Even with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback, don’t count out the Broncos in AFC title game vs. Patriots

Just two teams remain in the AFC this season, as the top two seeds in the conference will do battle in the AFC Championship Game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. A pair of 14-win teams will compete for the title on Sunday when the No. 2 seed New England Patriots go on the road to play the top-seeded Denver Broncos.

The Pats and Broncos have both been near the top of the AFC all season long, so this matchup isn’t necessarily surprising. However, things are looking a lot different coming into this game after Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a fractured ankle late in Denver’s Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills and will miss the remainder of the playoffs. Jarrett Stidham is the backup and will start on Sunday.

On the other side, the Patriots have won comfortably in their two playoff games despite a couple of inconsistent outings from their elite offense. Drake Maye has been putting the ball in harm’s way, but the New England defense has really stepped up in double-digit home wins over the Chargers and Texans.

With Stidham in the lineup, many fans and pundits are already counting out the Broncos in this game. After all, the Patriots have feasted on backup quarterbacks whenever they have faced them this season. However, Denver still has what it takes to play with New England and get the job done to get to a Super Bowl.

Sean Payton excels with backup quarterbacks

It’s going to be tough for Denver to move the ball against a Patriots defense that is playing its best football at the moment and is giving up next to nothing on the ground in these playoffs. Milton Williams is back in the middle alongside Christian Barmore, and the New England front is very formidable as a result.

The downgrade, even if isn’t a massive chasm, from Nix to Stidham is giving a lot of people pause coming into this game, but Sean Payton has always excelled as a head coach when his backups are forced to play. Teddy Bridgewater famously led the Saints to a 5-0 record during the 2019 season when Drew Brees was sidelined with an injury, and both Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston had winning records in relief as well during their time in New Orleans under Payton.

While Stidham doesn’t have a ton of NFL experience, he is still a very talented passer that can replicate a lot of what Nix can do with his arm. However, the Broncos will lose Nix’s scrambling ability and knack for making plays outside of the pocket, which has been a big part of their offense this season.

One thing that Payton has always done very well during his career as a head coach is target the tight ends. Going all the way back to his days with Jimmy Graham in New Orleans, that has always been a strength of Payton’s offenses. While the Broncos don’t have a...