Broncos Need 4 Players on Each Side of the Ball to Deliver vs. Patriots

The stage is now set for the AFC championship game. The No. 1 seed Denver Broncos host the No. 2 seed New England Patriots — a rematch of the 2015 AFC title game.

The Broncos will be without several starters for the game, including quarterback Bo Nix, and others may miss it as well. That means a number of other players will have to step up to give the Broncos a chance to win.

There will also be some Broncos who have been starting throughout the season and will need to be ready to perform, given the Patriots' strengths on both sides of the ball.

Let's look at some of those Broncos who will need to step forward and do their part to help the Broncos reach Super Bowl 60.

Jarrett Stidham | QB

The obvious player is Stidham, who will make his first NFL playoff start. He has just two starts with the Broncos, both at the end of the 2023 season. In those two games, he threw for 496 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

Stidham has never started a game for the Broncos outside of the preseason since that time. Head coach Sean Payton has expressed confidence in Stidham, but he'll need to put his best game forward against the Patriots.

RJ Harvey | RB

Harvey was quiet in the divisional round against the Bills but he'll need to be more active against the Patriots, who have given up 4.2 yards per carry to opposing running backs in the regular season.

While Harvey has done some good things as a receiver, he hasn't produced much down the stretch, aside from a 38-yard run against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16. He needs to show he can produce against a Patriots team that hasn't been great against the run, even with Milton Williams back in their defensive lineup.

Marvin Mims, Jr. | WR

Mims stepped up his game on offense after the Broncos lost Pat Bryant and Troy Franklin to injuries against Buffalo last week. It's unlikely those two will play against the Patriots, so Mims will need to produce again.

While it's not a given that Stidham will frequently throw deep, Mims showed he could step up on shorter pass plays against the Bills. That will need to continue in the AFC title game.

Evan Engram | TE

Engram has been a disappointment this season. He's caught 50 passes but has just one touchdown on the season. To be fair, some of it was on Nix not doing the best job of attacking the middle of the field.

Stidham may be more comfortable doing that, and if that happens, it's possible Engram gets targeted more. If so, Engram needs to come up big.

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Justin Strnad | LB

Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) celebrates after a sack during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers. — Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) celebrates after a sack during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Broncos struggled to stop the run and didn't perform well against the Bills' tight ends. Part of that was Strnad's performance, as he was nowhere near as good as he was during the regular season.

Strnad needs to show he can get back to the form he displayed during the regular season. That's particularly true with the Patriots having multiple running backs who have played well, plus tight end Hunter Henry, who had seven touchdowns in the regular season.

Talanoa Hufanga | S

Hufanga has done good things for the Broncos, but his missed tackles of late have been an issue. He didn't have a good game against the Bills, often out of position in coverage and run defense, though he did have a big hit.

As with Strnad, Hufanga needs to get back to form and be more disciplined with his play. Doing that will help the Broncos' defense to contain the Patriots' running backs and Henry.

Jonathon Cooper | OLB

This is the other player who needs to step it up in run defense. Cooper has struggled against the run for much of the season, and that makes it tougher on the Broncos.

The Patriots are likely going to see what Cooper has done on film and try to capitalize with run plays in his direction, so he needs to find a way to correct his issues and not get caught flat-footed on the edge.

Riley Moss | CB

Moss was solid against the Bills, but they were down multiple receivers. The Patriots, meanwhile, have their two top receivers — Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte — healthy going into the AFC title game.

Chances are, Moss will be targeted more often by quarterback Drake Maye. Combine that with a tougher matchup, and Moss will need to show he can make plays when needed and, most importantly, avoid the penalties that have plagued him for much of this season.