New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye are both scheduled to address the media on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s AFC Championship Game matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Vrabel is set to speak at 1:10 p.m., followed by wide receiver Stefon Diggs, linebacker Robert Spillane and cornerback Marcus Jones. Maye is scheduled to speak after practice around 4 p.m. You can watch them speak live in the video player above.
The Patriots beat Houston 28-16 on Sunday to return to the AFC championship game for the first time since winning their sixth Super Bowl in the 2018 season, Brady’s second-to-last year in New England.
They”ll now face the Broncos in Denver at 3 p.m. on Sunday. But instead of starting quarterback Bo Nix, they’ll be facing old friend Jarrett Stidham after Nix suffered a broken ankle near the end of last weekend’s win over the Buffalo Bills.
Stidham was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2019 draft and will be maing his first start since 2023.
Stidham spent two years in New England as a backup. When New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was coaching in Las Vegas, he gave Stidham a try there; coach Mike Vrabel said he also looked into Stidham when he was in Tennessee and again last summer, before the veteran backup re-signed with the Broncos.
“I guess it was kind of ironic,” Vrabel said on Monday, praising Stidham’s accuracy, athleticism and decision-making. “He’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched.”
New England has never won a playoff game in Denver.
“It’s a challenge,” said tight end Hunter Henry, who spent five seasons facing the Broncos in the AFC West while with the Chargers. “When that place is rolling, it’s going to be extremely loud. They’ll be ready to go. … I know the environment will be a lot, it’ll be loud and we’ll have to match that intensity. So, it’s a big opportunity and I know all the guys will be excited for it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
