This is not the weekend for the Broncos’ front office to be sensible with its Walmart money. Oh, no. The 2026 NFL Draft is a free hit. An open goal. A chance to patch holes on a good roster by taking some chances.

Denver was an ankle away from the Super Bowl last season. A freak injury from waving high enough for everybody in Kansas to see.

Act like it.

Be bold.

Be brave.

Please don’t be an inside linebacker.

We’re wringing our hands about pick No. 62, of course, a second-round selection that, as of Monday, is the Broncos’ first — and maybe only — chance to make a draft weekend splash.

Six of the Broncos’ seven picks are slated to fall on Day 3 (rounds four-seven), and three of those six currently lie in the final round. History says Paton and Payton will move around some if they see someone specific they like. But a class this small needs to be about quality — not quantity. So as the weekend approaches, here are five things you’d hope general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton keep in mind as they shop for depth:

1. If Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers is available at No. 62, or close, move Heaven and Earth to make him yours

Linebacker or tight end? Defensive lineman or slot weapon? You nuts? Did you watch the Commodores? Don’t overthink this. Stowers is a tight end who looks like a wide receiver (6-foot-3, 239 pounds), runs like a wide receiver (4.51 in the 40) and jumps like a wide receiver (45.5-inch vertical).

He’s a matchup nightmare, the kind of target who leaves linebackers eating his dust and safeties flailing to reach jump balls they can’t touch. Stowers the draft epitome of a “Joker,” the TE/WR/inside triangle hybrid that Payton spoke about so lustily in January 2025. He’s Evan Engram. Only younger. Sure, Stowers doesn’t grade out well as a blocker. Guess what? You’ve got plenty of “blocking” tight ends on hand already.

2. Grab a contributor Friday — save your projects for Saturday

Could you find a starting-caliber linebacker late in the second round, too? Sure. Assuming Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez is still on the board, he’d make a perfect understudy for Alex Singleton, who’ll turn 33 in December. Or Justin Strnad, who turns 30 in August.

But with only seven picks, and a ton of contracts slated to end after the 2027 season, isn’t time of the essence? Shouldn’t you be saving the understudies for Saturday?

This is a back-filling draft, not the foundational one that 2024 turned out to be, thanks largely to Bo Nix. But winning now means getting guys who can play, and contribute, from the jump. Ideally, that means finding someone in Round 2 who could start for you in a pinch as soon as Week 1. Nail that, and the rest is gravy. Because if you don’t …

3. Don’t fall in love with BPA if that BPA has nowhere to play

See: Barron, Jahdae. Paton’s 2025 BPA with selection No. 20 a year ago. As in, “Best Player Available.” Or is it, Best Pick Again?

You can never have too much of a good thing in this league, given the volatility and injuries. Unless, of course, it’s nickel backs, especially when you’ve already developed an undrafted one (Ja’Quan McMillian) into one of the best in the AFC. At the time of Paton and Payton picked Barron, last spring’s first-round selection, folks didn’t whoop and holler. Barron, a speedster who raised Cain at the University of Texas, made folks sort of shrug and go, ‘Yeah, well, makes sense.’

The Broncos late in 2024 got badly exposed along the perimeter in the passing game — that Cleveland game on Monday Night Football was wild — while Pat Surtain II was out and a still-young Riley Moss was forced to cover more WR1s.

Fast forward to the fall of ’25, where Moss improved and cut down on his penalties. McMillian upped his game another level and rarely left the field on passing downs.

Before last spring’s draft, pundits and fans pleaded for the Broncos to add more help at running back, tight end and wide receiver. By and large, they’re making the same pleas in 2026 — which doesn’t exactly speak well for the early returns on Barron in the first round or for RJ Harvey in the second.

There’s time. But 2027, when so many of the contracts for this current core are slated to run out, gets closer by the day.

4. Remember Bo Nix — and Nix’s costs down the road

If someone offers you picks — even late ones — for the 2027, 2028 or 2029 drafts, you’d be wise to listen. Nix’s four-year rookie deal The Bo Show is slated for a $5.08-million cap hit this fall, and a $5.92-million hit in two seasons. Justin Herbert’s first post-rookie-contract extension had an average annual value of $52.5 million. Joe Burrow’s post-rookie extension featured an AAV of $55 million.

That raise is coming. More rookies will need to be coming, too.

5. Secure a RB you can trust in January

Here’s an idea. Actually, think of it as an exercise. At some point on Saturday, or before, look at the tailbacks most likely to be on the board after Round 2 or Round 3. Ask yourself, very simply, one question: Which one would I feel good about starting, at home, in late January, come rain, sleet or shine?

Because, presuming that J.K. Dobbins is going to be there is pure hubris. Or ignorance. Or both. Presume he’s not. Presume the rest of your options are still best used as pass-catchers in space (Harvey) or as special-teamers (Badie). Which of these prospects can pound the rock between the tackles 12-15 times per game against a salty defense? Which one could help grind me to a Super Bowl?

I’m partial to Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson, a workhorse for the Cornhuskers last year, a volume carrier with power who recorded just three fumbles over 550 touches as a collegian. A born closer. Johnson averaged 6.7 yards from scrimmage last November every time he saw the ball, scoring five times on 120 touches that month. Sounds like the perfect fit, on paper, for a franchise that won’t just be judged on how it finishes next season. But where.

Josh Bulla has known Stidham since elementary school in Stephensville, Texas, when a young Bulla first noticed the kid who was a foot taller than everyone else. From that point, Bulla said, Stidham always knew he was headed for some greater destiny. Milestones came and went: he played college football at Baylor and Auburn, where he was a two-year starter , and got drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round in 2019. The final goal — become an NFL starting quarterback — came again on the night of Jan. 18, 2026.

Just not like this, Stidham told Bulla.

He’d gotten his chances before. Two starts in 2022, when the Raiders benched Derek Carr. Two starts in 2023, when the Broncos benched Russell Wilson. Those were exciting. But Bo Nix breaking his ankle Saturday night, as Stidham told Bulla, was “gutting.”

