As the Patriots look to snap their losing streak at Mile High Stadium, Sean Payton appears to have a surprise in store. Just two days before the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos’ head coach hinted that rookie quarterback Drake Maye would face the same defensive strategy that rattled Josh Allen.
New England and Denver have met five times in the playoffs, with the Broncos holding a 4-1 advantage. Notably, all four of the Patriots’ postseason losses have come at Mile High.
The last time the Patriots visited Denver at the playoffs was a decade ago, when Peyton Manning outdueled Tom Brady to send the Broncos to Super Bowl 50. Denver went on to defeat the Carolina Panthers 24-10.
Now, Maye has the chance to rewrite history, but he’ll need to overcome more than just the Broncos’ legacy-he’ll have to withstand the roar of Colorado’s notoriously loud fans.
Payton’s subtle warning
During a press conference after practice, Payton was asked if he had a message for fans regarding noise heading into Sunday’s game.
True to form, Payton avoided a direct answer but hinted that the same approach used against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round could be effective again.
“This is a team, at the line of scrimmage, that does a lot,” the Broncos coach explained. “Josh is fantastic at putting together good offensive plans.”
He then reminded fans that timing is everything when it comes to crowd noise: “I keep emphasizing, just as the huddle begins until the ball snaps.”
Allen’s Mile High struggles
Payton knows that noise can disrupt a quarterback’s communication, from the huddle to last-second adjustments.
But analysts have pointed out that Allen’s struggles went beyond crowd interference. The Bills quarterback turned the ball over four times, pressing too hard instead of playing conservatively
For Maye, Sunday marks both his first matchup against Denver and his debut at Mile High. The question remains: will the crowd rattle him the same way it did Allen?
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