assignments, missed tackles and lack of turnovers doomed Denver in the loss you mentioned. However, in the other games on your list, the defense stepped up to the challenge. They forced five turnovers of Josh Allen and the Bills. Nik Bonitto knocked down a two-point conversion attempt from the Commanders. And the Broncos offense stepped up in a big way against the Green Bay Packers. It all balances out in the end.
The Patriots have struggled with turnovers in the playoffs. How good are the Broncos at taking the ball away, and how important do you think that will be in this game?
The Broncos have actually been around the bottom half of the league in turnovers, ranking 26th. They have had many more opportunities they have not capitalized on. Last week against the Buffalo Bills, though, was their biggest turnover game of the season, forcing three fumbles and two interceptions. Look for them to continue this trend this week.
Who wins, and why?
It’s championship week, which is why this game is the hardest to predict! Last time these two teams play, it had 38 combined points. Expect that same kind of defensive slugfest. I said this week, it will either be a slugfest, or a shootout; there is no in-between with how good both these teams are.
I’m going to go with the home team, 24-21 in overtime. Best of luck (but not too much luck!) to the Patriots. Let’s both come out of this one healthy.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Patriots’ AFC title game vs. Broncos
