Broncos Fall Short in AFC Championship as Snow, Mistakes Stall Stidham-Led Offense
For a moment, it looked like the Denver Broncos might ride the underdog wave all the way to the Super Bowl. Jarrett Stidham, thrust into the starting role after Bo Nix’s ankle injury in last week’s overtime win over Buffalo, opened Sunday’s AFC Championship Game with a spark.
On just the sixth offensive snap, he uncorked a 52-yard strike to Marvin Mims, then followed it up with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton. Denver led 7-0 early, and the Mile High faithful had reason to believe.
But that early flash turned out to be the Broncos’ only score of the day, as the offense stalled and the weather took a brutal turn. A second-half snowstorm didn’t help, but Denver’s real issues came from missed opportunities and costly mistakes. In the end, it was the New England Patriots who punched their ticket to Super Bowl LX, grinding out a 10-7 win in a defensive slugfest.
Stidham, making just his fifth career start and his first postseason appearance as a starter, was in a tough spot from the jump. He’d thrown just four passes all season and hadn’t started a game since early 2024.
But early on, he looked poised. The deep ball to Mims was perfectly placed, and the touchdown to Sutton capped a confident opening drive.
It was exactly the kind of start Denver needed.
“I was obviously super excited for the opportunity,” Stidham said postgame. “Moments like this are why you play the game.”
Denver had a chance to build on that momentum midway through the second quarter. Facing a fourth-and-1 at the Patriots’ 14-yard line, the Broncos went for it - but Stidham’s pass fell incomplete. A potential 10-0 or even 14-0 lead slipped away.
“We were moving the ball well,” Stidham said. “You get a shot at fourth-and-1, you want to convert and keep the pressure on. It just didn’t work out.”
The next drive brought a turning point - and not in Denver’s favor. Under pressure, Stidham tried to get rid of the ball near the sideline.
Initially flagged for intentional grounding, the play was reviewed and ruled a backward pass - a live ball. The Patriots recovered at Denver’s 12-yard line.
Two plays later, rookie QB Drake Maye ran it in from six yards out, tying the game at 7-7 just before halftime.
“I was trying to throw it away to Tyler Badie,” Stidham explained. “He was in the area, but the pressure came fast.
I thought I got it forward, but obviously the replay said otherwise. That’s on me.
I’ve got to be smarter and just take the sack.”
The Broncos nearly regained the lead before halftime, but kicker Wil Lutz missed a 54-yard field goal attempt with 20 seconds left in the second quarter.
Then came the snow.
As the second half began, a heavy storm rolled in and changed the tone of the game. The Patriots opened with a methodical, clock-chewing 16-play, 64-yard drive that ended with a 23-yard field goal from Andres Borregales. That would prove to be the game-winner.
From that point on, Denver’s offense struggled mightily. Stidham completed just 5-of-10 passes for 10 yards in the second half.
The Broncos managed only one first down after halftime. Still, they had a chance to tie the game late.
With 4:42 remaining, Lutz lined up for a 45-yard attempt. But Patriots defensive lineman Leonard Taylor III got a hand on it, and the ball veered wide left.
The Broncos got one more shot, but it ended with Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez intercepting Stidham’s pass, sealing the win for New England.
Stidham finished the game 17-of-31 for 133 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and added 23 yards on the ground. It was a gritty, gutsy performance under tough conditions, but it wasn’t enough.
“I thought he fought hard in tough conditions,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said. “I think we’re going to look at the film. I know this: I’m going to look at it and be critical of myself.”
For Denver, the loss stings - not just because of how close they came, but because of how well they battled through adversity all season. A rookie quarterback gets hurt, a backup steps in with barely any reps, and they still nearly reach the Super Bowl. That’s not nothing.
But in the end, the Patriots made one or two more plays - and in a game like this, that’s all it takes.