Le Journal

The Denver Broncos undeniable were dealt an awful hand ahead of the AFC Championship. Bo Nix, who led his club to an overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, had surgery to repair a broken ankle this week and will miss the rest of the postseason. The Broncos will, as a result, be forced to rely on backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t thrown a meaningful pass in two seasons, to make his fifth career start against the New England Patriots. It’s safe to say that’s not how they wanted things to play out… Denver defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers is confident in his backup quarterback, however: “Stiddy does such a good job — he knows what he’s doing,” Franklin-Myers said on Wednesday, per video provided by Denver Sports 104.3. “… Stiddy, man, he’s running scout-team plays and he’s running the (expletive) better than their starting quarterback. I’ll tell you, man, he’s a good player for us. We’re excited.” Yes, he actually said that. Jerry Jeudy evens the score in Vegas📺: #DENvsLV on FOX📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/X0vcyHUoyR pic.twitter.com/TikpqLWzsu— NFL (@NFL) January 7, 2024 Franklin-Myers wasn’t comparing Stidham to Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, but rather saying there have been times this season in which he outperformed the starting quarterback of their eventual opponent. It’s safe to say that might be true, too, as the Broncos faced the likes of Trey Lance, Chris Oladokun, Marcus Mariota, Davis Mills and Jake Browning in 2025, as pointed out by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. You just can’t toss out that kind of bulletin board material… More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel believes the Denver Broncos are still in a good spot with quarterback Jarrett Stidham under center. Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle, which ended his season, and Stidham was named the starter for the AFC Championship Game. Although Stidham hasn’t attempted a pass in the regular season since 2023, Vrabel believes he’s still a solid NFL quarterback. Vrabel believes the Patriots need to be on their A-game even with Stidham under center. “He’s got the snaps that he has, the 400 or so snaps that are in regular-season action,” Vrabel said on Wednesday. “And then they have a lot of snaps on what they want to do. So, we’ll have to be prepared for the plan and the things that they’ve shown. “I’m sure there’ll be some things that they haven’t shown. He’s more than capable to go out there and operate. It’s why he’s a backup, and one that was coveted around the league.” The former Patriots quarterback has been one of the most highly sought-after backup quarterbacks in the league. He’s been sought-after enough that Denver had to give Stidham a two-year, $12 million extension, with $7 million guaranteed this offseason. Stidham is 117-of-197 for 1,422 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions in his NFL career. Although Vrabel believes Stidham is a solid quarterback, the oddsmakers have New England as a 4.5-point road favorite. Kick-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. More Patriots: Cam Newton Calls Patriots’ Super Bowl Path ‘Joke,’ But His Was Easier