Overtime

Following their stunning 33–30 overtime victory against the Bills today, the Mile High City has been left reeling after a devastating development that star Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will miss the remainder of the postseason after breaking his ankle on the second-last play of the game.

Denver head coach Sean Payton confirmed the injury in his postgame press conference roughly an hour after the game’s conclusion.

“Not good news,” Payton said. “On the second-to-last play in overtime, Bo fractured a bone in his right ankle. It happened just before he threw the pass to Marvin Mims.” Payton added that Nix is scheduled to undergo surgery on Tuesday, which will rule him out for the remainder of the postseason.

His replacement for next week, Jarrett Stidham, has appearing in one game this season, taking 4 snaps without a pass attempt. Stidham has been in the league since 2019, with a career 59.4% completion percentage over 197 attempts with the Patriots, Raiders, and now the Broncos since 2023.

This does not mean the Broncos should be counted out of next week’s AFC Championship game. Postseason history has shown that backup quarterbacks can rise to the moment — most notably Nick Foles during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII run. That said, Nix’s absence undeniably reshapes the landscape. The winner of tomorrow’s matchup between the Patriots and Texans will now see a clearer, more manageable path forward, and both teams will be eager to capitalize on the opportunity.

In addition to this news, tomorrow’s game in Foxborough appears as though it will be a snow game!

3-6″ are forecasted for eastern Massachusetts, with the heaviest snow to fall right around the time of the game which starts at 3pm ET or 7am AEST. Anyone who is travelling to the game please stay safe on the roads and take extra care.

This development will also give Patriots fans plenty of reason for optimism. For one, it would mark the Texans’ first-ever playoff game played in the snow — a notoriously difficult environment for visiting teams. Secondly, New England has historically thrived in those conditions, never losing a snow game at Foxborough and boasting an 11–0 record in home games played under snowy conditions.

In January, nothing is guaranteed. Momentum can vanish in a single play, seasons can turn in an instant, and opportunity waits for whoever is prepared to take it.