FOXBOUROUGH, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - For the first time since 2019, the Patriots are one game away from reaching the Super Bowl. Western Mass News spent the day at Gilette Stadium in Foxborough, hearing from the brains behind the battle, before New England travels to Denver for the AFC Championship.

In a season already filled with surprises, not even the sharpest betting mind would’ve figured we’d be seeing Drake Maye versus Jarrett Stidham in the AFC Championship this year.

It might be good news for our Pats fans out there, but as Head Coach Mike Vrabel Emphasized, with stakes as high as this, the matchup comes down to far more than just a duel between quarterbacks, “I think this is a very motivated group, I just think to try to continue to play together with the speed that they have the past couple weeks and I’m confident that they’ll be excited and ready to go.”

The Denver Broncos defense, ranking just behind that dominant Houston defense we saw last week, number two in the league in total yards allowed per game. Even with all pro corner Patrick Surtain silencing the skies on a weekly basis, running the football isn’t exactly an escape route. Denver also ranked 2nd in rush yards allowed throughout the regular season, with pro bowlers Zach Allen and Nick Bonnito clogging lanes with consistency.

“You could have a negative play if not everybody’s on the same page or even worse, you lose the football. Or if not everybody’s on the same page and they blitz, you know, somebody gets hurt. Those are the things we talk about when we’re not on the same page, so operation will be critical,” Vrabel said.

Two major injury concerns heading into mile high come down to Mack Hollins and Carlton Davis Jr. We can report firsthand, Mack Hollins was not seen at practice today, while Carlton Davis hit the field in a red, non-contact jersey.

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