Scouting the Enemy: New England Patriots

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.

2025 New England Patriots Regular Season Review

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.

The Patriots Offensive X-Factor: Drake Maye - Quarterback

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.

I cannot find a Drake Maye weakness pic.twitter.com/m28u8fFjkI

- Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) January 21, 2026

The Patriots Defensive X-Factor: Milton Williams - Defensive Lineman

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 games for the Patriots in '25, the fifth-year pro had 29 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Keep in mind, he was still a 60-percent snap-share player despite missing five games. When he is on the field, he makes an immediate impact and commands a lot of double teams. He isn't just a good pressure player on the inside, but also a dominating run defender.

If the Broncos hope to beat the Patriots, they will have to limit Willliams' impact. Hopefully Luke Wattenberg is able to start at center-that would certainly help matters. I'd be extremely concerned if Alex Forsyth or Sam Mustipher saw a majority of the snaps going up against Milton and Christian Barmore. Those guys are game-wreckers on their defensive line.

Protecting Jarrett Stidham and opening up the running lanes will be mission critical for Denver to have a shot at winning. The Broncos' offensive line has performed very well this year. They will certainly need to come up clutch against Williams and the Patriots' defensive front seven to win the game.

Milton Williams was a home-run free-agent signing for the Patriots.

The former Eagles defensive tackle posted the 5th-highest grade in PFSN's DT Impact metric this season (87.9).

Williams in 12 regular season games w/ New England, per TruMedia:

29 tackles
8 tackles... pic.twitter.com/cHjZUDOVMA

- PFSN (@PFSN365) January 22, 2026

How the Broncos can secure a victory over the Patriots

This is quite the matchup for the Broncos. There is no doubt both Denver and New England are very well-coached teams. While the Patriots are the more well-rounded of the two, I believe the Broncos can win the game.

First and foremost, Denver needs to find a way to get their ground game going. If J.K. Dobbins is able to play, that should really jumpstart Denver's rushing attack and help be more efficient on early downs. In turn, that will alleviate pressure from Jarrett Stidham's shoulders.

On defense, the Broncos' front seven has to get home and rattle Maye. Additionally, Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph will have to come up with a gameplan that helps neutralize New England's ability to accumulate big plays in their passing game via their tight ends and running backs.

Most importantly, winning the turnover battle is an absolute must. The Broncos can't afford to give up the ball and need to find a way to make a big play or two on defense to give Stidham and the offense a shot to capitalize. It's a tall order, but I expect Denver to rise to the occasion and take care of business in another close game.

Hart's Prediction: Broncos 23, Patriots 20.