- Denver beat Buffalo in overtime to reach the AFC championship game, but lost starting quarterback Bo Nix with a fractured right ankle.
- Jarrett Stidham will start in his place, but former Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles reminded everyone that he, as a backup, beat New England in Super Bowl 52 in 2017.
- It is rare, but it is possible that Stidham could lead the Broncos to an upset victory next week.
Denver is headed to the AFC championship game, but with Jarret Stidham under center as Bo Nix fractured his ankle.
Former Philadelphia QB Nick Foles chimed in to remind the Broncos that he beat New England in Super Bowl 52 as a backup. It’s rare, but it’s possible.
Foles Manages a Dig at the Patriots for Super Bowl 52
Nix was injured late in the Broncos’ 33-30 win over Buffalo on Sunday, and he’ll miss the AFC title game. He’ll also miss the Super Bowl if the Broncos get past the Patriots next Sunday.
Shortly after the game, Foles took to Twitter to encourage the Broncos, and remind everyone of what happened in Super Bowl 52.
Foles took over for an injured Carson Wentz in Week 15 of the 2017 season, and went on an incredible run. He completed 72.6% of his passes in three playoff games for 971 yards, six touchdowns, and an interception. But his best performance came in Super Bowl 52 against Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Foles was 28-of-43 for 373 yards, three touchdowns, and a pick. This was also the game in which the Eagles called the “Philly Special”, in which Foles caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Trey Burton.
The former Arizona product is one of seven quarterbacks to not start the season as the starter, but finish the season as a Super Bowl winner (ironically, Brady in 2001 is on that list). But only one has started the playoffs as the backup, and led his team to the Super Bowl. That would be Doug Williams, who took over for Jay Schroeder heading into the playoffs. Williams led Washington to a 42-10 rout of Denver at Super Bowl 22.
NFL Odds Moving More Towards the Patriots
The NFL conference championship odds aren’t giving the Broncos much love, even at home. Denver opened up as a 4.5-point underdog in the AFC title game, but can be found as high as +6.5 at some NFL betting sites. With Nix, the Broncos might be a -1.5 or -2.5-point favorite at Mile High
The Broncos can lean on an excellent defense to put pressure on Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye. They’ll have to find a running game after rushing 22 times for 70 yards against the Bills, and 29 of those yards came from Nix on 12 carries. Stidham doesn’t have the mobility that Nix does.
Expect a relatively conservative game plan from Denver head coach Sean Payton, to try to prevent Stidham from making big mistakes. Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass, regular season or playoffs, since the final week of the 2023 campaign. However, Stidham has been in the league since 2019, and played his first two seasons in New England.
It is rare that backups go all the way to the Super Bowl, and win the big game. But if the Broncos’ defense steps up, Stidham avoids mistakes, and Payton outcoaches New England counterpart Mike Vrabel, an upset could be in the cards for the Broncos!
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