AFC Championship Spotlight

Jeremy Lyons
January 21, 2026

AFC Championship Spotlight – Drake Maye

Drake Maye’s 2025 season has quickly become a breakout moment in his young career, defined by confidence, toughness, and big-time throws. He’s shown poise well beyond his years, steadily growing more comfortable as the season went on. Maye led the Patriots to a 13-1 stretch to finish the regular season, putting himself in the middle of the AFC’s top quarterback conversations and carrying that momentum into the postseason. His late-season surge helped New England knock off quality opponents and earn a spot in the AFC Conference Championship against Denver, proving the Patriots’ future has arrived sooner than expected with Maye leading the way.

Regular Season Stats:

*Denotes career-high (low for INT)

Passing Touchdowns = 31* (3rd in NFL)
Passing Yards = 4,394* (4th)
Interceptions = 8* (16th)
Comp % = 72.0%* (1st)
QBR = 113.5* (1st)

AFC Championship Preview:

The Patriots and Broncos collide in the AFC Championship after taking very different paths to get here. While Denver made the playoffs last season, the Patriots had a 4-13 record and had to make some major changes in the offseason. Drake Maye has played a big role in the Patriots’ playoff run, showing confidence and toughness in both starts. In the Wild Card round, he was steady and efficient, helping New England control the game and come away with a win. Last week against Houston in the Divisional round, Maye was more aggressive and made several big plays, but he also had issues with turnovers that kept the game closer than it needed to be. Even so, he responded in key moments, showing resilience and composure as the Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship.