Sean Payton is confident heading into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game despite playing without starting quarterback Bo Nix.
The Broncos head coach praised backup Jarrett Stidham on Wednesday as Denver prepares to take on the New England Patriots. In fact, he expects Stidham to be able to “rip it apart” against the Patriots’ offensive defense, as C.J. Stroud and Justin Herbert have performed well in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
“That’s his personality. He’s going to tear it up,” Payton told Stidham reporters at a press conference Wednesday. “He has a calm demeanor that suits him well.”
In fact, Payton said he believes Stidham is a starting quarterback in the NFL.
If Stidham is a top-32 quarterback, then Payton knows something the rest of the league doesn’t. Stidham is a career backup who hasn’t thrown a pass since the 2023 season.
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It’s not all bad news for the Broncos
The good news for the Broncos is that Stidham won’t be completely aloof. Stidham joins the Broncos as a free agent in 2023, Payton’s first season as Denver’s head coach. He’s been practicing under Payton’s system for three seasons.
The Broncos will rely on the familiarity and comfort of Denver’s offense against a Patriots defense that sacked Herbert six times in the wild-card round and intercepted Stroud four times in last week’s divisional round.
It will be a tall order for Nix, let alone as quarterback for Stidham, who has made four career NFL starts. Obviously, the training experience doesn’t equate to the playoff atmosphere and the stakes of a trip to the Super Bowl.
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Stidham: It’s just another game
Stidham said Wednesday he thought it was just another game.
“What I always look back on in any game – regular season, preseason, AFC Champions League – it’s still the same game,” Stidham told reporters. “Obviously there’s an impact – the winner advances and things like that. But at the end of the day, it’s still football. That’s how I look at it.
“I’m not going to approach my preparation any different. I’m not going to approach my preparation any different. I’m just going to go out there and play ball and be myself.”
He sounded confident. If you’re a Payton or Broncos fan, this is definitely what you want to hear.
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Broncos are built to win without elite quarterback play
The Broncos have a team that doesn’t rely on high-level quarterback play to win. Denver earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a defense that ranked second and third in yards allowed and sacks allowed (18.3 points per game) this season.
The team’s offense is no slouch either, ranking in the top half of the league in yards and points per game (23.6). But the Broncos are neither relying on nor getting elite quarterback play from Nix. Nix’s passer rating (87.8) is below league average (91.4) and ranks 27th among quarterbacks who have started eight or more games. His completion percentage (63.4%) and yards per attempt (6.43) were both down slightly from his rookie season, and he threw 25 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions.
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 4: Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton watches with Jarrett Stidham (8) and Bo Nix (10) during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, January 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
(AAron Ontiveroz via Getty Images)
Arguably, Knicks’ best asset is his late performance in close games. The Broncos repeatedly found themselves in tight games in the fourth quarter, in part because the offense couldn’t get away from its opponents. In these situations, Nix often finds a way to get the Broncos to make the plays they need, including a late touchdown pass against the Bills last week that ultimately forced overtime in Denver’s 33-30 divisional round win.
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Nix addressed the outcome and his confidence in Stidham in an Instagram post on Wednesday, including his first public comments since learning of a season-ending ankle injury following the win over Buffalo.
“This is not the way I imagined the season to end, but our season is defined by overcoming adversity and dealing with it,” Nix wrote. “I can’t express enough how much this team and organization means to me and how much I believe in them.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. I have the utmost confidence in Jarrett. I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next.”
Despite Nix’s injury, the Broncos’ practice facility still seems to exude that confidence. But what matters is what that confidence will look like when the whistle blows on Sunday.
