The New England Patriots are Super Bowl LX-bound, though it came with quite a number of breaks on the way in the AFC playoffs. Whether the starting quarterback was absent, or several key offensive trench pieces, or C.J. Stroud was under center, New England's opponents were not daunting en route to the Pats' first AFC Championship since 2019.
As CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan writes, the tarmac was cleared for landing for New England with Stroud's futility for the Houston Texans, the Los Angeles Chargers' lack of protection for Justin Herbert without tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, and the Denver Broncos' lack of Bo Nix that forced Jarrett Stidham to man the QB spot in a 10-7 AFC Championship Game loss.
"While Maye and the Patriots offense have managed to outlast several elite units, New England's path also included facing Justin Herbert behind an injured offensive line, C.J. Stroud, who threw four interceptions in the divisional round, and Jarrett Stidham, a backup pressed into action after Bo Nix got hurt," Sullivan wrote.
"Those circumstances may still leave some questioning just how good the Patriots really are, even though they are now one win away from a championship."
Bo Nix gives the world a second 'what if' after yet another season-ending injury
The 2025/2026 NFL season was not the first time Nix's season ended with a tragic injury. In 2021, Nix left an eventual 43-34 loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium with an ankle injury that'd end his career on the Plains.
The Auburn Tigers were 6-4 after that wild loss, that followed a blown 28-3 lead. Who knows what Bryan Harsin's first season could've had in store had Nix been under center instead of TJ Finley against the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl on Pat Dye Field. Finley almost had them both beat. Nix being in there is probably a different story.
Broncos fans probably feel the same after barely losing with Stidham thrust into a role he was hardly prepared for. Now, they'll be watching the Super Bowl, wondering Nix could've avenged the 2013/2014 team for their 43-8 Super Bowl XLVIII loss to the Seattle Seahawks, with Drake Maye and an offense that may be overwhelmed facing a new-age "Legion of Boom."