Even as the New England Patriots prepare for a high-stakes AFC Championship battle, one of the franchise’s greatest players is sounding the alarm on a potentially fatal flaw. Former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski recently highlighted the concerns that he thinks could limit the Patriots’ game against the Broncos. According to him, they might have gotten off with the issues against the Texans, but things are surely going to be tougher against their upcoming opponent.

“What I’m concerned about is that they’ve got to take care of the football,” Gronkowski said in a recent episode of Dudes on Dudes. “They got away with it last week, obviously, because Houston decided to turn the ball over even more than the Patriots. That was a game technically where you would lose 99% of the time when you turn the ball over that many times, but then, somehow, with Houston, turning the ball over even more, the advantage is in your favor even though you put the ball on the ground that many times. But they’ve got to take care of the ball versus Denver. That’s how that defense thrives.”

As the Broncos have ranked 20th in the regular season with 14 takeaways, Gronkowski’s stern criticism was perhaps more about the Patriots’ ability to keep the ball. Though the team only had 16 turnovers in the regular season, the Divisional game exposed issues. Ball security turned out to be a clear issue for the Patriots as Quarterback Drake Maye turned the ball over multiple times.

He lost two fumbles and threw an interception in the game. One of his fumbles came when Texans defensive tackle Tommy Togiai forced the ball loose, disrupting a New England drive and earning possession deep in Patriots territory.

Maye also fumbled under pressure when Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter stripped him. This resulted in an immediate loss of downs and stalled offensive momentum. His interception came on an end-of-half Hail Mary attempt, a throw that didn’t give his teammates a clean chance.

Fortunately for the home team, the Texans were seen facing similar issues. C.J. Stroud’s ball control led to four interceptions. A play saw Marcus Jones’ pick-six after Stroud underthrew a pressure-induced pass, giving New England instant points and flipping field position. Cornerback Carlton Davis III also hauled in an interception off a tight-window Stroud throw.

Overall, the game featured several instances of poor ball control. The Patriots managed to escape this time, but that margin for error will not exist against a disciplined Denver Broncos unit. As the conversation shifted from execution to mentality, former wide receiver Julian Edelman did not mince words, using a pointed defensive-line comparison to flag a deeper Patriots problem.

Julian Edelman draws a defensive line comparison to highlight another issue

Keeping the ball isn’t the only issue that the New England Patriots have to deal with. Adding to the conversation, former wide receiver Julian Edelman raised alarms over the team’s defense, mentioning how the lapses could result in a disappointing loss. He also drew a detailed comparison among the teams’ defensive units to highlight how the upcoming clash wouldn’t just be highly competitive but would also challenge the Patriots against the league’s sack leaders.

“I’m concerned about how they’re going to get that defensive line blocked,” Edelman said. “Last week, a lot of those turnovers came because those guys were on Drake super quick, super fast. I know Anderson and Hunter are really good, but so are Nik Bonitto and Cooper, and they’ve got an Allen (Zach) in the middle for the Broncos’ offensive line. They got the most sacks, I think, in, like, history: 71. That’s insane. They had 71 sacks this year. So how are we going to block him?”

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The pressure on Drake Maye (thanks to a high-performing season for the Texans’ defense) was a direct factor in their turnover problems. Houston consistently reached him early in the down, especially off the edge, which disrupted timing and forced rushed decisions. One fumble came when interior pressure collapsed the pocket immediately. This prevented him from setting his feet or protecting the ball as he tried to escape.

That concern is expected to be doubled against the Denver Broncos with questions over the Championship game. The team’s defensive front produced 68 sacks in the 2025 regular season, marking the highest total in the league. The pressure was led by Nik Bonitto, who finished with 14 sacks, while Denver’s interior rush also collapsed pockets quickly. Soon, the Patriots will get their answers under the lights at Mile High, with kickoff set for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET in Denver.