“The first thing that came to mind,” Stidham said, as Bulla recalled, “was, ‘No.'”

“Like, this is Bo’s show.”

Over the past two years, Bo and Izzy Nix have become “like family” to Stidham and his wife, Kennedy, Bulla said. Nix’s second-year run ended shockingly after a divisional-round win over the Bills, and the emotions Stidham felt extend much deeper than his mentorship in Denver. In Stidham’s two years starting at Auburn, from 2017-18, .

It began as simple program ambassadorship, then-Auburn OC Chip Lindsay remembered. Stidham would talk to Nix and host him on visits. Eventually, though, Stidham started asking Lindsay how Nix did in his high school games. He knew that Nix was his successor, former Auburn wideout Ryan Davis recalled.

“Jarrett was basically, like, giving him the keys,” Davis said.

Seven years later, Nix is giving them back. — Nix’s first public statement since breaking his ankle — the Broncos’ starting QB offered a hat-tip, saying he “couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett.” Denver’s season now lies in the hands of Stidham, a career backup who has started four career games in six NFL seasons and hasn’t thrown a regular-season pass in two years.

Across this week’s preparation for the Patriots in Sunday’s AFC championship, Denver’s locker room has heaped praise on Stidham to anyone with a microphone. They have no other choice.

“He’s going to rip it,” head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “And that will be our approach.”

In Year 2 in Denver, Nix and Payton found synergy as the second-year quarterback praised Payton for letting him be his “authentic self.” These Broncos formed an identity around Nix, a fiery 25-year-old whose white-hot competitiveness fueled a season of second-half comebacks. They are now rallying around Stidham, a cool 29-year-old whose serenity masks his own fire.

Stidham has kept the same routine for three years in Denver, left tackle Garett Bolles said. He eats the same food. He drinks the same water. He hits the steam room at the same time. He listens to the same music, on a Turtlebox waterproof speaker that he affectionately refers to as “Mr. Turtle.”

Nothing has changed in this week of madness. Stidham is who he is because he knows who he is. That is comfort, as these Broncos head into a war.

“He got some swag,” Bolles said Thursday. “He got some swag to him. So, that fuels us all.”

…
In 2023, 6-foot-4 safety JL Skinner arrived in Denver as a raw sixth-round pick out of Boise State. He took plenty of flak from Stidham, who’d just signed as a free agent and who had no more experience in Denver than Skinner.

Stidham wanted Skinner to be better. And he let him know about it. The QB chirped at him in practice.

“JL, what are you doing? What are you doing?”

“I’m like, ‘Man, (expletive) this guy,'” Skinner said Thursday.

“And then in my head,I’m like, (expletive), he’s actually throwing that ball right over my head, too. I gotta do something about it.”

He was born with that. The now 6-foot-3 Stidham played offensive line in Pee Wee football in Weatherford, Texas, because he was tall. Future high school coach Joe Gillespie introduced him to former SMU quarterback Kelan Luker for some training in middle school. The first time Luker worked with Stidham, he walked out to a field, saw him throw a few balls, and noticed the kid never missed.

Stidham had never played quarterback before. To this day, Luker maintains he never really taught him anything over the course of a few years.

“I think what really happened – he was so talented, he could just watch what I did,” Luker said, “and he could imitate.”

In Denver, QB3-turned-QB2 Sam Ehlinger notes that Stidham’s ball “spins really pretty.” The RPMs came naturally. So did unassuming athleticism, a trait that most every teammate or coach notes about Stidham.  Underneath six years of backup life in the NFL is years of life as a five-star gem, the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015 (above Kyler Murray, Sam Bradford and Joe Burrow).

“He’s just one of those West Texas boys who grew up spinnin’ it,” said Jordan Palmer, a former NFL quarterback who’s long worked with Stidham and .

After two years at Auburn, Stidham arrived in New England in 2019. It was Tom Brady’s last year; the Patriots were treating Stidham as “the next guy,” as Davis said, a former Auburn receiver who spent six months in New England’s training camp in 2019. Stidham picked Brady’s brain, and Brady once left three of his custom hoodies as a gift in Stidham’s locker. But the Patriots brought in former MVP Cam Newton two weeks before training camp the next year in 2020, and drafted Mac Jones in the first round in 2021, and shipped Stidham to Las Vegas in 2022 without ever starting him in a game.

Old habits die hard, Bulla recalled. Stidham grew up as the guy. He never stopped believing he could be. After signing in Denver, he got a taste of it late in 2023, when the Broncos benched Wilson. He lost the starting job to rookie Nix in 2024. Bulla asked Stidham how he was feeling heading into training camp this past summer, wedged squarely behind a young franchise face.

“He’s like, ‘It����ap the NFL,'” Bulla said . “‘Everyone’s talented. Crazy things can happen. And I still have to act the way I always have, and that I want to be the starter.'”

…
In December 2017, Carson Wentz tore his ACL, and the 11-2 Philadelphia Eagles had to recalibrate around backup quarterback Nick Foles. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich set about watching the “Foles highlight reel,” as he dubbed it — cut-ups of every single Foles completion from five previous NFL seasons. He sat with Foles and had the quarterback walk him through some preferred concepts: a few post routes here, a deep ball there.

Outside the Xs and Os, though, Reich and the rest of the Eagles’ staff didn’t do much to try to control messaging to the team. They let Foles roam free as a personality. And Foles — whose confidence earned him a provocative — became legend across a Super Bowl run in the weeks to follow.

“If you’re trying to cover up what you perceive as some weakness, some leadership weakness of the backup quarterback, then you’re in trouble,” Reich said.

Reich, a former quarterback himself who once stepped in as a backup to Jim Kelly for multiple Buffalo Bills playoff runs in the 1990s, has taken an interest in Stidham’s particular situation in Denver. He’s watched clips of his interviews. He’s detected moxie.

“It seems like the kid’s a winner,” Reich said. “Like, he’s a winner. And everybody knows it.”

