FOXBOROUGH — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was asked on Monday where he’d rank the Broncos’ defense.
“They’ll be the best defense that we’ve played to date, because it’s the next one,” explained Vrabel. “That’s just how this goes.”
Despite the Patriots coming off playoff wins over the Chargers and Texans, the stats bear out his assessment. By any measure, Denver’s defense is one of the best in the NFL. In the regular season, the Broncos allowed just 18.3 points per game (third), 1,548 rushing yards (second), 3.9 yards per carry (third), and 3,182 passing yards (seventh).
“They’re talented,” said Patriots center Garrett Bradbury. “They’re a veteran group. A lot of them have played a lot of football. They play well in the system. I think the coordinator does a good job getting them in spots to be successful. So, it will be a good challenge for us.”
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“They’ve got speed rushers,” Vrabel said of the Broncos, who led the league with 68 regular-season sacks. “Zach Allen, I think, led the league in quarterback hits, and he’s as athletic of a player inside as you’ll find. That’s a tough combination when he’s coming inside, and then they can’t step up.
“[Nik] Bonitto and [Jonathon] Cooper, they keep coming. And they do a nice job blitzing. I mean, [defensive coordinator] Vance [Joseph] does a nice job blitzing, but they have good personnel. And then when they don’t, they get the different pressures.”
For the Patriots, there’s always a priority on ball security, but that’s particularly the case in a game of this magnitude against an aggressive, opportunistic defense such as the Broncos.
“You better take care of the football in Denver,” Vrabel said.
Quarterback Drake Maye, who has fumbled six times in two playoff games (losing three), knows ball security is paramount.
“My job is to protect the football,” said Maye, who has fumbled 14 times this season (including playoffs). “I think one of the biggest things with the guys up front is it’s my job to have a timer in my head.
“And those guys have done a great job all year. I have a lot of trust in those guys up front. I know that we’ve faced some pretty good edge rushers the past couple weeks, and I know we’ve got another good set of edge rushers coming up this week. So just know, have a feel for it, and just protect the football. Because that’s my job.”
The Patriots’ first two playoff games were at home, but this one will be on the road. One way to minimize the crowd noise and an aggressive defense is to use a silent count, which has been been tried with varying degrees of success, particularly in Denver.
In the 2015 AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Broncos, New England used a silent count, but the head bob of center Bryan Stork became an unmistakable tell and played a role in the Broncos’ ability to get after quarterback Tom Brady.
Maye said Wednesday the Patriots used a silent count on the road in wins over the Ravens and Bills.
“The loudness of the stadium will be different than what we’ve kind of heard, just because it’s the AFC Championship at a road opponent that has a history of winning Super Bowls and playing playoff games and has a great team,” Maye said. “The magnitude of the noise will probably be something we haven’t heard this year yet. But the silent count has been working all year.”
“Yeah, we’ll use it,” said Bradbury. “I think we’ve done it. We’ve already done it this year. It’s going to be probably louder this week.
“We’ve got to do a good job mixing it up. I think a lot of their production comes off of anticipating the snap, and so being able to limit that and play on that even playing field, or even have us have the advantage, that’ll be important.”
Ultimately, the Broncos are simply the latest challenge for a Patriots offense that’s already run a postseason gauntlet. If the Patriots can keep it rolling — this time on the road — against another elite defense, it could very well mean the difference between a trip to the Super Bowl and the end of their season.
“Celebrating in an away locker room is different,” said Maye. “Coach is always saying we’re road warriors. We’re trying to find that one more time and finish strong what we’ve done this year. It’s a tough job and a tough challenge, but I think the guys will be pumped up and ready.”
Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.
