Jarrett Stidham, the Broncos’ hero of the hour before Sunday’s AFC title tilt against the Patriots, played long enough to see himself become the villain in an ugly 10-7 loss that ended Denver’s fairytale run this postseason.
In just his fifth start in seven years, Stidham got the nod under center Sunday in the wake of Bo Nix’s season-ending ankle injury and appeared ready to rise to the occasion early on, especially after making an impressive 50-yard-plus throw to get the Broncos into the Patriots’ red-zone territory. He would cap off that drive with a touchdown, marking the game’s first score—and Denver’s last.