Emotion crested and fell in Denver in the span of a single hour after the Broncos’ 33-30 overtime win over Buffalo. Sean Payton went to a podium in street clothes, told reporters Nix was out for the season with a fractured ankle, and the Broncos’ locker room came away as stunned as the rest of the world. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi found out from his son, driving home from the stadium. Receiver Courtland Sutton literally didn’t believe it was true.

Utter chaos has swirled around Stidham in the days since. The Copelands were deep in the woods of West Texas on a hunting trip, cracking open a few Coors Originals and playing cards, when they got the news he was starting. Friends have let Stidham know they’ll make it to Denver in any way possible for Sunday’s game. An entire fanbase has turned its social-media avatars to pictures of Stidham in a strange form of solidarity. This shot is “everything he’s ever dreamed for,” Bulla said.

Stidham has yet to flinch, in public or private.

“Is he getting sleep this week? I don’t know,” said Brian Hoyer, a longtime NFL backup who was with Stidham in New England in 2020 and 2021. “I talked to him (Tuesday). And either it hasn’t hit him yet and he doesn’t have any words, or he hid it really well.”

There is a “calmness” about Stidham, Payton said on Wednesday. There always has been. The most worked-up Bulla has ever seen Stidham — in a circumstance not involving family or football — was when Bulla pranked Stidham in high school by hotwiring his beat-up 1995 Chevy Silverado and hiding it in a different parking lot. On-field mistakes have always brought the same reaction, Palmer described: Aw, shucks, and move on.

These days, Stidham carries that “Mr. Turtle” speaker into the team shower on the daily, blasting an assortment of Kate Bush and Fleetwood Mac and country tunes. He has a rookie football card of cornerback Riley Moss pinned to the front of his locker, for some reason. He wore a full-body lion costume to the Broncos’ Halloween party in October.

“Every time I see him,” practice-squad receiver Elijah Moore said, “he’s playing music. I guess he’s just got the vibes on him. I love that.”

Stidham did not always present this way. Take it from Washington head coach Jedd Fisch, who coached New England’s quarterbacks in 2020.

“Really?” Fisch said, told the tale of Mr. Turtle. “He wasn’t like that. Yeah, I don’t remember. Maybe it����ap because we were in the middle of COVID … I would not have guessed that one.”

The years have brought Stidham’s self-awareness outward, as he’s moved into a comfortable stage of life. Stidham and wife, Kennedy, welcomed their third child in October. When he and Bulla catch up these days, they spend roughly two minutes talking football and the rest figuring out “what the hell” to do in fatherhood, as Bulla put it.

“I see a direct correlation,” Palmer said. “When people have their personal lives figured out and then get put into the spotlight on a big stage, I see that go better for the guys that have their lives figured out …. I would say Jarrett’s about as stable as it gets, for a guy his age.

“There’s no reason to change,” Palmer continued. “There’s no reason to do it different. So I’m sure that Jarrett is going into this weekend with a lot of confidence that – he is enough.”

…
Sean Payton, Skinner said, does not keep “bums” on his roster. Backups. Practice squad. Doesn’t matter.

Stidham was one of Payton’s first signings upon arriving in Denver in 2023, even as the Broncos already had Wilson. The organization made it a priority to bring Stidham back this past free agency, on a two-year deal worth $12 million. The money signals trust around the league. Moore — a 25-year-old receiver who’s now been on four NFL teams — said he’s heard of Stidham’s reputation in the past, before signing with the Broncos a month ago.

“Stiddy got signed back-to-back-to-back for a long time now,” Skinner said at his locker Thursday. “And nobody knows why, from the outside. But we know why, from the inside. Because that mother(expletive) can throw that goddamn rock.”

Payton believes Stidham’s inside the 32 best quarterbacks in the NFL. So does Patriots defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr, that Stidham “could be a starter for a number of teams.” Stidham’s arm talent and sneaky mobility aren’t in question: quietly, he ran for a combined 84 yards in two starts for the Raiders in 2022.

Sean Payton called Jarrett Stidham a "real good foot athlete" today. Of note: Stidham ran for a combined 84 yards in the first two starts of his career with Las Vegas in '22.

Here's a first-down scramble against a top defense in the 49ers in '22. Plus a ball-flick celebration.

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans)

The major issue, heading into Sunday’s conference championship, is whether Stidham has enough between the ears to handle the “kitchen sink” that the Patriots’ defense throws at opposing quarterbacks, as Hoyer described. Under Kuhr, a swarming New England attack stumped Los Angeles’s Justin Herbert in the wild-card round and picked off Houston’s C.J. Stroud four times in the divisional round.

“They’re going to bring a lot of (expletive), and that����ap where he has to rely on Sean Payton, and the preparation, and I’m sure there’s gonna be a lot of checks and – ‘When you see this look, you gotta get into this play or change the protection,’” Hoyer said.

The counter-move is that New England has no shred of Broncos tape on hand to prepare for Stidham. So, how does Denver design a gameplan around him in the span of a week?

Payton has made clear he sees Nix and Stidham as two different styles of quarterbacks. Others disagree. Stidham spent much of 2020 with Fisch studying tape of Jared Goff, and San Francisco’s Jimmy Garoppolo, and quarterbacks in West Coast systems with plenty of under-center looks. This Denver offense has shifted more in that direction across the second half of 2025, and Palmer and Hoyer don’t see Payton’s established system needing to change much from Nix to Stidham.

“When they can run the ball and throw the play-action game, he can reach anywhere on the field with the ball,” former Auburn OC Lindsey said. “And try to create some explosives off play-action – that would be the first thing that would come to my mind.”

On one hand, Stidham’s in a position where three weeks and a Super Bowl ring would forever change his life, Bulla said. On the other hand, friends and confidants don’t see Stidham stretching himself much for Sunday. Quarterbacks who finally receive their shot, as Palmer said, generally fall into one of two mental buckets. Some hope it’ll go well. Some think it should go well.

Stidham feels, Palmer said, that he should play well.

“When we win that game,” Skinner said, “what they gon’ say now? What they’ gon say now, you know what I mean. They gon’ say — ‘Stiddy this. Stiddy that.’

“Stiddy gon’ get a brand-new contract off this, bro,” he continued. “That����ap how I’m looking at it, man. We riding out with Stiddy.”

