Patriots rule out sack leader for AFC Championship

The Denver Broncos caught a significant break Friday when the New England Patriots ruled out outside linebacker Harold Landry III for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game due to a knee injury.

Landry, in his first season with New England after signing to come along with head coach Mike Vrabel in March, led the Patriots with 8.5 sacks during the regular season. He also recorded 10 tackles for loss and 49 total tackles.

The 29-year-old former Pro Bowler had been dealing with the knee issue since the Divisional Round, when he was listed as questionable against the Houston Texans. His absence removes the Patriots’ primary pass-rushing threat from the equation as Denver prepares to protect quarterback Jarrett Stidham at Empower Field at Mile High.

Landry made an immediate impact after arriving from Tennessee, setting a Patriots franchise record with 3.5 sacks through his first two games with the team — surpassing Chris Slade’s mark from 1993. He finished tied for 20th in the NFL in sacks.

Linebacker Anfernee Jennings figures to absorb much of Landry’s workload. The 28-year-old turned in one of his best performances of the season in the Divisional Round against Houston, logging a season-high 42 defensive snaps in the win.

Jennings finished with five combined tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback hit and a sack. Pro Football Focus graded him at 68.5 against the run and 75.2 as a tackler, though his pass rush grade dipped to 60.6 after posting a 72.4 mark in the Wild Card Round. He generated three pressures against the Texans.

New England’s injury concerns extend beyond Landry. Wide receiver Mack Hollins (abdomen), cornerback Carlton Davis III (concussion) and linebacker Marte Mapu (hip) are all listed as questionable. Davis, who recorded 69 tackles and 10 passes defended this season, practiced in a limited capacity this week. Mapu did not practice. The Pats have some hope that Hollins will return to the lineup for the first time since before Christmas.

Despite playing at home, the Broncos enter Sunday’s game as 4.5-point underdogs, according to oddsmakers — a line heavily influenced by Bo Nix’s fractured ankle. Denver would have been approximately 1.5-point favorites with Nix healthy, according to multiple oddsmakers. So Landry’s injury might make Stidham’s challenging day ahead just a small bit easier.

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