Sridhar needs to just try to connect deep and win it. Screw OT.

Patriots are going to win this after that pick.

Well, the answer to the OP's question is no.

Regardless of the weather, there was very little chance of Stidham leading the Broncos to the promised land.

Felt that way even before kick off today.

Truth be told, guy's been overrated ever since his one and ONLY year at Baylor.

Amazes me how someone like Stidham could end up on an NFL roster, while Bryce Petty (who was a superior QB) couldn't get a legitimate chance with someone.

Just goes to show that many NFL GM's are guessing like the fans.

If I were Denver, I would have gone with Sam Ehlinger in the 2nd Half - once it was clear that Stidham wasn't gonna be 'that guy' today.

At least Ehlinger has more of a 'gamer' mindset than Stidham.

Totally agree. Sam is a much better open field runner as well. Patriots in SB - YUCK

They lost by a field goal, and missed two.

LTBear19 said:

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Well, the answer to the OP's question is no.

Regardless of the weather, there was very little chance of Stidham leading the Broncos to the promised land.

Felt that way even before kick off today.

Truth be told, guy's been overrated ever since his one and ONLY year at Baylor.

Amazes me how someone like Stidham could end up on an NFL roster, while Bryce Petty (who was a superior QB) couldn't get a legitimate chance with someone.

Just goes to show that many NFL GM's are guessing like the fans.

If I were Denver, I would have gone with Sam Ehlinger in the 2nd Half - once it was clear that Stidham wasn't gonna be 'that guy' today.

At least Ehlinger has more of a 'gamer' mindset than Stidham.

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You could be an advisor to Sean Payton with your inside info so he didn't waste 10 mill and make him the highest paid backup in the league

Dia del DougO said:

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They lost by a field goal, and missed two.

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Had Stidham played even a halfway decent game after that first series, the Broncos most likely win by 2 scores.

And the field goals (one of which was blocked) wouldn't have mattered.

At the end of the day, 7 points at home simply isn't gonna cut it when you are trying to get to the dance.

Had the switch been made at halftime, Ehlinger likely plays well enough to get the W.

But Payton thought that Stidham was the answer all game long, for some reason.

Boy was he wrong.

Ok coach or is it GM?

DAC said:

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LTBear19 said:

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Well, the answer to the OP's question is no.

Regardless of the weather, there was very little chance of Stidham leading the Broncos to the promised land.

Felt that way even before kick off today.

Truth be told, guy's been overrated ever since his one and ONLY year at Baylor.

Amazes me how someone like Stidham could end up on an NFL roster, while Bryce Petty (who was a superior QB) couldn't get a legitimate chance with someone.

Just goes to show that many NFL GM's are guessing like the fans.

If I were Denver, I would have gone with Sam Ehlinger in the 2nd Half - once it was clear that Stidham wasn't gonna be 'that guy' today.

At least Ehlinger has more of a 'gamer' mindset than Stidham.

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You could be an advisor to Sean Payton with your inside info so he didn't waste 10 mill and make him the highest paid backup in the league

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Wow. I actually looked it up just now, and he signed a $12 million deal for 2 years.

That makes it even worse.

At the end of the day, some guys ball out when the lights are brightest, and some don't.

Stidham's track record never suggested that he would be the former.

At least not more than many players who never got a fair shake.

Think I'll trust a SB winning coach on this one. Stidham made 1bad pass that cost them the game. Drake Maye had a horrendous game too. Let's not pretend this weather did anyone any favors today.

Loss is on Peyton. Should have kicked the field goal on 2nd quarter instead of going for it on 4th down.

It was very cold with the snow in the 2nd half.

IowaBear said:

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Think I'll trust a SB winning coach on this one. Stidham made 1bad pass that cost them the game. Drake Maye had a horrendous game too. Let's not pretend this weather did anyone any favors today.

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Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot the golden rule.

A coach can NEVER make a bad call.

How could I possibly forget?

Well, seems like the SB winning coach will be on the couch with the rest of us here, and watching the big game in 2 weeks instead of coaching in it.

It stinks for Denver that Nix went down, but they should have approached this game differently.

Playing 2 QB's should have been an option - especially once it was clear that Stidham was struggling.

As for Maye - He didn't have a fantastic game, but he made plays when the Pats absolutely needed them - the biggest of which was the 3rd down scramble to clinch the victory.

That's what winners do.

Chamberman said:

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Loss is on Peyton. Should have kicked the field goal on 2nd quarter instead of going for it on 4th down.

It was very cold with the snow in the 2nd half.

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Can agree with this take.

In a game like this, you gotta take the points early on.

Jarrett Stidham talking about that one 52 yard pass in the AFC Championship game 20 years from now. pic.twitter.com/xCoaKJicUR

— one dozen rats at a keyboard (@PanasonicDX4500) January 25, 2026

Interesting side note: Drake Maye threw for 86 yards, no TDs.

Probably hasn't been a winning qb throwing for that little yardage in a conference championship game since WWII.

Dia del DougO said:

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Interesting side note: Drake Maye threw for 86 yards, no TDs.

Probably hasn't been a winning qb throwing for that little yardage in a conference championship game since WWII.

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Close.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 77 yards in the 2019 NFC Title Game against Green Bay.

Bob Griese holds the record for a Super Bowl winning QB if I'm not mistaken - throwing for just 73 yards in Super Bowl VIII against the Minnesota Vikings.

If either team had a wildcat / single wing package ready to go, they would've won that game going away.

No offense either way

Robert Wilson said:

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If either team had a wildcat / single wing package ready to go, they would've won that game going away.

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Broncos should have signed Lynx.

Dia del DougO said:

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Robert Wilson said:

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If either team had a wildcat / single wing package ready to go, they would've won that game going away.

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Broncos should have signed Lynx.

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Hell, they had a week to prepare. Briles would've had it cooking by then.

In all seriousness, I don't understand why teams in places like Buffalo and Denver spend the entire year trying to get home field advantage and then have no offensive package for weather that is entirely likely to hit them at home late in the season.

Robert Wilson said:

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Dia del DougO said:

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Robert Wilson said:

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If either team had a wildcat / single wing package ready to go, they would've won that game going away.

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Broncos should have signed Lynx.

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Hell, they had a week to prepare. Briles would've had it cooking by then.

In all seriousness, I don't understand why teams in places like Buffalo and Denver spend the entire year trying to get home field advantage and then have no offensive package for weather that is entirely likely to hit them at home late in the season.

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Weather or no weather, I really thought the stuff they had planned for Stidham was odd. He shouldn't be doing a bunch of deep drops and slow developing plays, though he dimed one. Played right into New England's strengths for the most part. The Fourth down play near the goal line was a horrible call as well. Not what one would expect of a big time successful and experienced coach.

New England did score their lone TD on a qb run after the bad turnover.

If they had kicked that field goal in the first half the media might well be talking about the heroic gutsy performance by Denver's backup.