Denver, Colo. â The Patriots are readying for a matchup against the Broncos in Denver and the game-day rosters are set for the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday.
After activating him from injured reserve on Saturday, WR Mack Hollins is officially active, as is LB Marte Mapu (hip) after carrying questionable designations into Sunday's playoff game. The Patriots inactives are OLB Harold Landry III (knee), WR Efton Chism III, G Caedan Wallace, TE C.J. Dippre, OT Marcus Bryant, DB Kobee Minor, and QB Tommy DeVito is the emergency third quarterback. With Hollins returning and Landry out, fifth-round rookie OLB Bradyn Swinson gets the final game-day roster spot over Chism III.
Starting with the Patriots offense, Hollins returns to the lineup after a four-game stint on injured reserve. The veteran wideout was injured his abdomen during New England's Week 16 win over the Ravens, where he finished the game before popping up on the injury report the following week. Hollins is a valuable chess piece in the offense, allowing the Patriots the flexibility to run the ball out of three-receiver sets, which are often more dynamic passing groupings. As a result, Hollins led all Patriots receivers in regular-season snaps (657) while ranking third on the team in receptions (46) and fourth in receiving yards (550).
At 6-4, 221 pounds, Hollins has the size to block linebackers and safeties in the run game, playing on the wing, in the slot, or out wide from condensed splits. The veteran wideout is also a quarterback-friendly target, particularly in the middle of the field. Hollins has built trust with QB Drake Maye thanks to his large catch radius and savvy route-running, while his energy has been a notable addition to the wide receiver room. Although his production isn't eye-popping, Hollins' return is a huge boost to the Pats offense. With Hollins back in the mix, rookie WR Efton Chism III is inactive, meaning the Patriots have five wide receivers available. Chism took on a similar role as Hollins while the veteran was on injured reserve.
QB Drake Maye's Supporting Cast vs. Broncos
OL - LT Campbell, LG Wilson, C Bradbury, RG Onwenu, RT Moses, OT3 Munford
WR - Diggs, Boutte, Hollins, Douglas, Williams
TE - Henry, Hooper, Westover (FB), Tonga (short-yardage FB)
RB - Stevenson, Henderson, Johnson
Along the offensive line, the expectation is that the Patriots will stick with the same starting five as their first two playoff games. The key matchups will be on the left side, where rookie LT Will Campbell will face Broncos top pass-rusher Nik Bonitto (14.0 sacks) and first-year LG Jared Wilson could see a combination of potent interior rushers Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers. If the two rookies can hold up, you like New England's chances to score points. Above is a projection of Patriots QB Drake Maye's supporting cast in Sunday's AFC title game.
Moving over to the defense, the Patriots will be down captain Harold Landry III on Sunday. After sitting out the last two regular-season games to rest for the playoffs, Landry just wasn't the same player due to his knee injury. Last week, the Pats captain only played 11 snaps in the divisional round win over the Texans, while logging just two total pressures and a run stuff in the postseason. New England will likely lean on game-captain Anfernee Jennings and rookie Elijah Ponder, who have been playing the bulk of the snaps at left defensive end recently. Jennings, in particular, has been effective with a pair of sacks and six total pressures in the playoffs.
As for the Patriots depth at edge rusher, rookie Bradyn Swinson is officially active as depth and a possible special teams contributor. Most likely, the Pats will rely on hybrid LB Jahlani Tavai as a fourth rotational rusher who can play on the line of scrimmage in a pinch. During the playoffs, New England has been playing four edge rushers, with Landry getting limited snaps. This week, those four edge rushers will likely be K'Lavon Chaisson, Jennings, Ponder, and Tavai, with Swinson active as insurance.
The Patriots edge rushers will be supplemented by a highly productive defensive tackle group, which remains intact after New England elevated DT Leonard Taylor III from the practice squad. The Patriots have been playing five defensive tackles, and that should continue with the Mile High elevation in Denver, so the interior D-Line rotation will be: Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga, Cory Durden, and Taylor.
As for New England's secondary, starting CB Carlton Davis III cleared concussion protocol earlier this week â he's officially active. The Patriots cornerback trio is all active, with Davis combining forces with Pro Bowl CB Christian Gonzalez and slot CB Marcus Jones. The Patriots safety tandem, Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, will likely play most of the snaps as well, with dime-backer Dell Pettus pitching in when the Patriots play six defensive backs.
The last piece to the puzzle was the status of core special-teamer Marte Mapu, who was questionable due to a hip injury. Mapu, who played on five different special teams units last week, is officially active. In particular, the Pats linebacker is the personal protector, making the protection calls for New England's punt coverage unit. The Patriots haven't had any punt blocks this season, with special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer praising Mapu for his communication skills. With Mapu active, the Patriots also elevated RB D'Ernest Johnson, who will likely return kickoffs with either Chism or WR Kyle Williams on Sunday.
As for Denver, Broncos WR Troy Franklin (hamstring) is officially inactive on Sunday. Although wideout Pat Bryant is active after clearing concussion protocol, Franklin, the Broncos No. 2 receiver, is inactive after tweaking his hamstring last week. Denver also didn't activate top RB J.K. Dobbins (foot) from injured reserve this week, but the Broncos are getting starting C Luke Wattenberg back after he was activated off injured reserve on Saturday (Bryant/Wattenberg in, Dobbins/Franklin out for Denver).
New England is attempting to become the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl after losing 13-plus games the prior season. The Patriots are on a fantastic run in the first season under head coach Mike Vrabel, where they've been road warriors, going 8-0 on the road in the regular season. New England will need to find the right buttons to push on the road one more time to advance to Super Bowl LX.
The Patriots and Broncos square off in the AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High with kickoff at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
