Overview
- Denver hosts New England on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. ET, with sportsbooks listing the Patriots as favorites at roughly -5.5.
- Jarrett Stidham will make his first start since 2023 after Bo Nix was ruled out for the season and scheduled for ankle surgery, and Sean Payton indicated the game plan will adjust to his skill set.
- The Broncos fortified depth by adding quarterback Ben DiNucci and opened the practice window for running back J.K. Dobbins, giving him a chance to be available.
- Denver’s defense, which produced an NFL-leading 68 sacks and forced five Bills turnovers, is expected to shoulder the load as injuries hit the receiving corps, including Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion).
- The Patriots advanced by beating the Texans 28-16 behind a takeaway-hunting defense, though Drake Maye has committed multiple postseason turnovers; New England is 8-0 on the road but has never won a playoff game in Denver.