The Denver Broncos face a tough challenge in the AFC Championship Game as they’ll play the New England Patriots without having star quarterback Bo Nix leading the way.
Nix suffered a devastating broken ankle in the team’s 33-30 overtime win against the Buffalo Bills, ending his season in the NFL Playoffs. With only two more games left, the Broncos will rely on their backup, Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t played in a game since 2023.
Just a few days before his team takes the field for what could be the second-biggest game of their postseason, head coach Sean Payton responded to media questions at a press conference. As one might expect, a question surfaced about using a backup quarterback with limited experience running the offense.
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“I say this respectfully, and I told the team this. I said, ‘I’m not worried about Stiddy in this game. I’m worried about everyone else and how we play,’ and that really is the truth,” Payton said during his press conference.
Payton was asked how he might change things up to throw off the Patriots with a different quarterback. According to the Broncos coach, although there may not be a ton of film on Stidham, that doesn’t mean the team’s playbook will change entirely.
On “The Rich Eisen Show,” the Patriots’ Marcus Jones addressed how the defense is preparing to play against Stidham, despite not having much familiarity with him. Jones indicated they would play to their strengths and identity.
“In the National Football League, no matter who is back there at quarterback, they can dice up any defense when it comes down to it,” Jones told Eisen.
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He mentioned the Patriots’ defense was watching footage compiled from over two to three years ago when Stidham played more games. Along with that, Jones said the defensive coordinator was also making sure he was prepared to call the right defensive schemes.
Stidham, a former Auburn player, joined the league in 2019 as a fourth-round pick for the Patriots. He spent two years with New England, participating in eight games, then joined Las Vegas in 2022 for a season, before joining the Broncos in 2023.
He’s played 20 career games, with 117-of-197 completed passes for 1,422 yards and eight touchdowns, but also has eight touchdowns and was sacked 19 times. Stidham will have a challenging task, but the Patriots will too, as they’ll face a tough Broncos defense in front of the rowdy fanbase at Denver’s Empower Field at Mile High.
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