If the Denver Broncos are to pull off an upset over the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, most believe it’ll be because of their defense.
NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew said on Friday, however, that Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will not only lead Denver to victory, but he’ll torch the New England defense in the process.
NFL.com’s six analysts provided bold predictions for the pair of Conference Championship games on Sunday, with Jones-Drew saying that Stidham will outplay Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye.
“Stidham has not thrown a pass in a real game since Week 18 of the 2023 season, which might not engender a ton of confidence among those outside of the Broncos facility,” the former Pro Bowl running back wrote. “But the Bo Nix replacement rises to the occasion and throws for 300 yards and three touchdowns, outplaying New England’s MVP candidate to send Denver to the Super Bowl a decade after the franchise lifted its third Lombardi Trophy.”
Jones-Drew’s colleague, fantasy analyst Marcas Grant, also predicted a Broncos win.
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“Just because Bo Nix’s season is over, that doesn’t mean the Broncos are done,” Grant said. “Jarrett Stidham has made four career starts, throwing for more than 200 yards in all of them with six total TD passes against four INTs. Oh, and it’s a revenge game against the team that drafted him in 2019. Denver’s defense will carry the day, but Stidham will be more effective than anticipated in a Broncos win.”
Jones-Drew and Grant aren’t completely alone in picking Denver, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also sided with the Broncos on Thursday.
