The Patriots' 2025 season has unexpectedly been one to remember, and it has only gotten better now that they are headed to the AFC Championship Game to face the Broncos in Denver. It will be another matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the AFC, something that surely fans can't complain about, right?
Unfortunately, because the Patriots are involved, that is not a true statement. Maybe if QB Bo Nix hadn't broken a bone in his ankle and wasn't set to miss next week, then their "easy schedule" and "cake walk to the Super Bowl" wouldn't be a talking point.
But that's not the case, and for Patriots' fans, it doesn't really matter because this team won 14 games in the regular season, owned their home field in their two playoff games, and is now headed to the AFCCG for the first time since they won Super Bowl LIII.
That is now the focus over the next week, and it won't be an easy ride to make it there, regardless of Nix not suiting up.
The Patriots are set to face a familiar QB in Bo Nix's place, in a more hostile environment in the AFCCG
After making the shocking announcement about Nix's injury, head coach Sean Payton revealed that former Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham would be the next man up.
It's certainly good news for the Patriots, since they are very familiar with Stidham, so much so that even Josh McDaniels signed him to the Raiders when he became their head coach. That works in New England's favor and could be a major factor in how they prepare this week.
That isn't the greatest change for Denver, however, as Stidham isn't the same explosive quarterback Nix is, particularly in terms of mobility. Although the offense around him will be the same, the drop in talent from Nix to Stidham could be exactly what the Patriots' defense needs to get the job done.
It would be the most spectacular way to continue a season that wasn't expected to be much more than a building block for the future.
Now it's going to fall on McDaniels' shoulders, with his firsthand knowledge about how Stidham operates, his strengths and weaknesses, and giving that intel to the defense to better prepare them for their toughest game yet.