A week after a controversial interception by nickelback Ja’Quan McMillian saved the Broncos’ season in an overtime win over the Bills, Denver’s secondary must come up clutch again on Sunday.
The NFL’s most precise quarterback, New England’s Drake Maye, arrives at Empower Field with several potent aerial weapons in the Patriots’ AFC championship showdown against the Broncos.
Maye, a finalist for NFL MVP, has turned in a prolific second season after being drafted No. 3 overall out of North Carolina in 2024. He finished the regular season first in the league in completion percentage at 72% and yards per attempt at 8.93, both New England franchise records, while also leading the NFL with a 113.5 passer rating.
“He’s playing at a high level for a young guy,” Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “His footwork, his reads are quick, he can make every single throw, every run check, every pass check… It’s a really efficient offense that’s hard to stop.”
At his disposal, Maye has a possible future Hall of Famer in Stefon Diggs. The wideout is one of 31 players who were not on New England’s 53-man roster last season as the Patriots tied the mark for the best turnaround in NFL history by going from 4-13 to 14-3. He notched his seventh career 1,000-yard season.
Maye and Diggs have been the most reliable QB/WR duo in this NFL, with an 80.5% competition rate (regular season plus playoffs) among tandems with a minimum of 100 targets.
Broncos Pro Bowl cornerback Pat Surtain II, who will likely be tasked with Diggs in man coverage, said it’s imperative that Denver “finds a way to eliminate that (production).”
“Diggs is still shifty, still has strong hands, still can create separation,” Surtain said. “He was a great addition for them, and it shows on film.”
Drake Maye #10 and Stefon Diggs #8 of the New England Patriots warm up prior to the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)Surtain has been steady again this season following his Defensive Player of the Year performance in 2024, despite missing three games with a partially torn pectoral. He’s allowed 5 yards per target, with a 54.1 completion rate. He’s also been locked down when the Broncos are in dime, leading the NFL with just 0.2 yards allowed per snap, according to Next Gen Stats.
His presence has forced opposing quarterbacks to pick on his counterpart on the other side of the field, fellow cornerback Riley Moss. It’s been an up-and-down season for Moss, who leads the NFL with 203 penalty yards on 10 accepted penalties, eight of which were for defensive pass interference.
But entering the playoffs, Moss also spent seven minutes and one second in tight coverage this season, one minute and 23 seconds longer than any other NFL defender. He was targeted a league-high 116 times. Moss allowed a 53.4% completion rate during the regular season, and anticipates New England will throw his way often on Sunday.
“The entire world knows that, I know that, (the media) knows that,” Moss said of being picked on. “It’s going to be exciting, and it’s going to be a good challenge. I look forward to it.”
In addition to Diggs, Maye’s other top targets are tight end Hunter Henry, wideout Mack Hollins, running back TreVeyon Henderson and wideout Kayshon Boutte. Hollins suffered an abdominal injury in December that landed him on injured reserve, but returned to practice on Thursday to open his 21-day window.
Maye is sure to test the Broncos’ secondary on deep balls, which has been a strength for both the Patriots’ offense and the Denver defense. Maye recorded +62.8 Expected Points Added on passes over 20 air yards in the regular season, leading the NFL. Meanwhile, the Broncos allowed the lowest deep completion percentage at 20.3%, and held Buffalo QB Josh Allen to 0 for 9 with two interceptions in that stat in last week’s divisional win.
But as the Patriots seek to set an NFL record with their 40th all-time playoff victory, Joseph said he expects a lot of play-action to keep the Broncos’ vaunted pass-rush in check, plus for Maye to target Henry and Henderson often.
“Our corners are really good players — Pat is the best in football, in my opinion, and Riley is competitive and always close (in his coverage),” Joseph said. “So sometimes, in opponents’ minds, the better matchups are on linebackers and safeties, where they can control leverage.
“(That approach) is smart, and we understand that, so having certain calls to help our backers and safeties to cover is always going to be important. But it’s also about putting them in certain structures where it’s pressure structures, so (running backs and tight ends) have to block first before they go out.”
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Maye threw eight picks during the regular season, but has had one in each of the last two playoff games. The odds of sending the Patriots to Cancun, and their first road defeat this season, increase drastically should the Broncos’ secondary register at least one interception. Over the past quarter-century, New England is an NFL-best 172-39 when not throwing a pick.
“We always feel like every time we step out there on the field, (the defense) could change the game and always make game-changing plays,” Surtain said. “That’s what we put on our shoulders… That’s what playoff football is about.
“… So yeah, turnovers is the key element to wins and losses, especially this time of year. A pick or two would sure help us on Sunday.”
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