Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos have the opportunity to punch their ticket to Santa Clara and represent the AFC in Super Bowl 60. In order to do that, they will have to take down a well-coached New England Patriots squad that is having a banner season of their own. It won’t be easy, but if the Broncos can limit the ability of their X-Factor players on offense and defense, they will have a good shot at winning on Sunday. Here is a deeper look at Denver’s AFC Championship Game opponent.
The Patriots sported a 14-3 record and won the AFC East division title. They were a well-rounded team on both sides of the ball. They finished the regular season second in points scored and third in yards gained on offense. On defense, they allowed the fourth fewest points and were eighth in yards allowed. They ranked tenth in turnover margin.
In his second season in the National Football League, Drake Maye experienced a significant uptick in production in efficacy under Head Coach Mike Vrabel and Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. They don’t have many star players on offense, but McDaniels’ play-calling ability and Maye’s efficiency at quarterback made the Patriots’ offense one of the best in the NFL in 2025.
In seventeen regular season games, Maye threw for 4,394 yards, completed 72-percent of his passes (tops in the NFL), and had 31 touchdowns with just 8 interceptions. He added 450 yards on the ground on 103 carries with 4 touchdowns. Those numbers earned him a trip to the Pro-Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He’s obviously their top playmaker and a primary reason why the Patriots had so much success this season.
One thing the Broncos did well against the Buffalo Bills was negating Josh Allen’s ability to throw down the field. They held Allen to 0-of-9 on balls that traveled 20 yards or more down the field. Deep ball passing is one of Maye’s best traits and Denver’s secondary is going to need another top-tier performance to shut down New England’s aerial attack.
Maye has looked a bit shaky compared to his regular season efforts in the post-season, but he certainly has the ability to play at a high level. Limiting his impact as a passer and runner will be the top priority for the Broncos’ defense if they hope to advance to Super Bowl 60.
The Patriots aren’t just good on offense. They also have a tremendous defense. There were a handful of players that could have earned this honor, but I decided to tab Milton Williams as their defensive X-Factor. After spending four years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams earned himself a lucrative free agent deal making him the second-highest paid interior defensive lineman at $26 million per season.
Most Patriots fans would tell you he has been worth every penny. Appearing in [12...
