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DOWN X DOWN › week 17 › Broncos at Patriots
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 17 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Gillette Stadium

NEvsDEN

Patriots offensevsBroncos defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Patriots, 8 for Broncos. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

DEN offenseNE offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Backs catch passes

Broncos give up 48 yards a game to running backs (31st), against a league average of 32. Patriots' running backs produce 34 (12th).

02
Opportunity

Short middle is open

Broncos are worst against short middle throws, allowing +0.27 EPA per attempt. Patriots send 14% of their throws there.

03
Watch out

Field goals, not touchdowns

Patriots score a touchdown on 52% of red zone trips (26th). Broncos allow 48% (8th).

04
Wash

Success rate

Call this one even. Patriots succeed on 46% of plays (10th) against a defense that allows 40% (6th).

Players to watch

DEN Broncos

10Bo NixQB · 149/250 · 1493 yds · 9 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.01 · 23rd20Jonah ColemanRB · 30 car · 134 yds · 2 TD · 9 recEPA per touch +0.17 · 2nd17Jaylen WaddleWR · 29 rec · 315 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target +0.0814Courtland SuttonWR · 20 rec · 221 yds · 1 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target -0.1529Ja'Quan McMillianNickel Back · 25 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 INT · 7 PD1 INT99Zach AllenLeft Defensive End · 25 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 3 PD4.5 sacks · T-16th in the NFL

NE Patriots

10Drake MayeQB · 157/234 · 1983 yds · 15 TD · 8 INTEPA per dropback +0.21 · 9th38Rhamondre StevensonRB · 96 car · 367 yds · 3 TD · 23 recEPA per touch 0.00 · 18th3DeMario DouglasWR · 26 rec · 332 yds · 4 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target +0.57 · 13th85Hunter HenryTE · 29 rec · 326 yds · 2 TD · 34 tgtEPA per target +0.55 · 5th91Elijah PonderWeakside Linebacker · 23 tackles · 6 sacks · 1 PD6 sacks · T-7th in the NFL25Marcus JonesNickel Back · 39 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 6 PD1 INT
The series · Broncos and Patriots since 1999, and this season's records23 meetings

The Patriots lead the series 13–10 since 1999. They have won the last 2. Jan 25, 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High: the Patriots won 10–7. Jarrett Stidham started at quarterback for the Broncos and Drake Maye for the Patriots; Sean Payton and Mike Vrabel coached.

Broncos at home7–7the Broncos' record
In New England3–6the Broncos' record
Most pointsBroncos 31 · Patriots 452001 · 2011
Biggest winBroncos by 14 · Patriots by 352005 · 2011
Playoffs3–2the Broncos' record

The last 5

2025 · Wk 21 · playoffsNE 10 at DEN 7
2023 · Wk 16NE 26 at DEN 23
2020 · Wk 6DEN 18 at NE 12
2017 · Wk 10NE 41 at DEN 16
2016 · Wk 15NE 16 at DEN 3

2026 records

BroncosPatriots
Overall6–25–3
Division2–13–0
Conference3–15–1
Other conference3–10–2
Home4–03–0
Away2–22–3
Last 5LWWWWWWWLW
StreakWon 4Won 1
Points a game21.5 – 20.623.0 – 20.3

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Broncos' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Patriots offense against the Broncos defenseDepth charts
Broncos defense · 3-4 DPatriots offense · 3WR 1TE66Campbell72Rouse55Wilson65Pryor76Moses85Henry10Maye38Stevenson1Brown86Chism3Douglas96Uwazurike93Jones99Allen0Cooper15Bonitto40Strnad49Singleton21Moss2Surtain29McMillian9Hufanga22Jones

Patriots offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBDrake Maye#10 · 157/234 · 1983 yds · 15 TD · 8 INT
  • RBRhamondre Stevenson#38 · 96 car · 367 yds · 3 TD · 23 rec
  • WRA.J. Brown#1 · 9 rec · 101 yds · 0 TD · 20 tgt
  • WRDeMario Douglas#3 · 26 rec · 332 yds · 4 TD · 37 tgt
  • WREfton Chism III#86 · 15 rec · 151 yds · 1 TD · 20 tgt
  • TEHunter Henry#85 · 29 rec · 326 yds · 2 TD · 34 tgt
  • LTWill Campbell#66
  • LGWalter Rouse#72
  • CJared Wilson#55
  • RGMatt Pryor#65
  • RTMorgan Moses#76

Broncos defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEEyioma Uwazurike#96 · 15 tackles · 1 sack
  • NTD.J. Jones#93 · 16 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • LDEZach Allen#99 · 25 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 3 PD
  • WLBJonathon Cooper#0 · 4 tackles
  • SLBNik Bonitto#15 · 17 tackles · 3.5 sacks
  • RILBJustin Strnad#40 · 38 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 2 PD
  • LILBAlex Singleton#49 · 98 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
  • RCBRiley Moss#21 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • LCBPat Surtain II#2 · 29 tackles · 2 PD
  • NBJa'Quan McMillian#29 · 25 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • SSTalanoa Hufanga#9 · 22 tackles · 1 sack · 2 INT · 3 PD
  • FSBrandon Jones#22 · 54 tackles · 2 INT · 5 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · NE offense against DEN defense
StatNE NE offFavors NE · Favors DENDEN DEN def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.06#8
-0.03#12+0.00
Success rate
46%#10
40%#644%
Yards per play
6.1#4
5.2#105.4
Explosive play rate
11%#8
9%#159%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.15#8
-0.06#6+0.03
Sack rate
6%#16
7%#147%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.14#23
-0.02#26-0.08
Yards per carry
3.9#20
4.4#224.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
43%#11
43%#2241%
Red zone TD rate
52%#26
48%#861%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
157#11
131#9147
TE yards per game
62#10
68#2655
TE targets per game
6.8#22
8.8#277.6
RB receiving yards per game
34#12
48#3132
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Patriots: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.169% of throws
+0.752% of throws
+0.9911% of throws
Short
-0.1532% of throws
+0.4814% of throws
+0.3932% of throws

Broncos: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.2620 throws
-0.1210 throws
-0.0118 throws
Short
+0.0780 throws
+0.2752 throws
+0.10119 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.