NBA’s Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson. Boxing’s Joe Frazier vs Muhammad Ali. Soccer’s Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi. Likewise, the NFL has Denver Broncos legend Peyton Manning vs New England Patriots legend Tom Brady. With 2026 scripting just like 2016, Manning vs Brady becomes the new Bo Nix (Jarrett Stidham) vs Drake Maye.
The Broncos beat the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in the NFL playoffs divisional round and advance to the AFC Championship Game. Meanwhile, the Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 in the divisional round and have also advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
Bo Nix will not take part in the championship game, as he suffered a postseason-ending injury [a broken bone in his ankle that will require surgery] in the divisional round. Backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will replace him to face Drake Maye’s team.
AFC Championship Game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots repeats after 10 years
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NFLonCBS shared ten snapshots on Instagram from Brady’s Patriots vs Manning’s Broncos in 2016. They titled the images: “We heard 2026 is the new 2016…” and captioned them: “Let’s do it again.” A user quickly reacted, “What in the 2016 just happened? [laughing face emoji] Also I hope Bo gets better.”
Another expressed: “I wanted to see Bo and the Broncos vs. Maye and the Pats. The two faces and future of their franchises, like Manning and Broncos vs Brady and the Pats. Makes the Bo injury even sadder.”
A third user called it “Stiddy revenge game.” A fourth user spoke for everyone: “Should have been Bo vs Maye, would have been beautiful to see [two crying face emojis].”
A fifth user predicted: “Broncos game winning int just like in 2016.” Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby intercepted Brady’s two-point conversion attempt in the final 12 seconds to seal the 2016 victory over the Patriots.
ManningCast’s host faced FOX Sports NFL lead analyst twice in 2016. In the regular season, Brady defeated Manning 16-3. When they met again in the NFL Conference Championship, The Sheriff [Manning’s nickname] defeated Tom Terrific [Brady’s nickname] 20-16.
In the 2016 AFC Championship Game, it was Manning’s final season. He struggled with foot and rib injuries during the regular season and was even benched, with Brock Osweiler taking over as backup signal caller. But when it mattered most, they won 20-18 against Brady’s Patriots. The Patriots legend was sacked four times.
Fun trivia: The interception the user refers to is also from 2005. Manning played for the Indianapolis Colts then. As for Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s rivalry with the Broncos goes back years. Broncos defensive back Champ Bailey intercepted Tom Brady in the third quarter of the Denver vs. Patriots 2005 matchup, sealing Denver’s 27-13 victory.
Drake Maye’s chance to turn around Tom Brady’s fate against Broncos
The NFL legend has had the least success against Denver of all 32 teams. He holds a 9-9 record against the Mile High City: 8-6 in the regular season and 1-3 in the postseason.
This is Drake Maye’s chance to turn around Brady’s fate by winning against Denver, one of two teams against which Brady has never had a winning record. The other is the San Francisco 49ers, where he has a 2-2 record.
The upcoming game kicks off at 3 PM ET on Sunday, January 25, 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. Will Maye rewrite New England’s history against the Orange Crush? Only time will tell…for now, we’re all just holding our seats too tight with anticipation!
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Arati spent six years studying medicine and three years in manage...
Read MoreArati spent six years studying medicine and three years in management, but her passion for writing was too strong to ignore. Having been a vice-captain for her college’s cricket team all four years, she was no stranger to an NFL quarterback’s competitive spirit. She creates compelling football stories that leave a mark on the readers’ hearts, not just their minds. Every morning, she begins her day by flipping through the pages of the TOI sports section to see who scored how much. In the evenings, she indulges in solving intriguing mysteries in the elite world of Olivia Benson from Law & Order: SVU. The sea of Mumbai brings her a sense of tranquility, and nothing soothes her soul quite like Kishore Kumar's melodies.
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