Sunday is not a game. It is a meme.
The Broncos are done. Sean Payton went to Jarrett. And now everyone is returning the cubic zirconia ring to the store and demanding a refund.
The painful truth was obvious Saturday night when Bo Nix fractured a bone in his right ankle, an in-stadium X-ray turning elation into devastation.
It is obvious. Too obvious. The Broncos will never win again this season, not with Jarrett Stidham aiming to complete his first pass in a game that counts in two years.
Write it on the calendar. Put in the book. Bet it on the app, where Denver is already a 4.5 to 5-point underdog.
No chance.
Or is there? (Insert Sean Payton’s smirking face.)
Be honest, Broncos Country. You woke up this morning feeling like you drank a gallon of spirits and ate a drum of greasy food. Then, eyes blinking, head throbbing, you did something smart. You watched the Patriots beat the Texans, 28-16.
New England won in a performance that had more in common with leather helmets than dominance. The Patriots return to the AFC Championship Game for a rematch with the Broncos 10 years later, and this game suddenly feels winnable again for Denver.
Hard to believe for those of us who remember when Bill Belichick was famous for coaching, not dating, but the Patriots are a feelgood story. They went 4-13 last year and, now, in Mike Vrabel’s first season, they boast a 16-3 record.
Let’s be clear. They are a really good team. They are not that team. They are not invincible. Not inevitable. Admirable? Sure. But vulnerable.
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye belongs in the MVP conversation. And that is where the huge chasm exists between the teams. But Maye has not performed like an MVP in the postseason.
He has fumbled six times, losing three. He has thrown two interceptions. He has been sacked 10 times. By any objective analysis, Sunday was his worst performance this season, even if it came in a snow globe.
Gush all you want about Maye’s growth, his athleticism, but don’t leave out the facts. It came against the league’s easiest schedule. The Texans represented only the fourth team New England has faced with a winning record. They are 3-2 in those games.
Sunday, the Patriots were ordinary, winning namely because of C.J. Stroud’s philanthropy. If you are one of the few who did not receive an interception or fumble, Amazon should have a package at your door this week.
A month ago, New England figured it could ride Maye to a Super Bowl berth. The defense, though, has been the strength the past two weeks.
And that is tremendous news for the Broncos.
Their best chance of advancing to the franchise’s ninth Super Bowl is a low-scoring game decided by a field goal.
Stidham is 1-3 as an NFL starter, so asking too much of him with a potentially decimated receiving corps — it is uncertain if Troy Franklin (hamstring) and Pat Bryant (concussion protocol) will play — is flawed logic.
The Broncos need Stidham to serve as a game manager, protecting the football like it is the password to his ATM card.
Had he faced Houston, yes, he would have had a problem. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter would have lived in the backfield, speeding up the clock in his head.
The New England defense is terrific, given how the Patriots mauled the Texans while limiting them to 241 yards. And while I might deny I ever wrote this, it is hard to imagine Stidham — or anyone — playing worse than Stroud did.
How many times did ESPN’s Joe Buck say, “It’s up for grabs” on Stroud’s passing attempts? If it were a drinking game, we would have all passed out.
After six quarters of playoff football this winter, Stroud had five fumbles and five interceptions. He was so bad, the Texans gave up, punting when trailing by 12 points with 4:17 remaining.
Were the Patriots in sync? Or the benefactors of facing a quarterback with his wires crossed? New England looked nothing like Old England, with stars everywhere and Tom Brady in the cockpit.
And still …
No matter how many platitudes thrown his way for mental makeup, expert preparation and popularity in the locker room, Stidham faces a daunting challenge.
Like history.
He is the second quarterback to make his first start of the season in a conference championship game. Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach did it in 1972, losing 26-3 to Washington. But he played extensively the previous week.
Stidham has not connected on a pass since Jan. 7, 2024. He has one win as a starter, a shoulder-shrug 16-9 victory over the Chargers in the second-to-last game of the 2023 regular season.
It’s been a while. And there’s not a lot to draw from. Remember, he failed as Brady’s successor in New England. Revenge game, anyone?
But without doing anything on Sunday, Stidham’s chances improved. There is a clear path to an upset. It involves the Broncos’ defense. The group that couldn’t steal candy from a baby suddenly has seven takeaways over the past two games.
And Maye will be making his road playoff debut. Yes, that matters.
Making him miserable is central to a victory. It involves defense coordinator Vance Joseph confusing Maye with matchup zone coverages. It requires Nik Bonitto continuing to go full Von Miller circa 2015.
Turnovers. Short field. Crowd at full throat. Perhaps even the return of J.K. Dobbins to ease the burden on Stidham.
No one outside of Denver believes the Broncos will win. And no one wants them to, dreading a backup quarterback in the Super Bowl.
Neither of these teams was supposed to be here. They are both deserving, but flawed.
And now, anything can happen. Even a win by Jarrett Stidham.
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