FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 02: Demaryius Thomas #88 of the Denver Broncos drops a pass during the third quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 2, 2014 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

In the Denver Broncos’ 23-16 Divisional Round defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend, one thing really stood out, and not in a good way—the Broncos had seven drops on offense.

Though it didn’t doom the Broncos’ ability to win the game, it was still a concerning development for a team that will need to be completely focused and tuned up to defeat the visiting New England Patriots in Sunday’s AFC Championship showdown.

The Patriots have not been immune to the curse of the dropped pass, either, this year. New England had five dropped passes in their Divisional win over the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Pro Football Focus, with receiver Julian Edelman the biggest culprit, with three. Precision when passing will be a key for both teams on Sunday and the one to get it right could likely be the one to win the game.

Based on Pro Football Focus’ count, the Patriots had 46 dropped passes in 2015—23 by receivers, 10 by tight ends and 13 by running backs. The Broncos, meanwhile, had 34 drops—23 by receivers, seven by tight ends and four by running backs. Sporting Charts has the Patriots at 30 drops and the Broncos at 26. Either way, New England is dropping at least 4.8 percent of their passes thrown this year and the Broncos, 4.3 percent. These are unsustainable figures, especially for the Patriots, who passed the ball 629 times in the regular season compared to 383 rushing attempts.

Even just one drop at a key time in the conference title game can mean the difference between a win or a loss. Touchdowns can be taken away, drives ended before their time. And the postseason is all about mistake-free football—or as close to it as teams can get. With Denver’s defense a ball-hawking unit and their Patriots’ counterpart nothing to sneeze at, any advantage Tom Brady and Peyton Manning can have over each others’ defense will be necessary to keep Sunday’s contest a competitive one.

The Broncos, in particular, are working hard this week to prevent last Sunday’s woes from striking again. Receivers coach Tyke Tolbert has been employing the Gauntlet drill, typically run at the Scouting Combine, to get his players additional catching practice.

Head coach Gary Kubiak said on Wednesday that individual throwing-and-catching sessions have been emphasized this week, adding, “Those same guys that missed those few opportunities last week are the same guys that will have to make plays this weekend for us to have a successful weekend.” Receiver Demaryius Thomas also agreed that more work catching passes was necessary to prepare for the Patriots, saying, “I think as receivers, of course we’ve got to catch more passes after practice, before practice.”

For the Patriots, it’s a matter of rust. Edelman led the team in drops against the Chiefs, but it was also his first game back in over a month after suffering a broken bone in his left foot in mid-November. But he only began working out again in the days leading up to the playoff contest; with another week of on-field practice to his name, those drops issues may correct themselves organically.

It’s also a matter of volume, with the Patriots throwing the fifth-most passes this season; more drops will result, much as Thomas was the Broncos’ leader in dropped passes but also saw the fourth-most passing targets of any player in the league.

Sure hands will be the key for both the Broncos and the Patriots on Sunday. Drops are always costly, but in a lose-and-you’re-done situation such as the AFC Championship, they can mean the difference between a Super Bowl berth and watching the game from home in two weeks. The Broncos and the Patriots need to make sure that the pass-dropping issues that have reared their heads all season long, and in the playoffs, don’t become the deciding factor in what projects to be a close, hard-fought game.

About Andrea Hangst

Andrea Hangst is The Comeback's NFL salary cap and contract guru. She also covers the NFL for Bleacher Report, Sports on Earth and Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report. She is the host of the weekly F*BALL NFL Podcast, which can be found via iTunes or Stitcher and she is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.