Broncos are not totally out of this, by any means. Thing is, they will, very likely, have to be carried by their excellent defense. There is absolute "precedent" for this -- Broncos team being "carried" by their defense. The
2015 Denver Broncos won a Super Bowl with the
worst quarterback play in the NFL. That can't be disputed!
An amazing, Hall-of-Fame quarterback, who just simply "
lost it" overnight, at the age of 39, led them to a Super Bowl win. He "
lost it" after producing stunning seasons for the 2013 (55 TD's) and 2014 Broncos. During that 2015 season, the Hall-of-Fame quarterback went 7-2 in the regular season, tossing only 9 TD's and was intercepted 17 times! His postseason stats were a bit better, but not by much. Just cut down the turnovers.
Not saying the Broncos chances are not diminished. Because they are. But can
Jarrett Stidham's play be any worse than the quarterback play the Broncos got in 2015, the last time they won a Super Bowl? It will likely come down to turnovers. Actually, the case could be made that
Brock Osweiler was their best quarterback option in 2015 and he did not take a post-season snap. They still won, suffocating opposing teams offense's in the rarefied Colorado air. Could happen again?
Best case scenario is the Patriots and Rams win today. Then sit back and enjoy the conference title games and let things fall as the will. Just like the Broncos/Pats AFC final back in January of 2016. That's my hope.