FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — All that stands between the New England Patriots and their first trip to the Super Bowl since Tom Brady left is a backup quarterback that they already know pretty well.
The team that Brady led to six NFL titles — and 13 conference title games — will play Denver (15-3) on Sunday for the AFC championship against one of the QBs who filled in as his successor.
Jarrett Stidham, who was selected by New England (16-3) in the fourth
round of the 2019 draft, will make his first start since 2023 as a sub for Bo Nix, who broke his ankle near the end of the Broncos’ playoff victory over Buffalo on Saturday.
Stidham spent two years in New England as a backup. When New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was coaching in Las Vegas, he gave Stidham a try there; coach Mike Vrabel said he also looked into Stidham when he was in Tennessee and again last summer, before the veteran backup re-signed with the Broncos.
“I guess it was kind of ironic,” Vrabel said on Monday, praising Stidham’s accuracy, athleticism and decision-making. “He’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched.”
The Patriots beat Houston 28-16 on Sunday to return to the AFC championship game for the first time since winning their sixth Super Bowl in the 2018 season, Brady’s second-to-last year in New England.
Drake Maye completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns; he also had an interception on an end-of-half desperation pass and fumbled four times, turning it over twice, in a wintry mix that also contributed to the four interceptions thrown by Texans QB C.J. Stroud.
The defense sacked Stroud three times and forced him into bad throws that found their way into Patriots hands.
Carlton Davis III had two interceptions, Craig Woodson had an interception and fumble recovery and Marcus Jones returned his interception for the touchdown that gave New England the lead for good early in the second quarter.
“Regardless of what the play call was, man — you see ball, you get ball," linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson said. ”We had our opportunity to make those plays happen, and we did.”
New England has never won a playoff game in Denver.
“It’s a challenge,” said tight end Hunter Henry, who spent five seasons facing the Broncos in the AFC West while with the Chargers. “When that place is rolling, it’s going to be extremely loud. They’ll be ready to go. … I know the environment will be a lot, it’ll be loud and we’ll have to match that intensity. So, it’s a big opportunity and I know all the guys will be excited for it.”
The Patriots had the easiest schedule in the league this season, leaving doubts about their ability to advance once the competition improved in the playoffs. But they have now won back-to-back games over two of the top five defenses in the NFL — the Chargers (No. 5), and Texans (No. 1) — with Denver (No. 2) up next.
No quarterback has ever beaten three top 5 defenses in a single postseason.
“They (the Broncos) are playing with a lot of confidence,” Vrabel said. “They’re good on the perimeter, really good up front. The athleticism, they have size, they put a lot of pressure on you. That’s just how this thing goes: Each and every week, they get tougher.”
Maye put up an MVP-caliber regular season but he turned the ball over twice in the wild-card victory over the Chargers and three more times on Sunday. (He lost the ball a total of six times in the two games, but New England recovered three of them.)
“Credit to the defense. We knew they were going to be good, and they lived up to the hype and all the statistics, and all the ball hunting that we saw on film,” Maye said.
”The elements were a little tough. I have to be better with the football when I’m taking off and running. From there, just know that the football is the prized possession. And when we don’t turn the ball over and put the team in the best spots, I like our chances."
LB Robert Spillane left in the first quarter with a thumb injury, but returned. ... RB TreVeyon Henderson was shaken up after a second-quarter run before jogging off. ... S Craig Woodson left after his interception with a head injury, but returned. ... RB Rhamondre Stevenson left in the second quarter with an eye issue. ... Davis injured his head in the fourth quarter.
8-0 — The Patriots are undefeated on the road this season.
The winner of Sunday's game will advance to the Super Bowl to play either the Seattle Seahawks (15-3) or Los Angeles Rams (14-5).
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