The Denver Broncos were hit with a bucket of cold water just minutes after their divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills last weekend. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix fractured his ankle at the end of the game, and Sean Payton stated the obvious regarding his status going forward.

So the question becomes, can Jarrett Stidham pull off the upset in Denver’s home stadium? Or will the Patriots be headed back to the Super Bowl after their short hiatus? A to Z Sports NFL analysts Rob Gregson, Kyle Crabbs, Adam Holt, and Justin Churchill make their picks.

Patriots 25, Broncos 17

I’ll be honest, I was picking the Patriots whether Bo Nix played or not. I understand that the Broncos have one of the best home-field advantages in the league, and I don’t believe the drop-off from Nix to Stidham will be all that drastic. Bo Nix has had hot starts and clutch finishes, but he’s been very mediocre in the middle of games.

The biggest loss for the Broncos’ offense will be the mobility and ad-lib factor of Nix’s game, but the passing game could see an improvement with Stidham. That being said, the potential league MVP is on either side of the ball, and I think the Patriots’ defense is better than it gets credit for. The Patriots head back to the Super Bowl. – Gregson

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Patriots 23, Broncos 17

I can see the pathway for the Broncos to win this game, even with the injury to Bo Nix. Sean Payton has been in his bag all season long as a play caller. If he can mitigate risk for his quarterback appropriately, dial up a few more scheme touches, and if the Broncos’ offensive line comes out and executes, I believe they’re very much in this thing with Stidham.

With that said, New England is playing great ball. They’re confident. And even though this game is in Denver, there are few teams I’d trust to be appropriately acclimated to the cold better than New England. The atmosphere? Denver will have that one going for them. But I’ll take the better quarterback to make the one or two plays needed to come out on top. – Crabbs

Patriots 20, Broncos 13

The temptation to choose the Broncos to find a way to win this game is strong – simply for the storyline. They’ll be without Bo Nix at QB, and Jarrett Stidham has seen limited action in recent seasons. Don’t love that when you’re facing a team like the Pats, who will always be well coached by Mike Vrabel. While Denver’s defense could certainly force Drake Maye and co. into some turnovers, it’ll be an uphill battle most likely due to some offensive struggles.

The Patriots, while lacking some big names at the skill positions, have gotten solid production from them so far this postseason. I think they’ll get just enough to handle business against a Denver team that will definitely have some tricks up their sleeve with Sean Payton at the helm. – Holt

Broncos 17, Patriots 13

The Denver Broncos will be without their star quarterback, Bo Nix, who seemed to really start to find himself in the last game. He played great, outside of the one interception, which was honestly just a great play by the Buffalo Bills’ defensive lineman. However, without Nix, I still think the Broncos can win this game, and will win this game.

That defense is good enough to shut down the Patriots. All they need is for Jarrett Stidham to be serviceable, and I believe he can be. This could very well be a low-scoring game because of Stidham’s offense and the defense defending New England. – Churchill

Final Takeaways

As you may expect, the Patriots were the heavy favorite among our group, but Churchill did make a good point when it comes to the Broncos and their defense. If anyone can make Draye Maye uncomfortable, it’s Denver. That could be enough to help the Broncos seal a trip to the Super Bowl.

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The Broncos are ready now.

Justin Churchill