The Denver Broncos suffered the most unfortunate outcome despite their 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday night at Empower Field at Mile High: the possible ending of their Super Bowl run via Bo Nix's ankle injury.
That's the sentiment The Denver Post's Troy Renck shared, anyway, learning that Jarrett Stidham would have to lead the team in the AFC Championship next week. Renck admitted that "it feels over now" without Nix.
"Man, what did the Broncos do to deserve this? We felt like all year, something was going to go wrong this season. Call it karma. Call it an awful hunch," Renck prefaced before saying, "But this was just cruel, like telling an 8-year-old that Christmas was canceled or that the Easter Bunny tore his ACL.
"Nix, backed by a ferocious defense, guided the Broncos to a 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills. He mocked fate, shoving the Broncos, no longer America’s Favorite Fraud, into the AFC Championship Game.
"It was never over with this team. But it feels over now."
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Jarrett Stidham could become biggest story in sports next week
Could Stidham become the next Nick Foles, leading a team whose starter went down to the Super Bowl by doing what no one thought he could? In 2018, Foles led the Philadelphia Eagles to a victory over Tom Brady's New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Stidham could do the same on a team with strong defense and protection.
In fact, Stidham can undo a lot of Bo hype by finishing the job without him. Just like Foles did with Carson Wentz. Many Auburn Tigers fans would probably enjoy that, actually.
Stidham is in a win-win situation. No one expects him to get the job done, while a win would make him an instant legend in Colorado.
In a way, that puts Nix in a lose-lose situation. If the the Broncos lose, what-ifs will haunt Denver forever. If they win, many will slap him with the "system QB" label, undermining everything he did to make the Broncos the AFC's top team.
An injury like this could have an unfathomable butterfly effect. Stidham can become a footnote or an unforgettable figure. There's no in-between next Sunday when a trip to Super Bowl LX on the line.