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Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports Design

Plenty of the shine from the Denver Broncos' run to the AFC Championship Game came off in sudden, stunning fashion Saturday night when coach Sean Payton announced Bo Nix had broken a bone in his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game against the Buffalo Bills and would miss the rest of the season. That leaves Jarrett Stidham -- who has not thrown a pass all season -- starting against the New England Patriots with a Super Bowl bid on the line.

The Patriots were always going to have the advantage at quarterback given Drake Maye is the potential MVP, but the gap widened significantly with the Nix news. It's not unprecedented for a backup to make the Super Bowl, but the mountain became that much harder to climb.

The good news for the Broncos is they have built a wonderful roster around Nix -- or, for the rest of the season, Stidham. The bad news is the Patriots have done the same around Maye, turning a directionless 4-13 team into a 14-3 powerhouse thanks to the additions of Mike Vrabel and several significant free-agent signings.

Here's how the two teams stack up.

Quarterback

  • Patriots: Drake Maye
  • Broncos: Bo Nix

Edge: Patriots

Maye hasn't been perfect this postseason while facing two of the NFL's best defenses -- the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans -- and he gets another tough test here. The Broncos are outstanding at all three levels, especially in the pass-rusher and cornerback departments. Still, Maye made enough plays to push New England past Houston, throwing three touchdown passes, and he has the clear edge here.

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Running back

Edge: Patriots

Stevenson has quietly provided a significant boost for the Patriots, totaling 209 yards from scrimmage in two playoff games after scoring six touchdowns over his final three games of the regular season. New England also mixes in Henderson, who can break a big play at any time. 

Denver hasn't had consistent success on the ground since Dobbins went down with what was believed to be a season-ending foot injury, but he could return this weekend now that the Broncos have extended their season. If not, it will be a heavy dose of Harvey, with McLaughlin and Badie spelling him.

Wide receiver

Edge: Patriots

Diggs has been outstanding this season, and his touchdown catch last week was one of the best of the year. So, too, was Boutte's one-handed snag.

Diggs is a route-running master, Boutte is a big play waiting to happen, Douglas is elusive, and Williams can stretch the field. 

Sutton has had a terrific season for Denver, but both Franklin (hamstring) and Bryant (concussion) are dealing with injuries suffered last week. Mims is a much better player than his surface-level stats would suggest, but New England still gets the nod here.

Tight end

Edge: Patriots

Henry had a career-high 768 yards this season and reeled in seven touchdowns. 

Engram arrived in Denver this offseason with significant expectations, but he was mostly quiet. Perhaps he'll be more involved with a new quarterback under center.

Offensive line

Edge: Broncos

This is one of the areas that should give Broncos fans the most hope. Denver's offensive line is excellent, anchored by first-team All-Pro selections Bolles and Meinerz. While it's less than ideal to start a backup quarterback, Payton does a great job with his protection schemes, and he has the personnel up front to execute them. The Broncos earned PFF's top pass-blocking grade and seventh-best run-blocking grade.

Meanwhile, the New England offensive line has struggled, allowing 10 sacks in two playoff games. No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell had a tough time in both games, and he and the rest of the unit face a deep, talented pass-rushing group.

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Defensive line

Edge: Broncos

Now fully healthy, the Patriots' front has been terrific in the playoffs. Williams looks like the player New England splurged on this offseason, and Tonga has been one of the best bang-for-your-buck free-agent signings.

But it's not quite the Denver unit, which features a first-team All-Pro performer in Allen and three other very solid contributors. Franklin-Myers (career-high 7.5 sacks) has been outstanding, Jones is stout against the run, and Roach would start for many teams across the league.

Edge rusher

Edge: Broncos

Bonitto is an absolute star, and his 14.0 regular-season sacks (fifth in the NFL) prove it. He also sacked Josh Allen last week. The pressure numbers suggest Cooper is due to return to the sacks column; he had 7.5 in the first 10 games of the season and just a half-sack since. 

For the Patriots, Chaisson has been on a heater of late, with four sacks in his past three games.

Linebacker

Edge: Push

Singleton is one of the unsung heroes of this defense, terrific against the run and solid in coverage. 

Spillane has been one of the key offseason additions to New England's defensive turnaround.

These are two strong units with underappreciated depth.

Cornerback

Edge: Broncos

This is another case of good vs. good. Really good vs. really good, even. 

Denver earns the slight edge because Surtain is a complete eraser, and McMillian is one of the league's best lesser-known cornerbacks. His interception last week could earn him more recognition.

On the other side, we know what Gonzalez can do. In addition to the 2025 Pro Bowler, Jones had a pick-six against the Texans, and Davis recorded two interceptions -- both athletic grabs along the sideline that showed impressive coordination.

This is close to a push, but Denver gets the nod by a slim margin, with depth serving as the deciding factor.

Safety

Edge: Push

Hufanga is an outstanding enforcer, the type of throwback, hard-hitting safety who has become less common in today's game. And don't overlook Locke, who intercepted Allen last week and added a forced fumble and nine tackles.

New England's duo lacks Hufanga's name recognition but played at a high level all season. PFF graded Hawkins as the No. 7 safety, and he is especially strong against the run. So, too, is Woodson. If Singleton is the underappreciated piece of Denver's defense, the same applies to Hawkins and Woodson for New England.

Special teams

  • Patriots: Andy Borregales (kicker), Bryce Baringer (punter), Marcus Jones (punt returner), Efton Chism III/Kyle Williams/D'Ernest Johnson (kick returner)
  • Broncos: Wil Lutz (kicker), Jeremy Crawshaw (punter), Jaleel McLaughlin/Marvin Mims Jr. (kick returner), Marvin Mims Jr. (punt returner)

Edge: Broncos

The hosts hold a slight advantage here. New England is better in the punting department, and both teams feature dangerous returners, but Lutz's edge over Borregales makes the difference. Lutz hasn't missed an extra point; Borregales missed a pair early in the season and missed field goals in Week 17 and Week 18. Lutz has missed just one kick over the past two months and holds the edge in big-game experience.