The New England Patriots will return to the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2018, but a Denver Broncos team down a quarterback is no gift horse in the mouth.
Former NFL quarterback and nemesis of the Patriots, Nick Foles, reminded the Broncos about New England’s kryptonite. The Broncos lost starting quarterback Bo Nix to an ankle injury and plan to start ex-Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the title game next Sunday.
“Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I’m sending prayers for a strong recovery,” Foles wrote via X.com on Sunday. “A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games.”
Foles was a nightmare for the Patriots in February 2018 at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis when he led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 41-33 victory. A backup quarterback in place of the injured Carson Wentz, Foles went 28-43 for 373 yards and three touchdowns, and he caught another touchdown in a play known as “the Philly Special.”
Foles won Super Bowl MVP in the process and handed Tom Brady his third Super Bowl defeat. The Patriots likely won’t see a Foles-like performance from Stidham, who has four career starts, but New England can’t overlook the top-seeded Broncos and the team’s vaunted defense.
Nick Foles Had a Ramp-Up Time Before Patriots Game
Stidham will get thrown into the fire against one of the league’s best defenses, but Foles had two playoff games before he took on New England in the Super Bowl.
Foles was serviceable in the Divisional Round against the Atlanta Falcons when he threw for 246 yards but no touchdowns. He took off against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense in the NFC Championship Game with 352 yards passing and three touchdowns, but Foles wasn’t expected to do the same against New England.
Foles also wasn’t the typical backup quarterback at the time. He already had three seasons where he started eight or more games, and Foles had three regular season games after the Wentz injury in 2017.
Patriots Need to Keep Defense Rolling
New England has a golden opportunity in the AFC Championship Game with an inexperienced quarterback on the opposite side and an offense that doesn’t light things up in general.
It behooves the Patriots to keep up the current defensive pace with 19 points allowed in the past two games. The Los Angeles Chargers only put up three points in the Wild Card game, and the Houston Texans scored 16 points but stumbled often with five turnovers.
“They’re playing well together,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters afterward. “I feel like they’re complementing each other, and our turnovers are created by more than one guy.”
“There’s some great efforts,” Vrabel added. “But it’s somebody tipping a pass or it’s somebody that’s putting pressure that’s usually helping — or Zak’s [Kuhr] dialing something up that kind of changes the look. We’re taking advantage of our opportunities. And that’s what it’s going to take in the playoffs, is you’ve got to take care of the ball and turn it over.”
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