The Denver Broncos won an OT thriller against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round. What otherwise would be an incredible moment was then absolutely struck by disaster as Sean Payton announced quarterback Bo Nix fractured his ankle and is out of the NFL Playoffs. However, the head coach is still confident.
The Broncos QB depth chart took a hit without Nix but Payton isn’t accepting defeat just yet. “In fairness to what you’ve seen, which is very limited, he’s ready. He’s ready,” Payton said about Jarrett Stidham. “I’ve said this at the beginning of the season, I feel like I have a [No.] 2 [quarterback] that’s capable of starting for a handful of, a number of teams. I know he feels the same way. So watch out. Just watch.”
Payton said at the beginning of the year that he thought he had a Super Bowl roster and they are one game away. Also, Payton really trusts in his backup so much that Stidham’s contract makes him one of the highest-paid QB2s in the NFL, bagging $6 million a year.
Is Stidham capable of guiding the team?
Stidham hasn’t thrown a pass since Russell Wilson was on the Broncos. That’s two years ago. However, Payton does think Stidham is good. Not only did Payton say Stidham could be the starter for a handful of teams, he also then said, “And listen, ‘Stiddy’ is ready, and we’ll be ready for the next challenge.”
It’s not the first time the Broncos have had to provide crucial updates on key players. However, this is by far and away the most important one given the fact that it’s on the quarterback position. The Broncos will host the AFC Championship game, but even with that, it will be an upside hill.
Broncos will have to revive the running game
With Stidham under center, the Broncos must feel like they need to run the ball rather than to make their quarterback throw it 35 times. Howeves, since the middle of December, the Broncos have ran for more than 116 yards just once.
The Bills had one of the most vulnerable run defenses in the NFL, and the Broncos only ran 70 yards on them, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. Now, Payton must look heavily into reviving that part of the offense to not put pressure on Stidham.