The New England Patriots face the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game on Sunday. The Patriots have a strong offense, ranked third overall, while the Broncos boast the league’s second-best defense. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes last week. Denver’s defense led the league with 68 sacks this season. Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham is making his first start since 2023 with Bo Nix out. Both teams are coming off big wins, with the Patriots defeating the Texans and the Broncos beating the Bills in overtime. The Broncos are 4-0 against New England at home in the playoffs. Patriots player to watchDrake Maye. The MVP finalist had three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in team history that a quarterback had thrown at least three TD passes in a playoff game. It was also the most since Tom Brady had three in Super Bowl 52 against Philadelphia.Broncos player to watchJarrett Stidham. Bo Nix’s backup hasn’t thrown a pass in two seasons and the only snap he played this season came on a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has appeared in 20 games with four starts in his six-year NFL career and the Patriots tried to sign him last spring before he re-signed with Denver for $12 million over two years.Key matchupMaye versus Denver’s defense. The Broncos led the league with a franchise-record 68 sacks this season and sacked Josh Allen three times. They also forced Allen to turn the ball over four times after he had gone six straight playoff games without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and two interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, thrown two interceptions and fumbled six times, losing three of them.Key injuriesPatriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. WR Mack Hollins, who has been on injured reserve since Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was activated on Saturday. He played in the first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice this week for the first time since foot surgery in mid-November, was ruled out. WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both participated in practice this week. Center Luke Wattenberg was activated off injured reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month. He took the roster spot of Nix (ankle surgery), who went on IR on Saturday, ending his season. The Broncos also promoted WRs Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore from their practice squad.Series notesThe Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matchups between the teams, winning all four games in Denver. The two most recent meetings were in the AFC championship games during the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and were both won by the Broncos. Denver’s 20-18 win in the 2015 AFC title game on Jan. 24, 2016, was the final meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

DENVER —

The New England Patriots face the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game on Sunday.

The Patriots have a strong offense, ranked third overall, while the Broncos boast the league’s second-best defense.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes last week. Denver’s defense led the league with 68 sacks this season.

Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham is making his first start since 2023 with Bo Nix out.

Both teams are coming off big wins, with the Patriots defeating the Texans and the Broncos beating the Bills in overtime. The Broncos are 4-0 against New England at home in the playoffs.

Patriots player to watch

Drake Maye. The MVP finalist had three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ divisional round win over Houston. It marked the 13th time in team history that a quarterback had thrown at least three TD passes in a playoff game. It was also the most since Tom Brady had three in Super Bowl 52 against Philadelphia.

Broncos player to watch

Jarrett Stidham. Bo Nix’s backup hasn’t thrown a pass in two seasons and the only snap he played this season came on a kneel-down at the end of a blowout over the Dallas Cowboys. Stidham has appeared in 20 games with four starts in his six-year NFL career and the Patriots tried to sign him last spring before he re-signed with Denver for $12 million over two years.

Key matchup

Maye versus Denver’s defense. The Broncos led the league with a franchise-record 68 sacks this season and sacked Josh Allen three times. They also forced Allen to turn the ball over four times after he had gone six straight playoff games without a turnover. Allen had two fumbles and two interceptions, including one in overtime. In the playoffs, Maye has been sacked 10 times, thrown two interceptions and fumbled six times, losing three of them.

Key injuries

Patriots: LB Harold Landry III (knee) has been ruled out. CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are both questionable. WR Mack Hollins, who has been on injured reserve since Dec. 27 with an abdomen injury, was activated on Saturday. He played in the first 15 games of the season prior to going on IR, catching 46 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.

Broncos: RB J.K. Dobbins, who returned to practice this week for the first time since foot surgery in mid-November, was ruled out. WRs Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion) both participated in practice this week. Center Luke Wattenberg was activated off injured reserve. He went on IR with a shoulder injury last month. He took the roster spot of Nix (ankle surgery), who went on IR on Saturday, ending his season. The Broncos also promoted WRs Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore from their practice squad.

Series notes

The Broncos have a 4-1 edge in the playoff matchups between the teams, winning all four games in Denver. The two most recent meetings were in the AFC championship games during the 2013 and 2015 seasons, and were both won by the Broncos. Denver’s 20-18 win in the 2015 AFC title game on Jan. 24, 2016, was the final meeting between quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.