Then, shortly after Milton Williams sacked the Chargers’ Justin Herbert on Sunday night to secure the Patriots’ first playoff victory in seven years, Williams of Vrabel.

It knocked the first-year coach backward and bloodied his lip.

“The big dogs come out in January. I think Milt took that to heart,” Vrabel said. “He came over and got me pretty good. But that����ap what happens.”

Drake Maye in the fourth quarter, and New England’s defense roughed up Herbert as the Patriots beat Los Angeles 16-3 in an AFC wild-card playoff game.

Andy Borregales kicked three field goals for the Patriots (15-3), who hadn’t won in the postseason since their Super Bowl victory to cap the 2018 season. They’ll host the winner of Monday night����ap game between Pittsburgh and Houston in the divisional round.

In his playoff debut, Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and ran for a team-high 66 yards.

“We made plays when we had to do it,” Maye said.

He also threw an interception and lost a fumble, but the Chargers (11-7) couldn’t capitalize on those turnovers.

New England held Los Angeles to 207 yards of offense and sacked Herbert six times, with one of those resulting in a lost fumble that set up the Patriots’ TD.

“It����ap on us, what we do. I’ve been saying that all season,” Williams said. “We can control the game. If we do what we need to do up front, we’re going to win.”

This is the second straight season in which the Chargers have lost in the wild-card round. Herbert finished 19 of 31 for 159 yards and was his team’s leading rusher with 57 yards as he fell to 0-3 in the playoffs.

Herbert was just over a month removed from surgery to repair a broken bone in his nonthrowing hand.

“There was no issue,” Herbert said. “I just have to do a better job holding on to the ball.”

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said his quarterback wasn’t 100 percent.

“He’s a warrior. He just gives it everything he has, all the time,” Harbaugh said, acknowledging that Herbert was limited by his hand injury. “It����ap an issue, but he doesn’t flinch, like a warrior would.”

The last time the Chargers failed to score a TD in the playoffs was their 21-12 AFC championship game loss to the Patriots during the 2007 season.

The Patriots drove into the red zone on their first possession of the third quarter, but the drive ended when Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh and De’Shawn Hand recovered for the Chargers.

After Los Angeles punted, Maye connected on a pass to Kayshon Boutte that went for 42 yards to set the Patriots up on the Chargers 27. But New England settled for a 39-yard field goal that stretched their lead to 9-3.

Early in the fourth quarter, Maye used a 16-yard pass to Boutte and a 13-yard burst by Rhamondre Stevenson to set up his precise 28-yard TD toss to Henry that put the Patriots in front 16-3.

The Chargers picked up back-to-back first downs to open their ensuing drive. But when Herbert dropped back to pass on the next play, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson strip-sacked him and fell on loose ball.

Los Angeles had one final possession, but it ended with Herbert getting sacked by Williams on fourth down.

“It����ap playoff football. It����ap going to get ugly. It����ap going to get nasty. But you’ve got to keep going,” Williams said.

Patriots get 3 the hard way

The opening quarter had lots of action, but it took until early in the second quarter for the Patriots to end a scoreless stalemate.

With New England pinned inside its own 10 after a Chargers punt, Maye had a pass intended for Austin Hooper tipped by Teair Tart and intercepted by Daiyan Henley.

Los Angeles started with the ball on the Patriots 10 but was stopped on fourth-and-2 when Herbert misfired a pass to Keenan Allen.

The Patriots took over and got some breathing room via a 48-yard catch-and-run by Stevenson.

Thirteen plays and a fourth-down conversion later, the drive ended with Borregales’ 23-yard field goal.

Injuries

Patriots: CB Carlton Davis left in the first half with a toe injury but returned. … CB Christian Gonzalez left in the second half with a head injury.

Up next

Chargers: End of season.

Patriots: Host either Houston or Pittsburgh next Sunday.

“I told Sean Payton I thought it was the best selection in the draft at quarterback,” the former St. Louis Rams coach and offensive coordinator told The Post. “With Sean’s great understanding of the passing game, Bo Nix went to the perfect spot.”

Two years later, Nix boasts 24 wins, and will be watching from his couch this weekend after the Broncos secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a bye. Still, no Denver quarterback has been more heavily scrutinized since Peyton Manning.

Nix led the NFL in passing attempts and game-winning drives. Yet every Sunday feels like a race to the keyboard or microphone to criticize the mole on Cindy Crawford’s face (guilty as charged).

Win the Super Bowl with the AFC field wide open, or this season is a failure.

Do you Bo-lieve that? I don’t.

If you were watching the Broncos the past two games, you’d be fooling yourself to place that much faith in this team to go undefeated in the postseason.

So, regarding Nix, we have been looking at this all wrong.

He is being held to the same standard as the likes of Derek Jeter. Anything less than a downtown parade is a waste? Please. That is easy to say when you play for the Yankees, who use championship banners as coasters.

These days, no one affords anyone patience. But, Nix deserves context.

The Broncos are back in the playoffs for a second straight season, one game closer to Super Bowl LX, and a legitimate contender because Nix has played with a slow heartbeat in the fourth quarter.

But how about we sip the orange Kool-Aid instead of chugging it, and consider the history Nix is chasing.

Not only has a rookie quarterback never won a Super Bowl, but a second-year starter has only pulled it off four times: Kurt Warner (1999), Tom Brady (2002), Ben Roethlisberger (2005) and Russell Wilson (2013).

That is a success rate of 6.7 % in 59 attempts.

This is not meant to provide Nix with an excuse, but an appropriate frame of reference. Those aforementioned players are either in the Hall of Fame (Warner) or will be (yes, even Wilson has a strong case).

Nix has been good. Manning told me he would be last summer, stressing “he is made of the right stuff.” But nobody is rushing to get his measurements for a gold jacket.

Nix is solid, inspiring confidence in teammates, who have watched him play his best when it matters most. Still, let’s be real about the current ask: win a Super Bowl in his second season?

