Patriots vs. Broncos in AFC Championship as Broncos face Bo Nix ankle absence

Cbssports reports the Denver Broncos will look to overcome the loss of quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) when they host the New England Patriots in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver; the winner advances to Super Bowl LX and kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.

New England (14-3), the AFC's No. 2 seed, enters 8-0 on the road after a 28-16 win over Houston on Sunday, while Denver (14-3), the top seed, is 9-1 at home including the postseason after outlasting Buffalo 33-30 in overtime on Saturday. DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Patriots as 3.5-point favorites (down from an opening 5.5), with an over/under of 42.5 and money lines of New England -218 and Denver +180.

The Patriots rely on MVP candidate Drake Maye (17 regular-season games: 72% completions, 4,394 yards, 31 TDs, eight INTs) and top target Stefon Diggs (85 catches, 1,013 yards, four TDs in 17 games), while the Broncos will start backup Jarrett Stidham for the injured Nix; Stidham's career includes 20 games with 59.4% completions, 1,422 yards, eight TDs and eight INTs, and veteran Courtland Sutton had 78 receptions for 1,070 yards and seven TDs in 18 games.

Key Topics

Sports, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Drake Maye