Patriots Pregame Thread Pre-Game thread - 2025 AFC Championship at Denver Broncos

[denverpatsfan]

QB1 - Nix (OUT)
QB2 - Stidham

RB1 - Dobbins (MIGHT be in; coming off Lisfranc injury; very hard to return from)
RB2 - Harvey

WR1 - Sutton
WR2 - Franklin (potentially OUT)
WR3 - Bryant (potentially OUT)
WR4 - Mims
WR5 - Humphrey

Not a great setup there.

Mims is really good. Especially on punt and kickoff returns. Can't be kicking the ball to him on Sunday...

 

[uknepatsfan]

Is anyone else like me?

I had supreme confidence before the San Diego and Texans games.

But I don't have the same confidence about this upcoming game in Denver.

I'm 50% on it. I think they can easily lose this one.

No, actually the opposite. Houston scared me more than Denver.

I think it’s because I look at Denver and think that if you’re a competent offense you can hang points on them. Houston looked a much harder team to score points on.

Denver, with Nix, had the better QB imo.

But both are good teams that can beat you.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I get that. I am not giving Wolf all the credit.

But people here think he is the worst player evaluator in the world. Reports are that Vrabel loves him. And basically all the free agents and all the draft picks have worked out this year. A lot of that has to do with Wolf, but no one person takes all the credit for it.

I liken Wolf to Drake on Mayo's Patriots. He sort of floundered and wasn't given direction and a solid team around him. Wolf now has Vrabel's direction on what he wants for the team and Cowden, Stretch, etc. around him helping to contribute to these personnel pick ups.

 

[uknepatsfan]

Put it this way, reverse the situation and how many people would remotely fancy Denver if this was being played at Foxboro?

 

[denverpatsfan]

Put it this way, reverse the situation and how many people would remotely fancy Denver if this was being played at Foxboro?

There you go. No way Manning wins those big playoff games in Foxboro. Could be the deciding factor.

 

[Ross12]

Mims is really good. Especially on punt and kickoff returns. Can't be kicking the ball to him on Sunday...

Somewhat get it, but at the same time, Denver's altitude allows for pretty long kicks. Giving the other team the ball on the 35 by default is a big disadvantage. Even with Stidham, they might only need 20 yards of offense to be in field goal range.

 

[Real fan 02]

Is anyone else like me?

I had supreme confidence before the San Diego and Texans games.

But I don't have the same confidence about this upcoming game in Denver.

I'm 50% on it. I think they can easily lose this one.

Yesterday I made mention of past Patriots teams that lost in the Playoffs at Denver.. outside of the GOAT of course I'd probably say this version of the patiots roster was probably better all around then the 2005 team & the 2013 team at least.

The only way they lose this game is if Drake continues to have the fumble Gaffs of the past few games as Denver defense is aggressive and showed they can take the ball away like last week against Buffalo.

It just feels like the lane is there for them to win it all this season.. I'm confident they can go to Denver and avenge the losses from past patiots teams.

I will say this emphatically the way the defense is playing I would be absolutely stunned if Stidham carved them up..

 

[Real fan 02]

There you go. No way Manning wins those big playoff games in Foxboro. Could be the deciding factor.

At some point patiots are going to have to win in Denver in the postseason there is not a time better than the current.. Denver rightly so has been the top seed for majority of the season.. thier defense is good and so is ours..

 

[Real fan 02]

QB1 - Nix (OUT)
QB2 - Stidham

RB1 - Dobbins (MIGHT be in; coming off Lisfranc injury; very hard to return from)
RB2 - Harvey

WR1 - Sutton
WR2 - Franklin (potentially OUT)
WR3 - Bryant (potentially OUT)
WR4 - Mims
WR5 - Humphrey

Not a great setup there.

For some reason I just have this feeling Drake is due for a bounce back game where he looks like the MVP candidate we saw during the regular season..

 

[Triumph]

 

[Kargetina]

Is anyone else like me?

I had supreme confidence before the San Diego and Texans games.

But I don't have the same confidence about this upcoming game in Denver.

I'm 50% on it. I think they can easily lose this one.

On the contrary, as somene who has been tooting the horn about how overrated this Denver team is all year, i've been licking my chops for a chance to play and expose them. People might disagree, they might bring past events, as if losing to them in 2006 or 2015 has any bearing on this game, but i've seen this Denver team play too many times this year to drink the kool aide. The Bills had that game five times over, but kept shooting themselves in the knees. And now, they're playing a jag at QB instead of the guy that led them to 15-3.

The last two games they played prior to the playoffs with the bye at stake, they played the already eliminated Chiefs without Mahomes, at home, and the game was tied at 10 with 1:45 left in the game. The Chiefs were playing their third QB that game. After that, they played the Chargers, who, for all intents and purposes, forfeited the game by resting their starters, and the mighty Broncos were up 13-3 in the fourth, thanks to Trey Lance being an unplayable QB.

