It will be tough for the Denver Broncos to win without starting quarterback Bo Nix, but it is possible. Here are our keys to a Broncos win.
The Denver Broncos are forced to play the biggest game of the season against a tough New England Patriots team without their starting quarterback.
Many believe this will be a cakewalk for the Patriots without having to play Bo Nix, who fractured his ankle at the end of the divisional round against the Buffalo Bills, but Coach Sean Payton and the Broncos are extremely confident in backup QB Jarrett Stidham.
After the announcement that Nix would be out for the remainder of the season, Payton confidently said that Stidham is ready and that the team has the utmost belief in him.
“Stidham, whom coach Sean Payton made one of the first free agent signings of his Denver tenure in 2023, has the backing of his teammates and a rugged Broncos defense,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote Friday.
Denver will need Stidham to play his best game as a pro against one of the toughest defenses in the National Football League, and one of the keys to the game will be Stidham airing it out early and often.
“He's going to rip it, and that'll be our approach,” Payton said as he addressed the media.
In relation to the first key for a Broncos victory, rookie running back RJ Harvey needs to be heavily involved in the passing game. He caught five receptions for 46 yards against Buffalo and getting him involved in the passing game should open up more opportunities to run against the sixth-best rushing defense.
Harvey isn’t as effective as a rusher as he is in the passing game, which is what made the duo of Harvey and veteran J.K. Dobbins so special. Dobbins was the hardnosed, run through your face type of back while Harvey was the change-of-pace guy and involved underneath. Stidham will be looking Harvey's way often if nothing else opens downfield.
The final key to the game is which unit is better on defense overall. It sounds obvious, but these are two of the top units in the league. The Broncos allow the third-least number of points and the Patriots allow the fourth-least. The key for Denver is to get to New England QB Drake Maye and make him fumble.
Maye fumbled four times and lost two of them against the Houston Texans last week as well as losing one of two fumbles against the Los Angeles Chargers the week prior. He is prone to fumbling and Denver’s defense led the league in sacks by a wide margin.
If Stidham can be effective as a passer, Harvey is involved in the passing game and the defense can win the turnover battle, the Broncos have a good shot of winning the American Football Conference Championship.