Broncos vs. Patriots Matchup Set in Stone for AFC Championship Game

Jarrett Stidham gets the rare chance to start in the conference championship against the team that drafted him.

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The AFC Championship Game is set. The Denver Broncos will host the New England Patriots on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.

Alas, instead of what was sure to be the epic first head-to-head matchup between 2024 draft classmates — Bo Nix and Drake Maye — it'll be Jarrett Stidham at quarterback for the Broncos. Nix fractured his right ankle on one of the last plays of overtime in the Broncos' 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday, and will undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama.

Stidham vs. Maye

It's not as sexy as Nix vs. May, but on top of the enormous Super Bowl stakes, this matchup comes with some unique storylines. Not only will Stidham be hungry to capitalize on his exceedingly rare opportunity to take over as a team's starting quarterback in the conference title game, but he'll also be looking to prove to the Patriots that they were wrong to give up on him.

The Patriots drafted Stidham in the fourth round out of Auburn back in 2019. Instead of getting the chance to succeed Tom Brady, Stidham dealt with strange quarterback politics and was eventually traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 after Josh McDaniels became head coach.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton expressed his confidence in Stidham on Saturday after he announced the Nix injury from the podium post-game. On Monday, Payton doubled down on the Stidham praise during his conference call, explaining how the former Auburn Tiger first popped up on his radar back when he was still head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

“It started with our evaluation in New Orleans of him. He was a target for us in the draft. That doesn’t really mean anything other than we liked this player coming out," Payton said of Stidham. "I know how he was coached in New England. I know exactly how he was coached in New England. Then I know how [Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh] McDaniels felt about him when he brought him from New England to Vegas. Then I know reports on how he played, and then we saw him play real time. But ultimately... it’s our three years here. In our three years, watching him day in and day out that you guys don’t have access to. He will be ready to go and ready for the moment.”

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Backup QB Playoff Magic: Time to Get Conjuring

Oct 13, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Broncos are hoping to conjure some backup quarterback magic in the playoffs, much like the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles with Nick Foles. There are several great examples throughout NFL history of a backup taking the reins and leading a team to a Super Bowl, but few have been asked to step in for the first time in the conference title game. And no quarterback has ever done so without throwing a pass in the season, as will be the case with Stidham.

Foles is the most recent example of NFL backup magic, but don't foget about Jeff Hostetler and the 1991 New York Giants. Payton even experienced a similar situation in New Orleans, though it wasn't in the playoffs, and Drew Brees returned after Teddy Bridgewater stepped in and won all five of his starts.

Look at the 2025 season. Again, not a playoff example, but Payton even pointed to the success that Houston Texans backup quarterback Davis Mills had in relief of a concussed C.J. Stroud during the regular season.

"Historically speaking, all bets weren’t off with Hostetler. They weren’t off in Philly [with Foles]. We lost Brees midseason against the Rams, and Bridgewater won five in a row," Payton said. "All bets can be off. They weren’t off for Houston this year when Mills came in. I don’t know if he lost a game."

Obviously, the respective skill sets of Nix and Stidham are similar in some ways, and very different in others. The Broncos will begin planning for Stidham and his strengths and weaknesses right away to get him ready for Sunday's championship tilt vs. the Patriots.

"The plan always has to be built around the type and the skill set of the players you’re playing with," Payton said. "So are there certain things that Bo does differently than ‘Stiddy?' Absolutely. That’s where the work begins tonight.”

The Broncos now know who they're facing next week. The Patriots just logged the first playoff win of the Maye era against a tough Texans defense.

The football fates may have robbed us of a highly-anticipated Nix vs. Maye matchup, but this AFC Championship Game still has all the same stakes for these two storied NFL franchises.