Remember Super Bowl LII when the Patriots got beat by a backup quarterback?
Look away, New England Patriots fans, because even though there is a lot to look forward to in the next week, some bad memories can resurface.
All of which are compliments of the man who created them.
The Patriots punched their ticket to the AFC Championship game on Sunday evening with a 28-16 win over the Houston Texans at a snowy Gillette Stadium. With the win, head coach Mike Vrabel and company now shift their focus to Empower Field at Mile High in Denver to take on the Broncos.
If history has shown us anything, it's that the Patriots have had their struggles at Denver in the postseason. Even the great Tom Brady just could not get it done when he paid a visit to the Broncos in the postseason, tracking a remarkable 0-4 record.
The most recent was in early 2016, when the Patriots lost the AFC title game to Peyton Manning and the Broncos, 20-18. That game would mark the last time Manning and Brady ever shared a duel on the field.
There is another factor here, though. The Broncos will be without their starter, Bo Nix. Former Patriots 2019 fourth-round draft pick Jarrett Stidham is at the helm of the offense. A situation that has caused some concern for anyone who doesn't want Drake Maye and the team anywhere near the Super Bowl.
So enter former Philadelphia Eagles backup Nick Foles, who fired off a tweet about the Patriots' struggles against backups in the postseason.Patriots fans still have nightmares about Foles, who entered the postseason after Carson Wentz went down with an injury and still led the Eagles to a dominant performance in Super Bowl LII.
Despite the Patriots' offensive surge to stay in the game with Tom Brady throwing for an unreal 505 yards, Foles and the Eagles had an answer for everything the Patriots threw at them.
Foles would win Super Bowl MVP that night as the Eagles left with the Vince Lombardi trophy after a 41-33 win. If anybody knows about the Patriots' struggles against a backup in the playoffs, it's Foles.
The question now is: can Stidham live up to those standards? The Broncos' defense can hold things down, but maybe the Patriots can replicate what they did against CJ Stroud and the Texans offense on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday's AFC Championship in Denver will decide if the Patriots finally conquer old postseason demons or if another backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, adds to New England's painful playoff lore against backups.