He has not thrown an NFL pass for two years – now he is one game from the Super Bowl

When Denver’s head coach Sean Payton revealed that quarterback Bo Nix had a broken ankle on one of the final plays of the game, the Broncos were just a win away from the Super Bowl.

Nix has now been denied a chance to win the Super Bowl. In his second year in the NFL, he led Denver to the AFC’s top seed and the AFC Championship game.

Then it became clear who would be in charge of keeping the Broncos’ championship hopes alive as the NFL world dealt a cruel blow: Jarrett Stidham.

Denver’s backup quarterback will start the season’s first game since 1972’s Roger Staubach, who set the record for the first quarterback to do so.

The New England Patriots, the team that selected Stidham in the draft, made the trip to Denver this weekend even stranger.

Stidham was chosen in the fourth round of the draft after New England won the Super Bowl for the sixth time and the most recently in the same year.

Before coach Bill Belichick signed Cam Newton in 2020, Stidham entered a quarterback competition with the former Most Valuable Player, and he was Brady’s backup for his 20th and final seasons with the Patriots.

Newton prevailed, but Stidham made a few relief appearances as the veteran struggled, so the Patriots selected Mac Jones as a first-round draft choice for Brady in 2021.

Stidham then had back surgery, and by the time he had not played any football since 2021, he had already made his first two NFL starts.

After seven seasons in the NFL, Stidham, who moved on to Denver in 2023, has made just four starts.

But he has a certain quality that New England enjoys. Josh McDaniels joined the Patriots after three years as their offensive coordinator at Foxborough, and he soon became the Raiders’ head coach.

The Patriots considered re-signing Stidham to replace Drake Maye after McDaniels made his first appearance for the team under new head coach Mike Vrabel in the off-season.

Stidham has thrown eight touchdown passes and eight interceptions in 117 of his 197 NFL starts (59.4%).

Vrabel, who has three Super Bowls as a Patriots player, “sees things really well,” added Vrabel.

Losing your team’s first-choice quarterback frequently ruines the season. Brady and Brady were the only other players who helped their team win a Super Bowl in the 2001 campaign, but only 12 have since started the season as their backup quarterback.

And coach Payton reminded anyone who was writing Denver that “all bets weren’t off” when other back-ups defied the odds this week.

Former NFL coach Phil McGeoghan said, “There’s always a chance.”

Losing Nix kind of “takes the wind out of the sail,” but it’s because of the defense and the coaching staff as a whole. Sean Payton, a very smart play caller, can save Stidham.

In Saturday’s win over Buffalo, Payton dialed up a play that saw offensive tackle Frank Crum score with his first career reception, which some people think is offensive genius.

Payton believes he won’t be overawed, and the 62-year-old will tailor his game plan because Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game in two years.

That might involve considering JK Dobbins’ potential return on the run game. Despite missing two months with a foot injury, the 27-year-old running back is the Broncos’ top rusher this season.

Payton, whose 194 victories as head coach include the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl victory in 2010, said that the plan always needs to be based on the type and skill set of the players you’re playing with.

“Does Bo have any differences from Stiddy in any way?” Absolutely not. The work begins there.

Stidham has been working against one of the NFL’s best defenses, led by defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, to give Payton a lot of his confidence.

One of Stidham’s greatest assets is his mental capacity and his ability to understand plays, Payton said.

Because Stiddy is making our defense look bad, “There would be practices where I’m looking at Vance, like getting [angry]. He is very precise. There is a lot to be had.

Denver has topped the league in both of its previous two seasons in terms of rushing defense, red zone defense, and least allowing sacks.

With a 14-3 record and the NFL’s highest completion rate of 72%, Maye is a leading MVP contender for his first full season as New England’s starting quarterback.

The 23-year-old, who was the third overall draft pick in 2024, has been sacked 10 times and has committed five turnovers in the Patriots’ first two play-off games, compared to only three quarterbacks who were sacked more frequently in the regular season.

“Maye, who is still a young man, can be irritated and irritated by Vance Joseph’s very sophisticated pass protection schemes,” said McGeoghan.

In the previous play-off round, he “feigned at times against the Houston defense.” Denver’s pressure is very similar, and it may be more complicated.

Coach Vrabel has discussed how Maye uses his legs, how enamored he is by his arm, and the various arm angles he uses to throw, according to NFL analyst Phoebe Schecter.

bracketed conference seed, all kick-off times GMT.

Sunday, January 25th,

AFC: New England Patriots (2)@Denver Broncos (1) – 20: 00