We don't need to mention that they beat the Jets 13-11, the Giants 33-32, the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders 27-26, the Raiders 10-7, etc...all of that with a starting QB.

They have had 3 double digit wins the entire season, one against the Jake Matthews-led Bengals, one against the Trey Lance-led Chargers, and one against the Cowboys. Every other game, no matter the opponent, they fought tooth and nail. Again, all of that with their starting QB. The Pats have two double digit wins in the playoffs alone.

Both the Pats and the Broncos had a 14-3 record. Pats points differential was +170, the Broncos +90. And for the last time, all of that with a starting QB.

This is why i was rooting hard against the Bills, because the only way they could have lost was if they beat themselves, and they hung 30 on Denver despite 5 turnovers. A game against the Bills would have been 50/50 at best. We saw how good they can be in the second half against us, when they played a disciplined game.

I haven't been more confident in a conference championship win since playing the Colts in 2015. I might be wrong. The Pats may lose. Nothing that i've seen from both teams this year, and especially now, that they have a jag for a QB, leads me to believe that.

 

[Real fan 02]

I knew going in the game would had have to been on the defense.. they Balled out and Drake did enough for the team to win..

 

[Thelonious]

Most post-season games are a grind, because all the teams are good and pretty well-matched, and this game will likely be no different. The most hopeful take is that the defining quality both of the team and certainly of its quarterback is resilience, toughness. That quality will stand you in good stead when it takes 60 minutes of grind-it-out persistence in the face of inevitable setbacks - which will come, given the quality of the other team - to win the game.

If Stidham is a second-tier qb, He's pretty high in that tier, though his lack of big game experience might hold him back. I don't think he'll pull a Stroud and turn into a puddle of goo, but I'd still pressure the heck out of him.

My guess is that at the end of yet another nerve-wracking Sunday, we'll be heading for the Super Bowl which, if you stop and think about it, is pretty remarkable.

 

[DaBruinz]

Their rookie is Harvey and he's really fast. Have to contain him because the Broncos may kick him out to the outside. Patriots rush D is strong up the middle and a little bit leaky on the edges.

Really fast? Like Woody Marks??? I think it speaks volumes that Harvey has only done anything against the Defenses of Tennessee, Dallas, and Jacksonville.

 

[RobertWeathers]

For some reason I just have this feeling Drake is due for a bounce back game where he looks like the MVP candidate we saw during the regular season..

Agree but keep in mind he's gone up vs the #1 and #3 pass defenses these first two rounds. Too many fumbles but overall throwing the ball was fine.

Now, he'll get a break vs DEN and face #6 pass defense. Problem is they are #1 in sacks and #2 in pressure %.

Thats quite the gauntlet.

 

[Real fan 02]

Agree but keep in mind he's gone up vs the #1 and #3 pass defenses these first two rounds. Too many fumbles but overall throwing the ball was fine.

Now, he get a break vs DEN and face #6 pass defense. Problem is they are #1 in sacks and #2 in pressure %.

Thats quite the gauntlet.

Agreed. The fumbles are on him.. although Anderson Jr and this pressures had alot to do with them..

I've maintained the formula should be continue to establish the run.. Denver smaller LBs are predicated off speed.. they can be run on.. attack Hufanga in coverage and attack Moss in coverage..there will be opportunities.

 

[mike_usagisan]

Agree but keep in mind he's gone up vs the #1 and #3 pass defenses these first two rounds. Too many fumbles but overall throwing the ball was fine.

Now, he'll get a break vs DEN and face #6 pass defense. Problem is they are #1 in sacks and #2 in pressure %.

Thats quite the gauntlet.

In the regular season, Drake was #1 against pressure. He just can't hold it so long.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Agreed. The fumbles are on him.. although Anderson Jr and this pressures had alot to do with them..

Agree. Might need to dedicate more resources to protection

I've maintained the formula should be continue to establish the run.. Denver smaller LBs are predicated off speed.. they can be run on.. attack Hufanga in coverage and attack Moss in coverage..there will be opportunities.

DEN is #3 in YPC against. HOU was 6th but do agree w/ running the ball.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

Really fast? Like Woody Marks??? I think it speaks volumes that Harvey has only done anything against the Defenses of Tennessee, Dallas, and Jacksonville.

Jacksonville had the best Run D in the NFL this year, but I get what you’re saying.
Harvey averaged 3.7 yds/carry on the season, not great.
Dobbins on the other hand averaged 77 yds/game and 5 yds/carry in the 10 games he played.
He is by far the bigger concern if he plays, and if he’s healthy enough to be effective,

 

[RobertWeathers]

In the regular season, Drake was #1 against pressure. He just can't hold it so long.

Plus on a few of those pressures it seemed he didn't feel the rush. Maybe it was a timing thing? I applaud him for staying in the pocket to throw at the risk of getting crushed but i'd like to see him get rid of it a bit quicker.