Here’s the thing about Warner, Brady, Roethlisberger and Wilson: they did not have to put on a cape. They had sidekicks worthy of Marvel Comics. All four of them were paired with 1,000-yard rushers in Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, Antowain Smith, Willie Parker and Marshawn Lynch.

These guys had nicknames like “Superman,” “Fast Willie” and “Beast Mode.” Roethlisberger had Canton-bound Jerome “The Bus” Bettis as a short-yardage back for goodness sake.

Nix has R.J. Harvey — RJ for short — and Jaleel McLaughlin who doesn’t have a nickname but is known for the team misspelling his name on the back of his jersey in the preseason.

This is where Nix misses “El Toro,” aka J.K. Dobbins. He was on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards — he finished with 772 through 10 games, still a team best — before injuring his foot.

Want to be fair to Nix: Ask more of him in the Super Bowl if Dobbins returns.

Too lenient a standard?

You do realize that only eight second-year quarterbacks have even reached the Super Bowl, and Dan Marino, Colin Kaepernick, Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy all failed. And every one of them had a 1,000-yard rusher, save for Marino, who passed for a record 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns.

This is why it is important to widen the lens on the Broncos season. It has been special; you don’t win 14 games without creating goosebumps. But these Broncos are not like those of 1997, 1998 and 2015.

They are more flawed, a year ahead of schedule. They don’t have a championship offense on paper, and the resumes of Manning and John Elway dwarf Nix’s credentials.

Which is why it is fascinating how bad games cling to Nix like Bounce sheets, especially in relation to the other quarterbacks in the field.

Josh Allen and C.J. Stroud have never won a postseason road game or reached the big game. Justin Herbert’s next playoff victory will be his first. Same goes for Sam Darnold. And Aaron Rodgers has not posted a postseason victory since 2021.

Nix has delivered some ugly quarters and halves, last week among them. It is why even some of his comebacks get dinged since he sprayed an extinguisher on fires he started.

In the end, though, he has done his part without, as Warner explained before the season, a remarkable cast.

He has played a significant role while being asked to take on as much responsibility as any sophomore quarterback in recent memory.

The Broncos are not a Super Bowl team in the traditional sense, not without more weapons offensively, and a special teams boost from Marvin Mims Jr. But they do have a defense that generates pressure and, if the Chargers’ win is any indication, remains capable of displaying sticky fingers.

And they have a quarterback they trust. ����apountry understands it — they lived through 13 underwhelming starters after Manning. The locker room knows it.

And Martz gets it.

“I would love to coach that kid,” said Martz, who coached Warner to a Super Bowl title in his second season. “Absolutely, love it.”

Martz was right about Nix. All Nix has done is put himself in a position to win a championship.

But let’s be realistic: it is not a failure if he doesn’t.

Sean Keeler: I’ll take the Steelers  Because “200” is about how many yards I can see Old Man Aaron Rodgers throwing for against this Broncos defense — and that’s as a best-case scenario. It was hard to look away from the end of Pittsburgh-Baltimore on Sunday night, which felt way more like a playoff game than Broncos-Chargers ever did. And all I could keep thinking was, ‘Man, I do not love the idea of Vance Joseph’s beat-up safety group having to tackle Derrick Henry for three hours.’ Well, thanks to Tyler Loop, we don’t have to worry about that.

Renck: The Steelers have no chance of beating the Broncos. Ben Roethlisberger, in his prime, couldn’t do it in 2015. And 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers, near the end of his time, won’t. Or get the chance. He will be eliminated. Bring on the Texans. The Texans believe they would have beaten Denver earlier this season if quarterback C.J. Stroud had not been knocked out with a concussion. Their defense is nasty, so why would they make the most favorable matchup? History. The Texans have never won a divisional game, posting an 0-6 record. All on the road. The Broncos are built to win ugly, so Houston dragging them into the mud will be welcomed in a low-scoring home game.

Keeler: A Broncos-Texans rematch should come with a “Viewer Discretion Is Advised” TV warning before kickoff. History says you’d welcome the Texans in your house for the postseason — Houston’s also 0-6 all-time as a road playoff team. But oh-fers don’t last forever, do they? Denver handed the Texans their last loss, and that tilt saw all kinds of fluke-y stuff, Davis Mills chief among then, that swung it toward the orange and blue. And while I like the matchup of the Broncos’ nasty front versus Houston’s iffy offensive line, I’m less crazy about a motivated Texans bunch coming in here riding a 10-game win streak.

Renck: Arguments can be advanced that the Broncos would be better off playing the Chargers, a team decimated by offensive line issues that were exploited Sunday. But facing an opponent three times is dicey, with familiar breeding contempt and insight. And be careful asking for the Bills. They lack weapons on both sides of the ball, but do you really want to risk Josh Allen throwing on a cape in a revenge game against Denver not drafting him? The reality is that the Broncos can beat anyone. Or lose to anyone. But given Denver’s offensive limitations, the Texans represent the most favorable matchup because it plays into the Broncos’ strength of leaning into their defense and raucous crowd to squeak out a hand-wringing victory.

Keeler: It’s about matchups from here on out, and Josh Allen is one I’d absolutely be looking to avoid. Not crazy about a Jags rematch, for obvious reasons, or a Chargers team that’s got Justin Herbert instead of Trey Lance slinging it around. But Pittsburgh, on paper, ticks the most boxes right now. Pittsburgh’s offensive line is salty, but so is Rodgers’ beard. In his last two games versus a VJ defense, A-Rod is 1-1, has averaged 205 passing yards and 16.5 points, all while getting sacked six times. When Rodgers has been sacked four or more times in the postseason, he’s 1-5. Like those odds. Especially at home.

After Denver ground out a 19-3 win over the Chargers in Week 18, ESPN reporter Kris Rhim posted a video to Twitter of Los Angeles safety Tony Jefferson walking back in an Empower Field tunnel with a few very choice words aimed at the Broncos.

“They suck, bro,” Jefferson said, seemingly aimed at nobody in particular. “I don’t care. I have no respect for them. I don’t like nobody on the Broncos.”

Jefferson then appeared to acknowledge the camera, pointed, and called Broncos safety JL Skinner a “homie” before continuing with a flurry of shots.

