AFC Championship: Patriots face Broncos in Denver with Jarrett Stidham starting after Bo Nix injury

The New England Patriots travel to Denver on Sunday for the AFC Championship Game, facing the top-seeded Broncos with a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line. The matchup carries an unusual twist: Denver is expected to start Jarrett Stidham after starter Bo Nix suffered a broken right ankle late in the divisional round, forcing the Broncos to rework their offense at the most critical point of the season.

Oddsmakers installed New England as a road favorite despite the Broncos’ No. 1 seed, a reflection of the Patriots’ strong form away from home and their offensive output. The game also carries narrative weight because Stidham’s career includes time in New England, and the teams’ shared history adds edge to a matchup already defined by postseason stakes.

For the Patriots, quarterback Drake Maye enters as the focal point after leading New England through the postseason and putting the franchise one win away from returning to the Super Bowl. New England’s approach has leaned on efficient quarterback play, defensive takeaways and a style capable of traveling in difficult conditions — a key factor in January games in Denver.

Denver, meanwhile, must balance aggression with risk as Stidham takes over against a defense built to pressure quarterbacks and capitalize on mistakes. Broncos leaders framed the quarterback injury as another adversity test in a season that still produced 14 regular-season wins, and they have leaned on a defense ranked among the league’s best to keep games close.

With both teams’ paths shaped by late-season momentum and playoff performance, the contest comes down to whether Denver can protect the ball and manufacture enough offense with Stidham, and whether New England can sustain its road identity against altitude, crowd noise and a defense designed to force tight-window throws. The winner advances to Super Bowl LX.