The Denver Broncos fought the New England Patriots in a tight AFC Championship Game but lost 10-7 on Sunday. The team now focuses on the offseason and the steps needed to have another successful season in 2026. Here are three takeaways from the Broncos’ final game this season.
The Broncos lost this game because of their offense
The Broncos’ offense stalled on its first drive. Jarrett Stidham jump-started the offense in the first quarter with a 52-yard completion to Marvin Mims Jr. Two plays later, Courtland Sutton scored.
However, the offense couldn’t really get going after that point, even though they had a chance to be up 10-0 against the Patriots, early in the game, when they were in field-goal range, but failed to convert on fourth-and-one deep in New England’s territory.
Stidham also had a costly turnover late in the second quarter after fumbling the ball as he threw it backwards. However, the referees blew the play dead and ruled it an incomplete pass, which nullified a defensive touchdown.
Stidham’s turnover put New England in a favorable position and allowed the Patriots to score with little effort. Two plays later, Drake Maye scored a 6-yard rushing touchdown, the Patriots’ only touchdown of the game.
Denver could have won this game if Stidham had protected the ball better. Jeremy Crawshaw consistently pinned the Patriots deep, making long drives difficult.
Moreover, Stidham threw an interception to Christian Gonzalez with a little over two minutes left in the game. Still, a variety of offensive factors, such as multiple missed field goals and a turnover on downs, hurt Denver the most, as the Broncos committed the most turnovers.
The defense struggles to contain quarterbacks
Maye didn’t have his best game in the AFC Championship and finished with a 62.6 quarterback rating against Denver’s defense. He only passed for 86 yards, but still made plays on offense, running the ball effectively.
It’s no surprise that the Broncos had a hard time stopping Maye, as they also struggled to stop Josh Allen at times when they played the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. Despite being sacked five times, Maye ended the game with 65 rushing yards while averaging more than 6.5 yards per carry.
As one of the top defenses, Denver must adjust its approach against mobile quarterbacks and may also need to draft or add players in free agency to improve significantly in this area.
More talent is needed in the running back room next season
J.K. Dobbins did not play for the Broncos in this game, and RJ Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin couldn’t get going once again. The Patriots shut down Denver’s run game, and the Broncos struggled to distribute carries evenly among their running backs.
Harvey had more carries this week, running the ball 13 times, but had little to no impact as he finished the game with 38 yards while averaging 2.8 yards per carry. Denver used McLaughlin less, as he carried the ball four times for 11 yards, ending the game with fewer rushing yards than Stidham.
Even though both Harvey and McLaughlin have been impactful at times, the Broncos still rely on Dobbins as their best running back. The only concern with Dobbins is his health. Denver should look to re-sign Dobbins this offseason, as he will become a free agent.
The Broncos may need to move on from McLaughlin, especially if they don’t use him a lot, while Tyler Badie may be gone as well. Harvey wasn’t as impactful as Dobbins, but he did enough to solidify his role as a second-string running back for the Broncos.
The Broncos should make drafting a quality running back or signing one in free agency a priority this offseason. They need someone who can have just as big an impact as Dobbins had, especially if he deals with injuries next season.
Bringing in another running back similar to Dobbins could reduce his workload and lower his risk of injury. It can also bring competition for Harvey, which could help him reach a new level, while it would also be a great learning experience.