Previewing the NFL’s Conference Championships

The GIST: The Broncos and Patriots have historically been AFC powerhouses, but it’s been a minute — over a decade for Denver and seven years for New England — since either franchise reached the promised land. Only one can end their Super Bowl appearance drought.

🐴 Broncos down, but not out: Losing your franchise QB a week before the Conference Championship certainly isn’t ideal, but as Nix said, this team is resilient. Their Divisional Round victory over the Buffalo Bills marked their 13th comeback win of the season and their sixth while trailing in the fourth quarter. Adversity hates to see this crew coming.

• But there’s an elephant in the room: Backup QB Jarrett Stidham hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass in 749 days — lucky for him, the Broncos boast one of the best offensive lines in football, which should give Stidham extra time to shake off the rust.

❤️ Passing game key for Patriots: QB Drake Maye is an MVP candidate for a reason, and while his six fumbles and 10 sacks in two playoff games is cause for concern, he still helms one of the best passing offenses in the NFL. That prowess was on full display in the Divisional Round, where Maye tossed absolute dimes against the league’s best defense in the Houston Texans.

• On the flip side, the Pats’ defense, led by fearsome defensive tackle Milton Williams, will need to make Stidham uncomfortable. And they’ll have the inside scoop to help them out: Stidham was a backup in New England for two years.

📍 The bottom line: Starting a backup QB in the biggest game of the season is a major disadvantage, and it’s a big reason the Broncos are underdogs at home. The Patriots should win this one, but stranger things have happened on the Mile High gridiron.