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The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos will do battle in the AFC Championship on Sunday — all for a chance to advance to Super Bowl LX. Who will win? How will they do it? I’ve put together the keys to victory for both sides: NE: PROTECT THE KID I’ve used this one before, but “the kid” has an entirely different meaning this time around… Will Campbell has faced something of a gauntlet this far, and it’s safe to say he’s failed — allowing four sacks and double-digit pressures against the likes of Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper are even more formidable opponents than some of those guys we just mentioned, helping their defense lead the league in sacks (68) while accounting for 76 and 51 pressures, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s time to start putting protections in place to aid the rookie offensive lineman, which will include chipping from Rhamondre Stevenson, Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry, as well as minimizing individual matchups by sliding the likes of Jared Wilson and Garrett Bradbury. If you can’t protect Drake Maye, you can’t win this game. If you don’t do everything in your power to aid Campbell, you aren’t protecting Maye. A Boutte Beauty ❄️@Patriots | @InsidetheNFL pic.twitter.com/EmdDn83DyR— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 19, 2026 DEN: SEAN PAYTON MASTERCLASS Broncos head coach Sean Payton has built his offensive system around making things easy for the quarterback — quick, high-percentage passes; using motion to create one-on-one mismatches; minimize reads for the quarterback— which will help now that they’re forced to rely on backup Jarrett Stidham. If you haven’t heard all about that by now, get out from under your rock. Payton will want to do all the same things he’s been doing, but with a special focus on getting the running game going and causing chaos — we’re talking about the guy who called for a surprise onside kick in Super Bowl XLIV. It’s on him… NE: CREATE SPACE Maye will be facing pressure all afternoon, but abandoning the passing game hasn’t been and shouldn’t be something to consider — just help him out. The Patriots have relied heavily on 21 (two running backs, one tight end) and 12 (one running back, two tight ends) personnel throughout the latter half of the season, but it might be time to spread things out and attack with quick game. Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas have been surprisingly great against man-coverage — with all three scoring touchdowns in the divisional round by winning quickly off the line of scrimmage and coming to the aid of their quarterback. Boutte made an incredible diving catch. Diggs showed his strong hands and held on despite being clawed at by three defenders. Douglas didn’t even need gloves to convert for his score on fourth down. It’s a better group than we thought, so continue to trust them. DEN: PROTECT THE FOOTBALL The Texans turned the ball over five times last weekend. The Broncos haven’t turned the ball over that many times in a single game this season, and haven’t turned it over more than twice since their sloppy Week 1 victory over the Tennessee Titans (four times). If they can avoid putting the ball in harm’s way, they’ll have an opportunity to win this football game — though that is easier said than done. 2X @Carlton_Lowkey 🔁📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/gpBsIuS5t2— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 18, 2026 NE: DIAL IT UP The Patriots’ defense had incredible success dialing up pressure against the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans — but those happens to be the 30th and 27th ranked offensive lines, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus. It’ll be a different story this week. The Broncos’ offense ranked first in sacks allowed (22), pressures allowed (137) and pass-blocking efficiency rating (89.5), according to PFF. It’s no easy task getting to the quarterback, no matter who it is, though some things might change. Bo Nix worked on designed rollouts…

One of the franchise’s clutchest playoff performers will join the New England Patriots in Denver for the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos. The Patriots announced Adam Vinatieri as their honorary captain for Sunday’s conference title clash at Mile High. They’ll hope the kicker who played a key role in four Super Bowl championships (three with the Pats) watches them punch a ticket back to the grand stage. Vinatieri ranks second in all-time Patriots points to Stephen Gostkowski, converting 321 field goals and 374 extra points in 10 seasons. Yet the Hall of Fame finalist is remembered far more for his postseason heroics. Vinatieri cemented his place in Patriots lore when kicking the game-winning 48-yard field goal in their first Super Bowl triumph, a 20-17 victory over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. He helped them get there by hitting a walk-off overtime field goal in the snow during their famous “Tuck Rule” game against the Oakland Raiders. The following season, Vinatieri earned his first of three All-Pro nods when converting 27 of 30 field goals and all 36 point-after tries. A year later, Vinatieri made another game-winning field goal in New England’s Super Bowl XXXVIII victory over the Carolina Panthers. Vinatieri also made a field goal in the fourth quarter of New England’s 24-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. He later spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, setting an NFL record (later matched by Evan McPherson) with 14 field goals in the 2006 playoffs. Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Shares Expectations For Drake Maye In AFC Championship by Keagan Stiefel 2 Min Read NFL Panel Unanimously Picks Patriots Over Broncos In AFC Championship Game by Victor Barbosa 3 Min Read Why Patriots Are Confident In Drake Maye ‘Advantage’ For AFC Title Game by Andrew Gould 2 Min Read Vinatieri’s 56 postseason field goals handily represent the most in NFL history over Gostkowski’s 41. Andy Borregales has a long way to go before approaching those Patriots icons, draining all three attempts in New England’s playoff wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos. Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Broncos kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on CBS. More NFL: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

