The New England Patriots proved that, six years after losing legendary quarterback Tom Brady, they are Super Bowl contenders once again, defeating the Houston Texans — who led the NFL in defense during the regular season allowing just 4,713 yards — 28-16 to move on to the AFC Championship game.
The win puts the Patriots just one win away from a return to the Super Bowl, just a year removed from back-to-back four-win seasons. The AFC Championship bid will be the Patriots’ first since the 2018 season, which capped a streak of eight appearances in the conference championship in a row.
Patriots Opponent for AFC Championship
New England has now hosted two playoff games at Gillette Stadium for the first time since the 2018 season. That season, which may or may not be a coincidence, was also the last one in which the Patriots won the Super Bowl.
The Patriots now must take their show on the road for the AFC Championship game and what they hope will be one more win before Super Bowl 60. But the good news from the Patriots’ perspective is that they have not been intimidated by road games this season. In fact, they finished with an undefeated 8-0 road record.
The Patriots will travel to Denver, Colorado, where they will face the Broncos, who earned the right to host the game by securing the top seed in the AFC — and then narrowly defeating the Buffalo Bills in overtime on Saturday in what was certainly one of the more controversial finishes in recent NFL postseason history.
A strange but ultimately correct interception call with 7:48 left to play in the overtime period effectively ended Buffalo’s chances. On a deep pass from Bills quarterback Josh Allen, wide receiver Brandon Cooks appeared to catch the ball then fall to the ground with Denver cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian right on top of him.
As Cooks hit the ground, he lost the ball and McMillian emerged with possession. The officials on the field ruled that because Cooks did not “survive the ground” with the ball secured — as NFL rules require — McMillian had, in fact, intercepted the pass.
While the play is sure to be hotly debated for days, if not months or even years, the controversy obscured the fact that Allen committed four turnovers, including an inexplicable fumble seconds before halftime, and a fifth by NFL-leading running back James Cook (1,621 yards), resulted in 13 Denver points and, in the end, a 33-30 Broncos victory and with it, a berth in the AFC Championship game for the first time since the 2015 season — the last year in which Denver won a Super Bowl.
When Will the Next Patriots Game Be Played?
The AFC Championship game pitting the New England Patriots against the Denver Broncos is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver.
The AFC game is set for the early time slot on that day, with the NFC Championship game to follow in the late slot. The Patriots vs. Broncos game is set for kickoff at 3 p.m. ET, or 1 p.m. Mountain Time, in Denver.
CBS will air the game live on broadcast television, with its affiliated online platform, Paramount+, streaming the game live. The game will be the final CBS NFL broadcast of the season, with NBC carrying Super Bowl 60 and, of course, gets the network’s A-list broadcast team of Jim Nance on play-by-play and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo offering real-time analysis.
Patriots AFC Championship Game: Opponent, Date & Time