Patriots face a stunning challenge Sunday against the Broncos - one that even Tom Brady couldn’t overcome
As the New England Patriots prepare to face the Denver Broncos in the AFC Title game this weekend, they’ll look to do something never done in their history.
The New England Patriots have dominated plenty of playoff environments over the years, but there’s one place where even the greatest dynasty in NFL history never found an answer: Denver.
New England and Tom Brady’s kryptonite
As the Patriots prepare to face the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High this Sunday, history is firmly stacked against them. New England has never beaten Denver on the road in the postseason, going a perfect 0-4 in playoff games played in Colorado.
The Patriots have NEVER beat the Broncos in Denver in the playoffs.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 21, 2026
Broncos are a perfect 4-0. pic.twitter.com/TZNcuerno5
That includes losses during the Tom Brady era, when the Patriots seemingly solved every other puzzle the league threw their way.
Denver’s playoff dominance at home against New England dates back decades, beginning with the Broncos’ 20-17 win in the 1986 AFC Championship Game, the famous “John Elway Drive” that sent Denver to the Super Bowl. The trend continued in the 1998 Divisional Round, when the Broncos defeated the Patriots en route to their first Super Bowl title under Mike Shanahan.
You asked for it, you got it! 📽️ Here's @johnelway orchestrating one of the @Broncos' all-time greatest moments - The Drive. #TBT pic.twitter.com/2GfK19aOvG
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) May 24, 2018
More recently, the Broncos delivered two painful Mile High playoff losses to Brady-led Patriots teams. In the 2005 Divisional Round, Denver cruised to a 27-13 victory behind a suffocating defensive effort. And in the 2015 AFC Championship Game, the Broncos once again ended New England’s season, holding Brady to relentless pressure in a 20-18 win that propelled Denver to a Super Bowl 50 title.
For all of New England’s postseason success elsewhere, Denver has remained a place where championship runs go to die.
That history adds another layer to Sunday’s matchup, especially with the Patriots trying to reach their first Super Bowl since the Brady era officially ended. While rosters, coaches and quarterbacks have changed, the setting remains the same: altitude, cold weather, and a Broncos team that has repeatedly risen to the occasion at home.
The Broncos, meanwhile, will look to extend that perfect postseason record in Denver against New England, even as they navigate their own challenge with Jarrett Stidham stepping in at quarterback. Denver’s formula in past playoff wins over the Patriots has consistently been one of strong defense, disciplined football, and capitalizing on mistakes rather than chasing style points.
If history is any indication, simply surviving four quarters at Mile High has proven difficult enough for New England, even when Tom Brady was under center. Now, with a Super Bowl berth on the line, the Patriots face a familiar problem in an all-too-familiar place. And once again, Denver stands as the obstacle they’ve never been able to clear.
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