The New England Patriots won the opening coin toss and elected to defer to bring out Jarrett Stidham and the Denver Broncos to start the AFC Championship Game.
Denver opened with an inside handoffs to RJ Harvey for a short gains on both both first and second down. On third and long, Stidham then was chased out of the pocket and nearly stripped-sacked. He was able to get the ball out for a quick three-and-out.
The Patriots too came out with two inside handoffs, but were able to get six yards out of it. On third and four, Drake Maye had a very dangerous pass nearly intercepted by Talanoa Hufanga but the result was a matching three-and-out and a punt for the visiting team.
With a bit of a field position switch advantage, the Broncos began their second drive from their own 41-yard line.
Stidham opened up with an escape from the pocket and threw it away on a long pass to RJ Harvey. Another incompletion on a poorly thrown ball to Marvin Mims Jr. on what could have been a huge gain on a screen. He followed that up with a go ball right back to Mims for a 52-yard bomb to set up a first and goal at the Patriots seven yard line.
Two plays later, Stidham hit Courtland Sutton for a touchdown to put Denver up by seven in the first quarter.
The Patriots narrowly avoided another three-and-out on their next drive, barely getting the first down. However, on the very next play Ja’Quan McMillian blew up a screen pass on Stefon Diggs for a two yard loss. Pat Surtain II then followed it up with a perfectly played pass breakup to force a third and long. Maye was nearly sacked, but got a short pass to Diggs who was immediately tackled by Devon Key to force a punt.
Denver would take over at their own 23-yard line. RJ Harvey was nearly met in the backfield on the carry, but he jump cut his way to a nine yard gain. Stidham would find Pat Bryant open at the sticks on the next play to secure the first down. Stidham then had a QB keeper with plenty of green grass and a quick eight yard gain. Harvey would plow forward from there to get the first near midfield.
The drive would stall from there after a Stidham pass to Courtland Sutton was a bit behind him. Sutton could have caught it, but it wasn’t the greatest pass either.
Que Robinson picked up a huge sack on the Patriots next drive and they would be punting on a fourth and 15 to get the ball right back to Denver with great field position as the first quarter came to an end.