Broncos fans, it’s time to come back to Earth. After digging deep to take down Josh Allen and the Bills, it was time to celebrate returning to the AFC Championship. But the mood in Denver changed significantly as they’ll be without their starting quarterback, Bo Nix, in the AFC Championship Game.
Bo Nix Injury Update
Nix is a warrior, gutting out a broken ankle to will his team to victory, but no one would have ever guessed that the quarterback had suffered a major injury, and he will not play against the New England Patriots.
The Broncos will have to find a way to get it done without him, as Jarrett Stidham will step in and take over the starting quarterback duties. Being without Nix is going to sting after their biggest win of the year. He was the 14th-ranked QB in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, just one rank above reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, Nix will be sidelined for 12 weeks. It means even if the Broncos were to make the Super Bowl, they would be without their starting quarterback.
MORE: Broncos QB Depth Chart: Who Will Step Up After Bo Nix’s Shocking Season-Ending Injury?
The injury reportedly happened on the second-to-last play of overtime. It’s a gut-wrenching blow to one of the best days in recent Broncos franchise history.
The best defense in the NFL will have a ridiculous task in the AFC Championship. They have to win against the best team that the AFC will have to offer, with an offense led by Stidham, who has taken one snap in the 2025 season.
But the Broncos win games with dominant defensive performances, and they’ll need to show why they finished first in the league according to PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric.
It’s an absolutely heartbreaking end to the season for Nix, who was about to play in the biggest game of his NFL career. Now, Nix will have to watch helplessly from the sidelines or at home as the Broncos look to overcome adversity to make the big game.
The Patriots, led by Drake Maye, are the favorites to win the AFC, but the Broncos’ defense has the ability to take over a game and lead the team to a win even without Nix.
Preview for Broncos vs. Patriots AFC Championship Game
PFSN Analytics: Patriots: 67.9% win rate, Broncos: 32.1% win rate
Power Ranking
- NE: 7th (77.3)
- DEN: 3rd (79.2)
Offense
NE: 2nd (86.6; B) in PFSN’s Offense Impact (OFFi)
- Drake Maye: 2nd (91.1; A-) in PFSN’s Quarterback Impact (QBi)
- Offensive Line: 12th (74.5; C) in PFSN’s Offensive Line Impact (OLi)
DEN: 15th (75.9; C) in PFSN’s Defense Impact (DEFi)
- Stidham: Four qualified QBi games in his career. Best score: 81.4 (B-) with the Raiders vs the 49ers in 2022. His lowest score was a 72.7 (C-) in 2022.
- Offensive Line: 5th (80.9 B-)
Defense
- NE: 12th (78.2 C+)
- DEN: 1st (90.1 A-)
Special Teams
- NE: 20th (73.9 C)
- DEN: 22nd (70.9 C-)
Preview Notes
- Drake Maye has six fumbles, including three lost, in two postseason games after having eight with three lost in 17 regular-season games.
- The Broncos and Patriots have met in the postseason five times, with the home team winning each time. This will be the fifth time they play in Denver.
- Denver’s defense allowed an NFL-best 2.1 yards per play in the red zone. In contrast, New England’s red zone offense averaged 2.9 yards per play, ranking last in the league.
- On offense, the Broncos averaged 3.4 yards per red-zone play, ranking third in the NFL. Defensively, the Patriots allowed an average of 3.8 yards per red-zone play, ranking last.
- Denver’s fourth-quarter point differential was +64, second-best in the NFL for the regular season. The Patriots’ fourth-quarter point differential was -12, putting them at 19th overall.
- New England would be the ninth team to make a Super Bowl the year after losing at least ten games.
- New England is 9-4 in AFC Championship Games since the 2001 season.
A win gives the Patriots their 40th all-time postseason win, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers. - Denver is 8-2 all-time in AFC Championship games, including 6-1 at home.
- A win would clinch Denver’s ninth Super Bowl appearance, breaking a tie with the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers for the second most. New England’s 11 is the most in NFL history.