If Chargers beat Patriots in playoffs, they get another shot at Broncos

"Broncos suck, though," Jefferson continued as he walked into the locker room.

Denver fell miles short of a top-tier performance against a Chargers team that rested several key players Sunday, including quarterback Justin Herbert. The Broncos didn't score a single touchdown on offense, and Sean Payton's unit averaged just 4.1 yards per play in a sleepy gameplan against a conservative Los Angeles defense.

Jefferson, for his part, recorded a team-high eight tackles for Los Angeles.

These Broncos have fed all season off national narratives -- perceived or otherwise -- and any dose of bulletin-board material. When the Broncos' and Giants' fanbases got into an online sparring match in Week 7 over a few dismissive comments by outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper towards quarterback Jaxson Dart, Broncos defenders went on a social-media victory lap after a comeback win. And head coach Sean Payton has effectively planted an "underdog" mentality inside a 14-3 team that's now the holder of the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Keeler: Broncos, make us Bo-lieve! If QB Bo Nix plays like he did vs. Chargers, Denver is 1-and-done in NFL playoffs

When asked Sunday night if he felt these Broncos were still underdogs or now "overdogs" -- a nod to a coined late-season slogan -- quarterback Bo Nix answered the latter.

"They'll still give you all the reasons," Nix muttered, "why we're gonna lose the game."

Jefferson's comments could certainly wash away in the span before the AFC divisional round. But if Los Angeles beats 14-3 New England this coming Sunday, they'll be guaranteed to return to Denver in two weeks.

"We’ve got, like, backlogs of tape on the Chargers," Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Sunday night, in a discussion of Denver's bye-week plans. "They could very well be here in a couple weeks.”

Here’s The Denver Post’s report card from the afternoon.

OFFENSE — F

Welcome to the worst performance of an already-turbulent season for Sean Payton‘s offense.

Bad vibes abounded. Start to finish. Bo Nix clapped at RJ Harvey. Davis Webb barked at Nix on the sidelines. Courtland Sutton came over to sit next to Nix in the second half. Nothing really worked. After three quarters of fruitless drive and six total points on offense, a Nik Bonitto strip-sack gave the Broncos the ball back in the fourth quarter at Los Angeles’s 20-yard-line. A chance to salvage some dignity.

They lost 2 yards and settled for a field goal.

Nix played poorly — 14-of-23 for 141 yards, no touchdowns and no picks — but this was hardly his fault. Denver’s pass protection was porous for most of the day Sunday, with no time to set up any sort of shot play other than a 37-yarder to Evan Engram in the first half. Running back Jaleel McLaughlin was excellent with 58 total yards on seven touches, but didn’t touch the ball nearly enough; Harvey finished with just 28 rushing yards on 15 carries. Even if Payton was trying to keep a few tricks under his sleeve for a playoff run, this wasn’t the confidence-builder heading into a playoff bye week that the Broncos might’ve wanted.

Broncos four downs: Sean Payton turned Bo Nix into Boo Nix after offensive struggles vs. Chargers

DEFENSE -- A

For long stretches of the first half Sunday, Trey Lance had better odds completing a pass to a ballboy on the sidelines than one of his actual receivers.

The Chargers' offense was utterly toothless Sunday with former first-round pick Lance running the show, after head coach Jim Harbaugh announced Monday he was sitting Justin Herbert with little on the line for Los Angeles in Week 18. Lance went 11-of-20 for 81 yards and a tipped pick-six to Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian, and seemed only capable of throwing the occasional slant. Denver's secondary didn't have to work too hard on Sunday.

The defensive line, meanwhile, found a mostly-excellent balance of caging the nimble Lance and overpowering a depleted Chargers offensive line. Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto regained some early-season momentum with 1.5 sacks, including a forced fumble. Eyioma Uwazurike was terrific in the first-ever start of his NFL career, recording a couple quarterback hits. And the Broncos finished with four sacks on the day, officially minting this unit as tied for fifth all-time in sacks (68) with the 1985 New York Giants. A Bronco-orange cherry on top of a truly elite season.

SPECIAL TEAMS -- B+

A highly solid performance here from Darren Rizzi's crew to finish out a turbulent regular season. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw had a busy day with the Broncos' offense sputtering and didn't connect on a couple quite right, but still averaged 47.8 yards a punt. And Marvin Mims Jr. put the finishing touches on another banner season as a returner, popping off a 33-yard runback down the left sideline in the third quarter.

Mims didn't crack the 2025 Pro Bowl after missing a couple games midseason with a concussion, but still entered Week 18 with the most punt-return yardage (416) of any returner in the NFL. Sunday capped off another banner day for him, Denver's kick coverage was solid, and kicker Wil Lutz went 3-of-3 on the day to finish with an 87% clip on the season.

COACHING -- C-

Payton started off hot in the first quarter, with a monster 15-play, 81-yard drive of mostly under-center looks that bruised the Chargers on the ground. McLaughlin found lanes. Harvey fought for yards. Nix used his legs as a weapon.

And then, from the 6-yard line, Payton drew up a second-down screen to Pat Bryant. On third down, Nix opted for a checkdown to Tyler Badie that lost three yards. The Broncos settled for a field goal. And settled. And kept settling.

Payton's plan wasn't terrible on Sunday, but an offensive mind known for his aggressiveness simply hasn't been aggressive the last two weeks. His Chargers game plan -- thrown by an offensive front that allowed too much pressure -- featured the same heavy doses of dink-and-dunk hits as Denver showed on Christmas. The Broncos didn't score a touchdown, and looked discombobulated in a game they would've had to try incredibly hard to lose.

On Sunday, though, Dobbins was in sweats and in the flesh on a sunny day in Denver, adding to growing optimism that the Broncos might indeed get their No. 1 RB back depending on how long the Broncos’ playoff run can last.

