The Denver Broncos face the New England Patriots in the 2026 AFC Championship Game. A long-awaited matchup between the two best teams in the conference during the regular season.
The Broncos finished with a 14-3 record and won the AFC West, one of the toughest divisions in the league with the Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, they defeated the Bills, but the cost of the victory was enormous, as they lost Bo Nix to an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, the Patriots also finished with a 14-3 record and captured the AFC East title. Drake Maye had a strong season that placed him among the MVP candidates alongside Matthew Stafford. Based on what he has already shown early in his career, fans are excited about the potential successor to Tom Brady.
What happens if Broncos lose today against Patriots in AFC Championship Game?
If the Broncos lose today against the Patriots, they will be officially eliminated. In that scenario, New England would play in the 12th Super Bowl in franchise history, an impressive NFL record.
What happens if Broncos beat Patriots today in 2026 AFC Championship Game?
If the Broncos beat the Patriots today, they will clinch a spot in the Super Bowl and the Patriots will be eliminated. Even though Denver would have two weeks of rest before facing either the Rams or the Seahawks, Bo Nix would not be available due to his injury.
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What happens if Broncos and Patriots tie today in 2026 AFC Championship Game?
If the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots are tied today, the AFC Championship Game will be decided in overtime. This is the current procedure according to the NFL.
“Each team must have the opportunity to possess the ball. The exception: if the team kicking off to start the overtime period scores a safety on the receiving team’s initial possession, in which case the team that kicked off is the winner.”
It’s important to mention that after each team has had one possession, the next score wins. That is exactly what happened in the Divisional Round game between the Broncos and the Buffalo Bills.
