Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles had words of encouragement for Denver Broncos fans feeling dispirited after finding out Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle during Saturday’s divisional playoff round overtime win over the Buffalo Bills.
The Broncos will face the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game with backup QB Jarrett Stidham, which would appear to hurt their chances of advancing to the Super Bowl. However, Foles reminded Broncos fans that the Patriots have had issues against backup QBs in championship game-type settings in the past.
“A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games,” Foles wrote, providing consolation while also taking a dig at a former opponent.
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In Super Bowl LII, Foles started for the Eagles versus the Patriots after taking over for the injured Carson Wentz in Week 14 of the 2017 season. Wentz suffered a torn ACL against the Los Angeles Rams, ending his season. Foles started in Philadelphia’s remaining three regular-season games and led the Eagles to postseason wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.
In that Super Bowl matchup, Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Eagles to a 41-33 upset win. He also caught a 1-yard TD pass from tight end Trey Burton on the famed “Philly Special” misdirection play. The 11-year veteran will always be a Philadelphia legend for his performance.
Yet as nice as the sentiment is, the comparison between Foles and Stidham might not quite hold up. As mentioned, Foles started three games and appeared in seven during that 2017 season. He also had five previous seasons of NFL experience, starting 36 games.
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Stidham has played for six seasons in the NFL, but started only four games. That is the fewest amount of starts for any QB to play in a conference championship game. In four appearances over the past two seasons for the Broncos, he hasn’t thrown a single pass. Maybe Broncos head coach Sean Payton and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi will add the “Philly Special” to the playbook, just in case.
Drake Maye expresses sympathy for Bo Nix
Following Sunday’s divisional playoff win over the Houston Texans, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye shared some thoughts on Nix’s season-ending injury.
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“The news is heartbreaking,” Maye told reporters. “For what a player he is, the guy he is… I’m praying for Bo. He’s a great player in this league. Look forward to matching up with him.”
Maye said he got to know Nix and his family well during preparations leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, in which both players were first-round selections.
The two quarterbacks faced each other in the 2022 Holiday Bowl with Maye leading North Carolina and Nix quarterbacking Oregon. The Ducks squeaked out a 28-27 win over the Tar Heels, despite Maye throwing for two touchdowns while Nix had two TD passes.