During early warm-ups for the Broncos-Chargers game, Dobbins spent over 30 minutes catching up with former Los Angeles teammates and coaches, darting over to the stands to sign a few autographs. The running back wasn’t wearing any sort of boot or brace on his foot, a notable sign in his recovery from a Lisfranc injury suffered in early November against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Broncos vs. Chargers: Live updates and highlights from the NFL Week 18 game

Originally, Dobbins was pinpointed for a potential return in February's Super Bowl, if Denver advanced that far. But the running back has been telling people inside the Broncos' building that he'll return beforehand, an ambitious but not-impossible timeline.

“It wouldn’t be soon, but that has a chance to happen,” Payton said in late November of a potential Dobbins return this season.

Even if the veteran back wasn't fully conditioned upon his return, his availability could provide a major boost to a Broncos ground game that hasn't operated nearly as efficiently since his foot injury. Denver's offense averaged 4.8 yards per carry in 10 games with Dobbins healthy; since, they're down to 4.0. Rookie running back RJ Harvey entered Sunday 14th in the NFL in touchdowns, but has displayed inconsistent vision in a bell-cow role.

Franklin-Myers inactive: The Broncos were missing a key piece of their defensive line Sunday, as starting defensive end John Franklin-Myers was inactive for the first time this season in Week 18 against the Chargers. Franklin-Myers has been limited all week with a hip issue, and was limited to just 11 snaps in Week 17 against the Chiefs.

That brings his 2025 regular season to a close, with a career-best 7.5 sacks in 16 games. He'll enter the playoffs as the lone starting member of this Broncos defensive line who isn't locked up for the forthcoming future, and Franklin-Myers is in line for a monster raise on his current two-year, $15 million deal come free agency.

In Franklin-Myers' stead, third-round pick Sai'vion Jones was activated for just the third time in his rookie season, while reserve Eyioma Uwazurike started the first game of his four-year NFL career.

Chargers sit seven starters: Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't attempt any shred of gamesmanship this week, announcing right away Monday that the Chargers would sit star quarterback Justin Herbert against the Broncos. And with Los Angeles essentially punting in Week 18 with little stakes to play for, the club trotted out wide swaths of its B-team -- and C-team -- against Denver Sunday.

The Chargers' inactive report included six more starters scratched -- running back Omarion Hampton, defensive backs Derwin James and Elijah Molden, outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, and offensive linemen Jamaree Salyer and Bradley Bozeman -- in addition to Herbert. This wasn't exactly a divisional matchup of titans on Sunday.

They won, beating  Las Vegas, despite finishing with more penalties (11) than first downs (10). There is winning ugly, and there is delivering a victory while looking like Freddy Krueger.

In the six games since, the Broncos have averaged 24.5 points per game. As the excitement bubbles about the postseason, it is important to remember how vulnerable the Broncos are. They have trailed in 12 of their wins. Their negative turnover margin cannot be ignored.

But there is a takeaway as important as the takeaways: it is time for Sean Payton to shine.

The Broncos invite skepticism, though it diminished this week when Jim Harbaugh decided to play the Junior Varsity Chargers. They make it hard to believe.

The ship is currently swaying after an underwhelming performance in Kansas City. And when the waters are choppy, the captain is who you look for.

To quote Walt Whitman, “O Payton! My Payton!”

Payton always tells his players, wisely, that they will play in bigger games. It is how he has reframed expectations for three years until the Super Bowl became the only thing that mattered.

The Broncos are entering the portion of the schedule that brought him out of his one-year TV hiatus. This is when legacies are enhanced, and in the case of Payton, a Hall of Fame resume is enhanced.

Every reason for coming to Denver — strong ownership, diehard fans, terrific facilities — can make sense over the next month. Clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed, secure homefield advantage, and get the bye. Do that, and only two victories would stand between the Broncos and Super Bowl LX.

So, suddenly, and at least a year ahead of schedule — given the dead cap issues — Payton finds himself in the spotlight.

Time to goose the offense.

We know D-coordinator Vance Joseph is under pressure to produce more turnovers. That does not absolve Payton.

When the Bills smoked the Broncos in the playoffs last January, was it Joseph’s fault that Payton abandoned a plan to run, leading to quick drives and a heavier lift for the defense? Yes, James Cook riddled Denver on the ground. It is also hard to win when your offense fails to score on its final seven drives.

It’s important to remember how that game looked when the Broncos line up on Sunday.

Payton must find answers in his reading peepers; dialing up more chunk plays. There are times when, looking at the concepts and routes, he is a master. And there are times — the Raiders game, the first half of the Chiefs on Christmas — when the Broncos look like impostors, especially in the red zone.

Let’s make this simple: The Broncos will beat the Chargers. And they must build confidence in the process.

Despite facing backups, Payton views this as the start of the playoffs. OK, so no excuses for easing off the throttle.

Success depends on balance, finding a way to maximize Bo Nix, while not forgetting about R.J. Harvey, whose ability to extend drives will benefit Denver in a few weeks. That is when they will face the lowest remaining seed, with the Texans, Bills and Chargers as the potential candidates.

It is easy to find critics who believe the Broncos’ “Been There, Done That” AFC West championship gear will be replaced by “One and Done” T-shirts. It happens. Peyton Manning struggled coming off a bye as much as anyone.

And yet hope exists if Payton can get this offense to click.

Why? Nobody knows who the best team in the NFL is. Or if some of the playoff teams are any good.

The Texans could suffocate the Broncos with their defense. But they could also gift wrap a victory given how C.J. Stroud plays on the road. Justin Herbert is a miracle worker. His offensive line, however, is a dream crusher.

And for all of the praise of Josh Allen — he is the reigning MVP for a reason — the Bills lost last weekend without the Eagles completing a pass in the second half. Again, when the Broncos return to the playoffs in two weeks, the field will be wide open.

Payton cannot let the pursuit of the top seed affect the Broncos’ disposition. No time to turtle, and then ask the defense to set up a game-winning field goal. Make danger a stranger.

The Broncos need explosiveness. Nix rushing for 50 yards and Evan Engram matching him in receiving yards would go a long way in reshaping the opinion of the Broncos’ postseason chances.

It will require play-calling imagination beyond wide receiver screens and swing passes out of the backfield. Just because a team plays zone — the Chargers will feature a steady diet of the same principles the Chiefs employed on Christmas — that should not negate big gains.

