Patriots vs Broncos Injury Report: AFC Championship Updates and News

• New England Patriots face Denver Broncos in AFC Championship on Sunday, January 25
• Bo Nix ruled out with broken ankle, Jarrett Stidham to start for Broncos
• Check out the complete Patriots vs Broncos injury report below

The No. 2 New England Patriots travel to Denver for an AFC Championship showdown against the top-seeded Broncos this afternoon at Empower Field at Mile High. Both teams released final injury reports Friday with major losses on both rosters.

Denver starts backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham after Bo Nix was ruled out for the postseason with a broken ankle. The Patriots lost edge rusher Harold Landry III, who led the team with 8.5 sacks this season. New England enters as 3.5-point favorites with the total sitting at 43 points.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on CBS.

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Jump to: Broncos Injury Report | Patriots Injury Report

Broncos Injury Report

Denver’s dealing with serious offensive problems. Their starting quarterback and top running back are both out, forcing major changes to how they’ll attack New England’s defense.

Bo Nix Out, Jarrett Stidham Starts

Quarterback Bo Nix was previously ruled out for the remainder of the postseason after breaking a bone in his ankle during Denver’s divisional round victory over Buffalo. Nix didn’t practice all week heading into the AFC Championship.

Nix threw for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season. He also rushed for 356 yards and five scores on 83 attempts.

Backup Jarrett Stidham takes over at quarterback. The veteran brings a more conservative approach that relies heavily on the running game and short passing concepts. Denver’s offensive efficiency has declined over the past three games, averaging just 297.3 total yards compared to their season average of 342.6.

J.K. Dobbins Ruled Out

Running back J.K. Dobbins is out with a foot injury after being limited in practice all week. He rushed for 772 yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries this season before landing on injured reserve in Week 10.

His absence removes Denver’s primary ground threat and forces RJ Harvey into an expanded role against New England’s stout run defense. Losing both Nix and Dobbins wrecks Denver’s offensive game plan. The Broncos managed just 104.7 rushing yards per game over their last three outings compared to 118.7 for the season.

Questionable Players

Wide receiver Troy Franklin is questionable with a hamstring injury after limited practice all week. He leads Denver receivers with 65 catches for 709 yards and six touchdowns on 104 targets. With Franlin ailing, the team elevated WR Elijah Moore from the practice squad for the AFC Championship.

Losing Franklin would force more targets toward Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. in an already limited passing attack.

Centers Luke Wattenberg and Alex Forsyth are both questionable. Wattenberg practiced fully Friday despite his shoulder injury while Forsyth was limited all week with an ankle problem. Interior line stability becomes even more critical with a backup quarterback under center.

Safety JL Skinner is questionable with a quad injury. Linebacker Drew Sanders and tight end Lucas Krull are both out despite practicing fully. Wide receiver Pat Bryant cleared concussion protocol.

Patriots Injury Report

New England ruled out three players Saturday. The Patriots also activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve ahead of the championship game.

Harold Landry III Ruled Out

Outside linebacker Harold Landry III is out with a knee injury that kept him sidelined all week. He led New England with 8.5 sacks during the regular season along with 10 tackles for loss and 49 total tackles.

Losing Landry hurts the pass rush at the worst time. Without their best edge rusher, New England will need to send extra blitzers to generate pressure against Stidham.

Mack Hollins Activated From IR

Wide receiver Mack Hollins was activated from injured reserve Saturday after missing four games with an abdomen injury. He sustained the injury in Week 16 against Baltimore and worked his way back through practice this week.

Hollins led all Patriots receivers with 657 snaps during the regular season. He’s got 46 receptions for 550 yards and two touchdowns on 65 targets.

His blocking ability is what really stands out though – at 6-4 and 221 pounds, he can handle linebackers and safeties in the run game, which allows New England to run effectively from three-receiver sets.

Saturday Roster Moves

The Patriots downgraded running back Terrell Jennings and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer to out Saturday. Both cleared their injuries but weren’t activated from IR for the championship game.

Cornerback Carlton Davis III cleared concussion protocol Friday and carries no injury designation. He intercepted two passes in the first half against Houston before exiting with the concussion. Davis practiced fully Friday after limited work earlier in the week.

Marte Mapu Questionable

Linebacker Marte Mapu is questionable with a hip injury. Mapu missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before limited participation Friday. He plays on five special teams units, including personal protector on punt protection.

Patriots Offensive Trends

New England averaged 27.3 points over their last three games compared to 28.8 for the season. Total yardage dropped to 362 per game in that stretch versus 379.4 on the year.

TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns on 180 carries this season. His health gives New England a powerful ground game to control the clock. The Patriots averaged 164.7 rushing yards over their last three games.

The winner heads to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on CBS.