The Patriots are favored over the Broncos in this Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, but the road to Super Bowl LX won’t come without its challenges.
New England will be facing off against the top-seeded Broncos in Denver, where the Pats will contend with a different time zone, a different stadium, higher altitude, and another top 5 defense.
Patriots players say they are treating this like any other game, with everyone focused on doing their job. They also made sure to note they are not underestimating Jarrett Stidham, who will be in at QB for the Broncos in place of Bo Nix, who broke a bone in his right ankle late in the team’s 33-30 win against the Buffalo Bills last weekend.
“I mean, he’s still a good quarterback. He can make a lot of throws, seeing what he’s done when he’s been in the games. I mean, he’s in the NFL for a reason, and they believe in him, they brought him up,” Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez said.
“I think they got the best group. We’ve just seen a year up front, and we’re gonna be ready for that challenge up front,” Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams said.
Williams went on to say that this New England team has an alter ego. At home, they are the Patriots. Outside of Massachusetts, they are the warriors…the road warriors. And they look forward to going into other teams’ stadiums and silencing the fans.
“Coach has always been saying, we’re warriors. So we’re trying to find that one more time and finish out strong what we’ve done this year, and we got a tough job and a tough challenge, but I think the guys will be pumped up and ready for it,” Pats quarterback Drake Maye said.
This this will be a challenge come Sunday. The Broncos have led the league in sacks the past two seasons and have been in the top three for rushing defense, red zone defense and fewest points allowed.
Head Coach Mike Vrabel has emphasized the keys to success this week: “Our best players have to play good. You’re going to have to be able to execute in some critical situations, some third downs, there’s going to be some third downs that we’re gonna have to convert. And then I think the turnovers and taking advantage of your scoring opportunities in the red zone.”
Vrabel spoke at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, heaping praise on Broncos head coach Sean Payton, saying “His record speaks for itself… He’s a proven winner in this league.”
He also spoke about Maye, saying the quarterback’s goal will be to “find as many positive plays as you can, take care of the football” and “make some big time throws” Sunday, which is similar to what the team expects from him on a regular basis.
When asked about the Patriots backup quarterbacks, Vrabel had positive things to say about both Joshua Dobbs and Tommy DeVito. “Those guys have been great. They’ve been a huge support for Drake and everything we’ve done offensively and running and operating our show team.”
He said some players on the Patriots are being monitored for injuries, including Christian Barmore, but he doesn’t see any limitations for the star defensive lineman ahead of Sunday’s game.
Vrabel was also asked if he believes in bulletin board material, but downplayed is importance.
“I’m really excited to go out there and play,” he said. “I’m just excited for these guys to be in this environment, to see all their hard work pay off and to be able to play in a game like this.”
The Patriots have been practicing ahead of this big matchup, going through a full slate of first and second down plays on Wednesday. They are expected to zero in and focus on what to do on the crucial third down Thursday.
The big story line going into the game is Stidham replacing Nix, though. The Patriots might not be underestimating the Broncos backup, but Las Vegas is.
The Broncos would be about 1 1/2-point favorites in the AFC championship game if Nix was healthy and ready to play Sunday, but instead, the Patriots were favored by 5 points at BetMGM Sportsbook and 4 1/2 at Caesars Sportsbook as of Wednesday afternoon.
