FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots head into the AFC Championship game as the odds-on favorites after the Denver Broncos lost their starting quarterback, Bo Nix.
However, the Patriots also know that in the NFL, there are no certainties, and that’s why there’s an added emphasis on ball security this week. Over the last two weeks, Drake Maye has had six fumbles (three lost) and two interceptions (one on a Hail Mary and another on a tipped pass).
The Broncos head into this matchup after forcing five turnovers in their divisional win over Buffalo. Maye and the Patriots understand the importance of playing cleaner this weekend.
“Just work on it in practice. Just be mindful back there and know that my job’s to protect the football. That’s every game,” Maye said. “One of the biggest things with the guys up front is it’s my job to have a timer in my head. Those guys have done a great job all year. I know that we’ve faced some pretty good edge rushers in the past couple of weeks, and we got another good set of edge rushers this week. Just know, have a feel for it, and just protect the football because that’s my job.”
Maye has faced two of the best defenses in the NFL this postseason and has been sacked 10 times.
The Chargers’ pass rush finished ranked sixth in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt. They sacked Maye five times in the wild-card round to go with two forced fumbles (losing one) and an interception. Houston finished second in the NFL in scoring and was led by two All-Pro pass rushers, Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. Maye was sacked five times in that divisional round win as he fumbled four times (losing two).
It won’t get easier this weekend.
Denver leads the NFL in sacks and finished third in the league in scoring, allowing 18.3 points per game. The Broncos have four players with more than seven sacks: Nik Bonitto (14), Jonathan Cooper (8), John Franklin-Myers (7.5), and Zack Allen (7). Allen also led the NFL in quarterback hits with 47.
The Patriots will be playing in a loud environment on Sunday. That’s why Vrabel said communication will be key between Maye and his offensive line.
“We have to be able to not get careless with the football. We can’t be reckless. And a lot of it is operation,” Vrabel said. “We had two turnovers where we all weren’t on the same page. And not only is it – you could have a negative play if you don’t have everybody on the same page, but even worse, you lose the football. Or if you don’t have somebody on the same page and they blitz, somebody gets hurt.
“So, those are the things we talk about when we’re not on the same page. So, I think the operation is going to be critical.”