It is tougher, sure. But this is where Nix’s legs can make a difference. Where Engram can help. And where repeated small chunks can open up a deep strike to Marvin Mims Jr.

That is what is missing. Think back to the Jaguars game. Jacksonville gave up three first-half sacks, and Liam Coen never lost his nerve. Trevor Lawrence hung in the pocket, took hits, and delivered dimes to multiple players who racked up yards after contact over the final 30 minutes.

Payton is at his best when he is cocky and aggressive. He was not himself last season in Buffalo. And truth be told, his team was not ready for the big stage.

Externally, doubts remain. Wins in the next three games can provide vindication.

Hiring Payton gave the Broncos buzz. Now, as the franchise enters its most important stretch in a decade, they need him to provide them with an edge.

Patriots, Jaguars vying for top seed. The Broncos received a massive belated Christmas gift on Monday courtesy of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who relinquished all gamesmanship and said point-blank that Los Angeles would rest star quarterback Justin Herbert. Denver would have to absolutely implode to lose Sunday’s matchup. In such an event, though, New England (13-3) and Jacksonville (12-4) would be set up to seize that vaunted No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots are playing a 7-9 Dolphins team that’s been mathematically eliminated; the Jaguars face 3-13 Tennessee, one of the worst teams in the NFL. Denver can’t afford to get too cute here.

Fernando-mania. The Raiders are the NFL’s hottest current mess. They’ve lost 10 straight. The Pete Carroll experiment seems all but destined to end after one unceremonious year. 48-year-old minority owner Tom Brady was captured by TMZ getting a little close with 25-year-old influencer Alix Earle on New Year’s Eve. Las Vegas continues to be in the news for plenty of reasons beyond the actual on-field product. The good news? Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is only solidifying his case as a legitimate No. 1 pick, with a 14-of-16 line for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a drubbing of Alabama at the Rose Bowl on Thursday. Raiders general manager John Spytek has to be licking his chops.

Rivers done, again. The great season-saving Philip Rivers Experiment is over, as the 44-year-old will now step back into retirement after three losses in Indianapolis. What a valiant effort it was, though: Rivers has a higher QBR (39.3) in three starts in 2025 than the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa or the Raiders’ Geno Smith have this season. The Colts announced rookie QB Riley Leonard will start in Week 18, with Indianapolis (8-8) removed from playoff contention. Rivers, though, expressed nothing but gratitude for the opportunity.

“I got three bonus games that I never saw coming,” , “and couldn’t be more thankful that I got an opportunity.”

Around the NFC

Teach me how to Purdy. It’s time to officially crown San Francisco as serious NFC contenders. The 49ers were a distant afterthought in their own division a couple months back, floating at 6-4 behind Seattle and the Rams. Suddenly, the Niners have ripped off six wins in a row with the return of starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who’s playing with rarely-before-seen levels of confidence. Case in point: hitting a nasty Dougie after a touchdown against the Bears last Sunday in a 24-of-33, 303-yard, five-total-TD performance. As , heaven “forbid a white guy has a little bit of motion.”

Packers get secondary help. Green Bay’s seen an unexpected influx of Cowboys into their building in 2025. First came Micah Parsons. Now, former All-Pro Trevon Diggs is joining the fray after Dallas cut bait and waived him this week. The cornerback is far from the same player who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, torched for four touchdowns and a 157.2 quarterback rating in eight games this season. But there’s still talent in there, and perhaps Diggs will be motivated by a fresh start.

Can Stafford seize an MVP? The race for the league’s top award is still wide-open entering Week 18. Support for the Rams’ Matthew Stafford, long the season favorite, has faltered significantly after he threw three interceptions in Monday’s 27-24 loss to the Falcons. The stats don’t lie, though: Stafford’s 42 touchdown passes are nine more than any other NFL quarterback entering the final regular-season game of the year. If Stafford gets back on track against the 3-13 Cardinals Sunday, consider the Most Valuable Player discussion wrapped up.

Game of the Week

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

It’s a Sunday Night doozy. Lamar Jackson vs. Aaron Rodgers for sole possession of an AFC North title — and a playoff berth. Loser’s bounced out of the bracket entirely. Jackson confirmed this week he’ll play after missing last Saturday’s win with a back contusion, in what’s been an overall-frustrating year for the MVP due to injuries and roster instability.

There could be major long-term ramifications on the line for both organizations in Pittsburgh on Sunday.  A Ravens loss could bring an end of an era to the John Harbaugh-Jackson partnership in Baltimore, with trade rumors swirling around Jackson for the better part of a strange season. A Steelers loss could bring an end to the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh, with rampant speculation (okay, there’s speculation literally every year) around Tomlin’s job security. Sunday should, in general, bring a unique new chapter in a historic NFL rivalry.

Baltimore 24, Pittsburgh 20

Lock of the Week

Tennessee at Jacksonville

There aren’t a ton of playoff teams with a ton left to play for in Week 18. The Jaguars are one of them. And they just so happen to be facing the 3-13 Titans. Tennessee’s been playing much-improved offensive ball across the last month, as rookie Cam Ward has six touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last three starts. Still, the Jaguars should be motivated to put this one to bed early to preserve a shot at the one-seed and get their starters some second-half rest.

Jaguars 31, Titans 20

Upset of the Week

Washington at Philadelphia

Don’t look now, but the reigning champs should be squarely back in the thick of the Super Bowl discussion. Philadelphia’s offense is still a sludge. But Vic Fangio’s defense is playing as well as any unit in the league: the Eagles have surrendered just 14.5 points a game across their last eight weeks.

That being said, this could be a classic end-of-year stunner. Philadelphia’s resting quarterback Jalen Hurts against the Commanders, despite a shot at the No. 2 seed if they’d beat Washington. That’d signal the Eagles will sit other key starters; Washington’s suffered through a brutal season with Jayden Daniels banged up, but backup Marcus Mariota has done some solid work at times. This could be an ugly, meaningless upset.

Commanders 16, Eagles 13