ENGLEWOOD — The Broncos conquered the reigning MVP.

Next up? The quarterback who might win the next MVP as Denver hosts the New England Patriots and budding star quarterback Drake Maye on Sunday (1 p.m. CBS) with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.

“It’s gonna be a challenge,” Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen said Wednesday at Broncos Park. “You could tell their whole offense, but especially Drake, is really well coached. He does a good job of getting the ball out quick. Whenever we do take that first read away and he’s gotta hold it a little bit longer, we gotta make sure we’re winning up front. 

“Hopefully the crowd plays a factor, and the altitude. Luckily, we’re playing at home. He’s a hell of a quarterback, he’s been in big games already, has won a lot of games in this league, so it’s gonna be a challenge.”

Josh Allen, too, was a challenge.

While the Bills’ star quarterback had four turnovers, he got his team to overtime and had multiple chances to leave Mile High with a win in the divisional round.

Like Allen, it’s hard to find a weakness with the quarterback in the Patriots’ huddle.

Similarly to Allen (6-foot-5, 240 pounds), Maye is a big (6-4, 225) player who can make plays with both his arm and his legs. 

In terms of EPA (expected points added) per play, Maye ranks first among starting quarterbacks. He’s first on throws from in the pocket, first on play-action throws, first on throws with over 3 seconds and first on throws where the opposing defense isn’t blitzing. He’s also second on under-pressure throws, second on throws from a clean pocket, third against the blitz, third on throws under 2.5 seconds and fifth on throws outside the pocket.

The Broncos know the Patriots have a pair of dangerous running backs in TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, a weapon on the outside in Stefon Diggs and a solid tight ends room, but Maye is the straw that stirs the drink for a New England offense that ranks second in the NFL in yards per play and points per game.

“It starts with Drake Maye,” Broncos outside linebacker Jonathan Cooper said. “They’ve got good running backs. They’ve got a good receiver. But ultimately it starts with the quarterback. He’s done a great job all year and I expect he’ll be no different (this week).”

Denver can point to one weakness with Maye: turnovers. That’s music to the ears of Vance Joseph’s defense.

In two playoff games, Maye has fumbled six times, losing three of them. In 19 games between the regular season and playoffs, Maye has a league-leading 14 fumbles, three more than a trio of players tied for second place. Behind an offensive line that allowed five sacks last week, Maye might not be as invincible as some of his regular-season stats may indicate.

“(I need to) be mindful back there and just know that my job is to protect the football, and that’s every game,” Maye told reporters in New England on Wednesday. “I think one of the biggest things with the guys up front is it’s my job to have a timer in my head, and those guys have done a great job all year. So, I haven’t lost trust in those guys up front, and I know that we faced some pretty good edge rushers in the past couple weeks. I know we’ve got another good set of edge rushers coming up this week, so (I need to) have a feel for it and just protect football because that’s my job.”

After recovering just four fumbles in the regular season (tied for 26th in the NFL) despite leading the league in sacks, Denver recovered three of four fumbles in its playoff opener against Buffalo. 

“We gotta keep hunting. That’s what it is,” Denver defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers told The Denver Gazette. “(The) ball carriers are really holding everybody’s hopes and dreams in their hands and naturally, as a defense, we gotta get that ball to our offense and just give them more opportunities. This is a championship game, so turnovers is going to be a big thing. It’s going to be the difference.”

Drake Maye EPA per play ranks

Overall: 1st in NFL

When leading: 2nd

When trailing: 4th

Red zone: 3rd

Late downs: 3rd

Early downs: 1st

Play action: 1st

Vs. Man defense: 2nd

Vs. zone: 1st

When blitzed: 1st

When pressured: 2nd

* among QBs with 100 or more snaps

Source: SumerSports