The Denver Broncos won an incredible division-round playoff game in overtime against the Buffalo Bills, 33-30, but the price was beyond severe. After the game, Adam Schefter reported that quarterback Bo Nix broke a bone in his ankle on the next to the last play of the game, so he’ll be out for the AFC Championship game against either the Houston Texans or the New England Patriots.
It was Sean Payton who delivered the news that was also reported via an ESPN story, which means that backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will be leading the Broncos in that one.
"[Stidham] is ready," Payton said. "We'll be ready for the next challenge."
That challenge just became a lot more formidable. Nix wasn’t perfect against Buffalo, but he did deliver in the clutch, just as he’s done all year. Nix has rewritten the franchise record book when it comes to comebacks and game-winning drives, and this is a franchise where Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway has set the standard for thrilling comebacks and finishes.
The exactly play Payton pinpointed when the injury occurred certainly looked innocuous enough. The Broncos had just driven the field in overtime, with most of the yardage coming on a pair of Nix throws that resulted in defensive pass interference calls, with the first called against Bills cornerback Taron Johnson, while the second was on CB Tre’Davious White.
That put Denver at the 8-yard line, and Nix subsequently took a three-yard loss to center the ball. Nix looked fine after the play, although most of the focus was on kicker Wil Lutz, who drilled a 23-yard field goal to win the game for Denver.
Nix also seemed to be fine during the brief post-game interview with Tracy Wolfson of CBS on the field, and there were no shots of Nix hobbling or needing medical attention during the post-game handshakes, which included the usual brief shared moment between Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Nix. Nix was 26-of-46 for 279 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 29 yards on 12 carries in the win.
As for Stidham, he faces the ultimate “next man up” moment next week. He appeared in one game, according to ESPN, hasn’t even taken a kneel-down snap in victory formation this year, largely because the Broncos played in so many close games.
Now the career backup, who started his career with the New England Patriots before moving on to the Las Vegas Raiders and then the Broncos, will have to lead the Broncos offense and come up with the kinds of clutch plays Nix delivered on a regular basis. The Auburn product has thrown for 1,422 yards, 8 TD passes and 8 interceptions during his career in just under 200 throws.
This will also be the biggest challenge of Payton’s coaching career. The last time he got this far he had Drew Brees as his quarterback with the New Orleans Saints, but now he’ll have to shepherd Stidham to a potential win against either the fierce Texans defense or be massively outgunned by quarterback Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.