Patriots to play Denver Broncos in AFC Championship game

New England Patriots

The Patriots will be matched up against former backup QB Jarrett Stidham next Sunday.

By Conor Ryan

January 18, 2026 | 6:32 PM

2 minutes to read

FOXBOROUGH — The New England Patriots will look to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LX next weekend in enemy territory. 

After beating the Texans on Sunday in the AFC divisional round, New England will now battle the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game next Sunday, Jan. 25, at Empower Field at Mile High. 

Kick-off from Denver is set for 3 p.m., with the game to be broadcast on CBS. 

Denver is the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 14-3 record — the same as New England. But Denver earned home-field advantage through the AFC title game over New England due to holding a better record against common opponents (sweeping the Raiders in divisional play) . 

Denver has traditionally been a house of horrors for New England in the postseason, with the Patriots never winning a playoff game on the road against the Broncos during the Tom Brady era (0-3). 

However, the Broncos are going to be seriously shorthanded on offense on Sunday. 

Even though Denver outlasted the Bills in overtime on Saturday en route to a dramatic win, it came at a crushing cost — as starting QB Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle on one of the final plays of the game. 

Nix’s season is now over, with backup QB (and former Patriots signal-caller) Jarrett Stidham expected to start on Sunday against New England. 

Denver’s success this season has been rooted in an elite defense that ranks second in the league in scoring defense (18.3). But Nix has been a clutch player for a scrappy Denver roster — with Saturday’s win standing as the eighth game-winning drive that he has orchestrated this season alone. 

With Nix now out of commission, the Broncos offense will have to run through Stidham. 

Stidham — drafted by New England in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Auburn — is 1-3 in four career starts in his career (two for Raiders, two for Broncos in 2023). He has completed 117 of 197 passes as a pro for 1,422 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions. 

Sunday will stand as the first time that Stidham will attempt a pass in an NFL game outside the preseason since 2023. 

New England will have a sizable edge as far as the QB matchup on Sunday. Still, a dangerous Denver defense and a resilient team coached by Sean Payton should present another tough test for the Patriots with a trip to the Super Bowl hanging in the balance. 

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.