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2026. 1. 21. 17:54
This Sunday (local standard, Monday in Korea), two ‘Championship Sunday’ matches will be held.
As the season heads to the final Super Bowl match, only four teams remain. New England Patriotsand Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawksand LA Ramsno see. In this article, we will focus on the New England Patriots and Broncos game.
The Broncos are in a heated battle with the Patriots for one Super Bowl ticket. These two teams have recently heated up their rivalry. This is already the third time in the past 12 years that they have met in the championship match. In the previous five playoff matches between the two teams, the Broncos, led by legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, overwhelmed the Patriots, led by another legend, Tom Brady, with 4 wins and 1 loss.
In fact, was there ever an expert who declared that ‘the Broncos and Patriots will advance to the championship ahead of the season opening?’ If only everyone was honest! There will be no one. These two teams have come this far with a different season than expected. And all the experts are evaluating that they have the skills to be in this position.
What was especially expected in their AFC Championship match was Bonix(Broncos) and drake mayIt was a quarterback battle for the (Patriots). It may be a little unfamiliar to some who are not familiar with the name every season, but you can’t help but recognize it strongly after watching the game. What kind of story will this leave behind? I was really curious too. However, we were unable to see the expected quarterback battle. That’s because he suffered a fractured ankle at the exact moment the Knicks defeated the Buffalo Bills in overtime.
The weight of the quarterback match was completely swung in favor of the Patriots. Broncos are sub quarterbacks Jarrett SteedhamThis is participating. Steedham has no record of appearing in a regular season game since January 7, 2024. He has only played in four games in his NFL career. Of course, I don’t have any experience playing in such a big game. Concerns about the feel of the game are bound to be pointed out. What’s interesting is that the team that selected Steedham in the fourth round of the 2019 draft was the Patriots.
However, this does not mean that the Broncos’ possibility of victory is completely lost. Because it wasn’t the ‘strength of the quarterback’ that led the Broncos. The reason they were able to get to this point, receiving attention as a dark horse this season, was based on team organization, balance, and strong defense. The atmosphere here is hotter than ever. The Broncos won the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. The process was also very exciting. Their flawless performance cannot be ignored as they have won 14 out of the last 15 games.
The Broncos’ greatest strength is, of course, defenseIt is in They could easily be called the best defensive team in the league this season. They had 68 sacks on the season, which was first in the league, and ranked second in yards allowed and third in total runs allowed, ranking them all top-class. However, what was pointed out as a disappointment was the takeaway numbers that directly led to turnovers. With a season total of 14, this category was in the lower to middle of the league. However, in just one game of the divisional series against the Bills, he recorded as many as five takeaways. It really proved that the Broncos’ suffocating defense is strong enough to cause a large number of turnovers at any time.
However, the Patriots are not a soft opponent. One of their strengths is that turnovers are extremely low. They have just 16 turnovers all season. As such, the game plan is detailed and stable, and the understanding of the strategy among the players is also at a very high level.
Against Jarrett Steedham, who replaces Bonnix. drake mayI am in the same situation as I have no experience in big games. It took the Patriots two playoff games to reach the championship, and May had six fumbles. This resulted in 3 turnovers and 2 interceptions. It was also the strength of the defense that supported the quarterback’s unstable performance. In a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans, he had four interceptions, one fumble recovery, and only one touchdown allowed. His nine sacks against prominent quarterbacks such as Justin Herbert (LA Chargers) and CJ Stroud (Texans) also deserved recognition.
The Patriots are also facing a big challenge after a seven-year gap. Right now, the focus will be on whether May can keep the ball well and run the game every day. May still excelled at passing. Against the Chargers and Texans, who were top-five defenses on the season, he attempted 56 passes, completed 33 of them, and threw for 447 yards. He also scored 4 touchdowns. Therefore, as long as you remove anxiety from the game management, you will be able to play the game in your own style.
After all this writing, it’s hard to deny that the weight toward the outcome of the game leans a little more toward the Patriots. Even if the Broncos pressure May with a suffocating defense, the quarterback, who has already gained experience in two games, is likely to have evolved a bit more. And the Patriots’ defense and team balance are not that far behind the Broncos. The atmosphere is like that too. Steedham makes his season debut with his chest pounding. Of course, there have been several senior quarterbacks in situations like Steedham who achieved dramatic results and rose to superstardom. There’s no way he shouldn’t be like that. And what feels lucky is that this player’s debut will be held at home!
