Former Broncos have utmost confidence in Payton, Stidham, and the defense to win AFCCG

Good morning, Broncos Country!

The Jarrett Stidham Hype Train is in full force as the Broncos and fans set their sights on winning the AFC Championship game with a backup quarterback after a devastating season-ending injury to Bo Nix.

And I am all in on the hype train. Outlook is everything when a trip to the Super Bowl is on the line. And if there are two more perfect hype men than former Super Bowl 50 champions Emmanuel Sanders and Aqib Talib to make you feel good about the Broncos’ chances on Sunday, I don’t know who they would be.

Both cite Sean Payton as reason for tons of optimism.

“Look, I have the utmost confidence in Stidham because of Sean Payton, right?” Sanders said on DNVR Monday, recalling his stint with Payton’s New Orleans Saints in 2020 when Drew Brees was hurt, guys were out with COVID and the whole team was banged up. “And Sean was still winning. And that just goes to show what type of coach he is. And that’s why, you know, I got the utmost confidence in this Broncos team.”

Talib, too, told Skip Bayless on The Arena, that Payton has always “carried capable backups,” including Mark Brunell, Chase Daniels, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston — each of whom experienced success in the backup role under Payton.

“We know Payton saw something in Stiddy because he paid him a two-year, $12 million contract just to make sure he locked in a great backup,” Talib added.

The two former Broncos also vouched for Stidham’s ability, given what they saw during training camp.

“I got to see him against the 1s, and the day I was there, he gave us work,” Talib said. “A pocket passer with a f***ing live arm. He can make every throw. I saw a guy who knows the offense, knows the system, [makes] quick decisions and [has] a live arm.”

But let’s not fool ourselves. The true Broncos’ X-factor? Its defense.

In a shootout with the Bills, the Denver defense had five takeaways, one of them being a remarkable game-saving interception from Ja’Quan McMillian.

“We’ve got the best defense in the league,” Talib added. “We got the turnover train rolling, so we’re going to create turnovers and that’s how we’re going to win this game. I’m telling you.”

Sanders also believes Stidham should rest easy knowing his defense will have his back.

“If I’m Jared Stidham, I’m also saying ‘I got a defense that can back me, I got receivers and I got Sean Payton that’s going to put me in a great position.‘ All I got to do is manage the game and complete my passes and do my job.‘”

There’s also a slight “revenge factor” for Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2020 but never got the job, losing out to Cam Newton and later Mac Jones.

Real or imagined, Sanders advises that Stidham “lean into all the things” that can get him ready to compete....