Patriots links 1/22/26: ‘Road warriors’ prep for Denver

TEAM TALK

• Patriots-Broncos championship round Injury Report.
• Evan Lazar's Patriots Gameplan: 3 keys to victory in Sunday's AFC Championship game.Offense Key: Prepping a pressure plan for the Broncos highly-ranked Pass rush; More!
• Broadcast Info:How to watch/listen to Patriots at Broncos.
• Alexandra Fransisco reports the Patriots will host a fan rally in Denver ahead of Sunday's game.
• Transcripts:Mike Vrabel (plus 12 min. video) - Drake Maye (plus 10 min. video)
• Press Conferences:Stefon Diggs, Marcus Jones, Robert Spillane, Anfernee Jennings, Milton Williams, Will Campbell, Christian Gonzalez, K'Lavon Chaisson, Austin Hooper.
• Patriots Catch-22: Evan Lazar & Alex Barth give recap Texans, necessary fixes, Broncos preview. (2 hrs)
• Patriots Unfiltered:AFC Championship Preview, Vrabel presser/reaction, team updates. (2 hours)

LOCAL LINKS

• Andrew Callahan details how Mike Vrabel made this Patriots team believe.
• Mark Daniels spotlights Drake Maye's turnovers as a top concern in this Sunday's matchup.
• Phil Perry notes Drake Maye has been one of the most aggressive quarterbacks in football this season, and he has no plans to change his approach against the Broncos.
• Doug Kyed explains how the Patriots adopted their Road Warrior' mentality ahead of their biggest test.
• Tom Carroll highlights WEEI guest Tom E. Curran onwhy the fanbase should not be taking Jarrett Stidham lightly. He gives them a puncher's chance. He's got as good an arm as virtually any starter in the league... " More.
• Mark Daniels writes how edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson has had a remarkable turnaround with the Pats.
• Chris Mason notes Will Campbell knows Denver presents a huge test: They've created a lot of chaos.'
• Karen Guregian hears from Devin McCourty on how he believes Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson have both had great" years leading the secondary and have evolved into a dynamic safety duo.
• Alex Barthanalyzes the injury report, showing the Patriots without two players, 5 limited for first practice of AFC Championship week.
• Jake Seymour highlights Mike Vrabel sharing key roster developments ahead of Sunday.
• Nick O'Malley notes Drake Maye-themed coffee Wake with Drake" is here, thanks to Mass. startup from two next-door dads. /Expensive outside of Marblehead, but I ordered one as a Super Bowl door prize.
• Phil Perry's Patriots Mailbag: The Stidham gameplan, Maye's fine line' and more.
• Alex Barth helps us get to know the Denver Broncos.
• Mark Daniels reports Sean Payton tells Broncos fans to prepare for Super Bowl.
• Lance Reynolds hears from a Massachusetts physics professor who suggests the Pats are taking a chance' with their travel plans to Denver and recommends traveling earlier.

NATIONAL NEWS

• Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) Patriots vs. Broncos AFC Championship preview: These X factors could determine who advances to Super Bowl LX. Patriots' X factor: Drake Maye needs to protect the football.
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Milton Williams: No one's talked about our defense, we'll see what they say now.
• Nick Shook (NFL.com) Drake Maye committed to being himself despite playoff struggles: I'm gonna take a shot.'
• Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Mike McGlinchey: Jarrett Stidham can ball, have utmost confidence in him.
• Around the NFL (NFL.com) NFL Honors: Finalists announced for MVP, other awards from 2025 season
• Seth Walder (ESPN) Top 100 real NFL MVP candidates for 2025 season. 1. Drake Maye, 75. Milton Williams, 93. Stefon Diggs, 99. Mike Onwenu.
• Jordan Dajani & Jared Dubin (CBS Sports) NFL conference championship picks. Dajani: Pats win 20-13, Dubin: Pats win 21-10. /Click for commentary.
• Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports) NFL conference championships against-the-spread picks, predictions for every game: Super Bowl LX bids at stake. Broncos (+5) over the Patriots. /Click for commentary.
• MMQB Staff (SI) Conference Championship picks. Four of six pick Pats to win.
• Iain MacMillan (SI) NFL upset predictions and picks for Conference Championship games. I'm not betting on either underdog on Sunday. With that being said, there is a case to be made for the Denver Broncos."/Click for commentary.
• Ross Tucker Football podcast: Ross Tucker and Greg Cosell break down both Conference Championships & the top news across the NFL. (28 min. video)
• Bill Barnwell (ESPN) 2026 NFL offseason WR market: Free agents, trade candidates.
• Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Robert Kraft makes it even more clear that an 18th regular-season game is coming.
• Lindsay Jones (The Ringer) The NFL's GM power era has arrived.