"Many think conference championship Sunday is the best day of NFL football, because it features two potentially great games and more focus on football than on Super Bowl spectacle. And one of the most intriguing storylines Sunday is Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who is starting in place of the injured Bo Nix. This will be Stidham's first start since 2023 and the fifth since he was drafted in 2019."
"But Stidham's résumé does have some positives. He had an expected points added (EPA) per dropback of +0.04 and a success rate of 46.1% in his past four years (149 total pass attempts), according to Next Gen Stats. Both are above the league averages (-0.03 EPA/DB, 44.2% success rate) in that span. In fact, Stidham's success rate from his past four years combined (46.1%) was higher than Nix's this season (44.5%)."
"Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford had a success rate of just 30.4% in the divisional round overtime win over the Chicago Bears. That was the ninth-lowest among the 238 playoff starting quarterbacks in the past 10 years. Stafford was the only QB in the bottom 15 who didn't lose. Here is a deeper look at the two conference championship games through the lens of Next Gen Stats."
Conference championship Sunday centers two high-profile NFC/AFC matchups with intense focus on football. Denver will start Jarrett Stidham for injured Bo Nix; this marks Stidham's first start since 2023 and his fifth since being drafted in 2019. Stidham produced an expected points added per dropback of +0.04 and a 46.1% success rate across his past four years (149 pass attempts), both above league averages and higher than Nix's 44.5% this season. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford posted a 30.4% success rate in the divisional round, one of the lowest among recent playoff starters, yet the Rams advanced. Patriots left tackle Will Campbell allowed 10 pressures, including four sacks, on 73 pass-blocking reps (13.7%), prompting schematic chip-block help.
Read at ESPN.com
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