The Denver Broncos are one more home win away from advancing to Super Bowl LX. It's hard to believe how far the Broncos have gotten this year, and the harsh reality of the situation is that Bo Nix isn't in the lineup.
Nix had ankle surgery on Tuesday and is very likely on a good track to be back in business when the bulk of the Broncos offseason activities begin. Jarrett Stidham will take the reins on offense. With this being the case, the game is going to need to be more of a total team effort.
And that could start with containing these non-Drake Maye Patriots players.
The Denver Broncos have to contain these three non-Drake Maye players
TreVeyon Henderson, RB
It's actually not been a very productive postseason for TreVeyon Henderson. He's had 21 carries for just 52 yards. He's caught two passes for seven yards as well. However, Henderson has breakaway speed and did have over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in the regular season.
He had four instances in the regular season where he averaged at least six yards per carry. With the Broncos having an elite pass rush, Henderson could be used as a security blanket when the pressure comes. The Broncos cannot let him break free and get extra yardage.
Hunter Henry, TE
Through two postseason games, Hunter Henry has four receptions for 69 yards and a touchdowns. But in the regular season, he had one of the most productive seasons of his career, hauling in 60 passes for 768 yards and seven touchdowns.
Henry has always been a productive player in this league, and it seems like the Broncos can never consistently find a way to cover tight ends. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is going to try and feature Henry in the passing game with this in mind. The Broncos cannot let those easy yards happen.
K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE
K'Lavon Chaisson is a former first-round pick and has really found his footing here in 2025 with the Patriots. In the regular season, he finished with 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 18 QB hits, which were all career-highs. Perhaps more importantly, he has racked up three sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and seven QB hits in just two playoff games this year.
He's getting to the QB at a high rate, and with Jarrett Stidham not being able to avoid sacks as well as Bo Nix could, the Broncos offensive line will have to ensure Chaisson is taken care of in passing situations.