Patriots' Drake Maye Reveals Key to Overcoming Woes vs. Broncos

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For the third consecutive week, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is about to face his toughest test of the season.

In addition to leading the Pats to a 14-3 regular-season record — culminating in the franchise’s 23rd AFC East division title, and its first since 2019 — Maye helped engineer two playoff victories over the Los Angeles Chargers (wild card round) and Houston Texans (divisional round) respectively. His ability to rise above the level of his competition with both his passing prowess, as well as his athleticism in the ground game has helped keep the Patriots alive in their pursuit of a spot in Super Bowl LX.

Still, Maye will need to elevate his play to yet another level when the Pats take the field for a showdown with the Denver Broncos in this weekend’s AFC championship game at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos will present a formidable challenge, having finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in scoring defense in the NFL by allowing 18.3 points per game.

Still, Maye’s toughest opponent may ultimately reside within himself. The Pats’ second-year phenom has had his share of struggles with ball security in the postseason. Throughout the past two games, he has fumbled the ball six times, losing three. He has also thrown two interceptions. In order to reverse that trend, Maye needs to get back to solid fundamentals — a point he was eager to make when speaking with reporters at Gillette Stadium earlier this week.

“Just be mindful back there and just know that my job is to protect the football,” Maye said. I know that we faced some pretty good edge rushers in the past couple weeks … We’ve got another good set of edge rushers coming up this week. So just know, have a feel for it and just protect football because that's my job.”

Much to the chagrin of both Maye and the Patriots, Denver is well-equipped to pressure the quarterback, as well as take the ball away. The Broncos' 68 regular-season sacks set a franchise record, while their red zone defense ranked second in the NFL. Perhaps most concerning is the fact that Denver has totaled seven takeaways in the past two games — including four forced fumbles. Linebacker Nick Bonitto, who led Denver’s defense with 14 sacks this year, has been responsible for two of them.

In order to have success against the Broncos’ preventive unit, Maye must not only protect the football, but also rid himself of it early — by either making the throw before the three-step, or by utilizing his aforementioned athleticism on the ground. In doing so, he can help to mitigate the impact of both Bonitto and defensive end Zach Allen, who excel in generating pressure against opposing quarterbacks.

Drake Maye and the Patriots Could Be In for an Altitute Adjustment vs. Broncos

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. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Should New England’s offensive line find success in holding off its opposition, expect Maye and his receivers to test the Texans’ secondary with a deep passing attack. Accordingly, receivers Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte could play notable roles in New England’s offensive schemes, alongside running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

Alas, the plot thickens…

Maye will be making his first trip to the Mile High city, making him unfamiliar with the physical challenges which often accompany playing football at such heights. Engaging in physical exertion from an altitude of 5,280 feet means taking in significantly less oxygen. As a result, athletes unfamiliar to Denver’s atmosphere are often at greater risk to incur muscle injuries and faster fatigue. In order to counteract the city’s unique environment, Maye and the Patriots will rely on their conditioning and mental preparation to achieve victory in Broncos country.

Despite his challenges and recent adversity, Maye has earned the respect and trust of his teammates to be ready for whatever Houston’s defense may have in store for them — whether it be focusing on his breathing or testing the impact of the Rocky Mountain air on his deep passing game.

“No, I haven't thrown at altitude before. I've never really been to Colorado or to a place with altitude that I've thrown a football at, but I think there is some adjustment to it,” Maye said. ”Feeling it out in warmups, seeing what a deep ball is like or what the altitude does.

“I think the biggest thing, for us, just kind of fatigue-wise, I think we'll try to get a feel for it in warmups,” he continued “ I know it's a little different, but I know a lot of teams play out there all the time. So, we'll have an adjustment. Just for me, just feeling out warmups, maybe throw a few extra deep ones, see how it is. I think it'll be pretty cool. Get a few extra yards on a deep ball, you can always use that.”

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