The New England Patriots have been historically dominant in the NFL playoffs, winning six Super Bowls and going 39-22 in the postseason. That’s tied for the most championships and playoff wins in NFL history. One team has historically given them trouble, however, and it’s the team they’re facing on Sunday. The Patriots have struggled mightily against the Denver Broncos in the postseason, going 1-4 against them in the playoffs. They’ve also lost all four of their postseason trips to Denver. That doesn’t bode well for New England’s chances in Sunday’s AFC title game, which will take place at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos are 9-1 there this season, too, with their only home loss coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots have NEVER beat the Broncos in Denver in the playoffs.Broncos are a perfect 4-0. pic.twitter.com/TZNcuerno5— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 21, 2026 Fortunately for the Patriots, this time should be different. They have several advantages over Denver, starting at quarterback. New England has a legitimate MVP candidate under center in Drake Maye, who’s 2-0 in his postseason career thus far. Both of those wins came against tough defenses, so he should be able to handle the Broncos’ elite unit. Meanwhile, Denver is starting career backup QB Jarrett Stidham, who’s won just one game in his NFL career and has never played in the postseason. Now he’ll face the NFL’s hottest defense in the biggest game of his life, which probably won’t end well for him. The Patriots are also undefeated on the road this season, going 8-0 in away games. They travel well and aren’t scared of playing on the road or in the cold. New England has won both of its playoff games by double digits this month, outscoring its opponents 44-19. The Patriots are favored in this game for a reason, so look for them to knock out the depleted Broncos and capture their first-ever postseason win in Denver. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

The New England Patriots haven’t lost on the road all season. They have MVP candidate Drake Maye leading the way into Denver for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Broncos, meanwhile, will turn to backup Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game in over two years. The Patriots are road favorites and everything seems to be lining up for their return to the big game, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio is taking Denver to be the AFC’s Super Bowl representative. “For the Patriots, it’s the toughest game of the year. For playoff games in Denver, history isn’t on their side. In four prior tries, the Patriots have never beaten the Broncos on the road. Can quarterback Drake Maye minimize mistakes?” Florio wrote. “For the Broncos, can Jarrett Stidham step up? The Broncos believe in him. He needs to believe in himself. He needs to run the offense, staying within himself and letting the others do their jobs.” The longtime sportswriter is predicting a 27-23 Broncos victory. “The extra benefit for the Broncos is that they can legitimately play the ‘nobody believes in us’ card. Most will pick the Patriots. (Not me.),” Florio said. If Stidham were to lead Denver to an upset, it wouldn’t be completely unprecedented. The former Patriots fourth-round pick is looking to join the likes of Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Colin Kaepernick, Nick Foles and a handful of other signal-callers to lead their team to the Super Bowl following injuries to the starter. The Broncos and Patriots are scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. More NFL: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will participate in the biggest game of his life on Sunday. Maye, who has been superb this season and was even named a finalist for NFL MVP, has consistently risen to the occasion throughout his sophomore campaign — but the biggest challenge yet will come against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. How will he respond? What are the expectations? New England head coach Mike Vrabel answered those questions during his press conference on Wednesday. “Lead our offense, be the conductor, and help us handle the environment,” Vrabel said, per team-provided video. “Find as many positive plays as you can, take care of the football, own the operation, and then you’re gonna have to make some big time throws. That’s just kinda how these things go. “It’s no different than what we’ve expected of him the entire season.” A Boutte Beauty ❄️@Patriots | @InsidetheNFL pic.twitter.com/EmdDn83DyR— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 19, 2026 Maye has been rather up-and-down throughout the postseason, fumbling the ball six times and turning it over fix times across a wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers and divisional round victory over the Houston Texans. If that trend continues, there won’t be much reason to expect a trip to Super Bowl LX. The Patriots have seen what putting the sophomore signal-caller in the right positions can do for their overall success, though, so if they can do that there will be reason to believe he can lead them to the promised land. It’s a team game, so do your part and he’ll do his. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier