Broncos-Patriots Weather Forecast Could Present Big Challenges

The weather is going to be a factor when the Broncos host the Patriots on Sunday afternoon in the Mile High City.

Oct 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; General view of the stadium exterior before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It's going to be cold and likely snowy on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High when the Denver Broncos host the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. With the game kicking off at 1 pm MDT, the temperature is expected to be 16 degrees with a 60% chance of snow at the time of writing this story.

The high on Sunday is forecast to be 19 degrees, with 12 MPH winds out of the north. Gear up for some championship football weather if you're attending the game.

The Patriots are coming off a game last week at Foxboro, where bitterly cold temperatures and snowfall were the order of the day. The field at Gillette Stadium was wet and slick, which led to some difficulties holding onto the ball for both the Patriots and the Houston Texans.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton doesn't sound concerned about Sunday's weather forecast, though. If rain were part of the forecast, he might be a bit more on edge.

“I think it’s impacted more by rain. Really, cold is relative," Payton said on Friday. "So we deal with the elements, though, and we’re used to playing in cold weather here. We’re used to playing in nice weather. I think it’s relative when you talk about, like, Cincinnati Bengals playoff cold, which I think was the all-time coldest game in our history. We’ll be prepared for that.”

Payton has coached in cold, snowy playoff games before. The weather has been pretty good for the Broncos throughout this mild Rocky Mountain winter, but it's about to take a little turn for the worst right when the team is about to play its most important game of the past decade.

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Patriots Coming Off a Snow-Game Win

Jan 18, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) communicates in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional Round game at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Perhaps the weather conditions will influence the game plan. Payton says the Broncos will be prepared for the weather, and he's not just talking about having hand warmers and coats ready, long johns on, and heaters by the benches.

Bad weather could put a little bit more pressure on Jarrett Stidham when it comes to handling and throwing the ball in his first start in more than 700 days. The hope was that running back J.K. Dobbins would be cleared to play this week, but he's been ruled out, so Payton is going to have to figure out how to manufacture a ground attack without him, especially in snowy weather.

Last week at Foxboro, there were 74 passes attempted between the Patriots and Texans. New England quarterback Drake Maye attempted 27 passes, completing 16 for 179 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. He also put the ball on the ground four times, losing two fumbles.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud didn't fare nearly as well, throwing four first-half interceptions and finishing with a completion percentage of 42.5%. Coming from Houston, it did not appear that the Texans were prepared for the inclement weather.

Then again, with how often the Patriots turned it over, perhaps they weren't ready for it either. But they are a bit more experienced playing in the snowy cold, entering this game at Mile High, and that could be an advantage for the Patriots.

However, the game will still be played in the thin air of Mile High in what's sure to be an extremely hostile environment for the Maye and the Patriots. We've seen Maye take care of business in two home playoff games, but we're yet to see how he performs on the road, let alone against a defense like Denver's.

The Patriots are 0-4 against the Broncos in Denver in the playoffs. It's not going to be easy to flip that script against the Broncos at home, even without Bo Nix in the lineup.

Perhaps the weather forecasts will shift and the Broncos and Patriots will avoid the worst of the snow. But those Broncos fans headed to the stadium, be sure to bundle up and be prepared to be cold and wet, possibly.

If the Broncos can grind out a win in uncomfortable weather, they'll punch a ticket to Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California. The weather at Levi Stadium would be a welcome relief from the Rocky Mountain winter.