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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye committed a career-high four fumbles during the team’s AFC Divisional Round win against the Houston Texans. Patriots insider Chad Graff wrote Thursday about how Maye’s ball security and the team’s offensive line could be a concern heading into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game vs. the Denver Broncos. Graff cited rookie left tackle Will Campbell’s recent struggles in his breakdown of the matchup. The senior writer for The Athletic said that Campbell will be “one of the most important players for the Patriots” for the third straight game on Sunday. “The Denver Broncos don’t have quite as dangerous a pass rush as the Texans, but they’re not far from it. The Texans ranked second in the NFL this season in pressure rate. The Broncos were third,” Graff said. “And, more to the point, heading into an AFC Championship Game in which the Patriots are favorites and have several meaningful advantages (none bigger than at quarterback, where Jarrett Stidham, a 2019 draft pick of the Patriots, is set to start for the injured Bo Nix), the Broncos could end this magical run by dominating them up front and forcing Maye into some turnovers.” While Graff admitted that “so much has gone right” for New England in the playoffs, Maye “suddenly having issues hanging onto” the football is a “troubling trend.” He opined that the Patriots offensive line — particularly Campbell and fellow rookie Jared Wilson — has had some “frighteningly weak moments” over the past two contests. “That will get even more difficult in Denver. The Broncos boast one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. Even if they didn’t have one of the league’s best pass rushes, it could still be difficult for the Patriots O-line to be on the same page, given the noise,” Graff said. “But the biggest fear for the Patriots in this matchup is a suddenly turnover-prone offense with a front five that’s coming off two of its worst games of the season, going up against a really good pass rush.” New England is understandably favored to beat Denver on Sunday, but there is a path for the Broncos to pull off the upset and advance to their first Super Bowl in 10 years. More NFL: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

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 could potentially receive a huge boost during their matchup with the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. Mack Hollins — who hasn’t been seen since suffering his abdomen injury during the club’s victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 21, which ultimately ended up with him being placed on injured reserve on Dec. 27. — was seen putting on his cleats in the locker room prior to practice on Thursday, according to MassLive’s Karen Guregian. What does that mean? Hollins likely won’t be activated to return this week, but opening his practice window puts him in a position to play as soon as Sunday. If not, he’ll be eligible to continue practicing and can be activated at any point until the day before Super Bowl LX. The Patriots would certainly be eager to bring the veteran wide receiver back into the fold, as he finished third on the team in receptions (46) and fourth in receiving yards (550) despite suffering his injury and missing the final two regular season games against the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. New England is getting healthy at the right time, with running back Terrell Jennings and defensive lineman Joshua Farmer already returning to practice this week and remaining eligible to be activated off injured reserve — while cornerback Carlton Davis remains just one step away from clearing the league’s concussion protocol. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

Ahead of the AFC wild-card round, four of the NFL.com’s five editors chose the New England Patriots to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers. Before New England’s AFC Divisional Round contest against the Houston Texans, three of the quintet sided with the Patriots. This time, it’s unanimous. The group made their AFC Championship Game picks on Thursday and all five took New England to down the Denver Broncos on the road. Notably though, each of the five members of the panel see the Patriots winning a one-score game. “But clearly, in the wake of Bo Nix’s gutting ankle injury, Denver is fighting an uphill battle, facing a sudden switch at the game’s most important position. Jarrett Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in a real game in two years, and now he’s tasked with punching the Broncos’ ticket to the Super Bowl. It’s a daunting development, to say the least,” Gennaro Filice, who was the lone member to pick Los Angeles over New England, said. “With an 8-0 mark outside of Foxborough this season, New England’s the only team in the league that hasn’t lost a game in the unfriendly confines. The altitude is indeed an additional factor that’s unique to Denver, but generally speaking, these Pats don’t cower in hostile environments.” The biggest storyline ahead of Sunday afternoon’s battle is former New England quarterback Jarrett Stidham getting his chance at revenge as he takes over for the injured Bo Nix. Stidham is looking to become just the second quarterback since 1950 to make his first start of the season in the playoffs and win. Frank Reich is the only other signal-caller to accomplish the feat. More NFL: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

The New England Patriots will face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game in Denver on Sunday. Denver has a unique home-field advantage thanks to the higher altitude and the adjustment it requires for visiting teams. It may not seem like a big deal, but the higher altitude can create extra things for a visiting thing to think about, including injury risk. Christian Barmore missed most of the 2024 season after dealing with life-threatening blood clots, per MassLive’s Chris Mason. He did not appear in a game until November of that season, but played in just four games due to symptoms recurring. Now, headed to the higher altitude in Denver, there are concerns about Barmore’s health and how his body may react to the change. Mike Vrabel announced the team’s plan for Barmore and whether he would be limited in any way. “No,” Vrabel said on Thursday when asked if there would be any limitations for Barmore. “Certainly something to monitor. There are some players we’ll have to monitor for one reason or another, but I don’t see any limitations for Christian.” Barmore has played in 17 games this season, starting 16 of them. He’s played 665 snaps this season, pretty much on par with his breakout season in 2023. Barmore has two sacks this season and four tackles for a loss. After missing most of last season, Barmore has rebounded great. After dealing with a serious health issue, he was motivated to remind fans what type of player he was. “Really just a lot of fire in my heart,” Barmore told Mason before the season. “After that situation, people forget who I am. I’m bringing a lot of (competitiveness) with me. Every day, when I’m on this field.” Barmore has started both playoff games for the Patriots this year and has five tackles and a tackle for a loss. The 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive tackle has been a key player for Vrabel’s defense, and it is good news for the Patriots that he is a full-go this week. Barmore has been limited in practice at times due to his history, according to The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed. With no limitations this week despite the altitude, he could be in line for a big game. The last time he played in Denver was in Week 16 of the 2023 season, and he had three sacks, eight tackles and two tackles for a loss. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier