"After the Pats' go-ahead field goal to start the second half, Stidham and the Denver offense had the ball for five straight drives with the chance to tie or take the lead. Despite his first-quarter touchdown intoxicating everyone with promise-if Stidham could just do that one more time, the Broncos would be through the AFC-that skill never appeared again. It was all meager runs, ineffective passes, hopeless punts, and one blocked field goal that was doomed from the start."
"I think 10-7 is more brutal for the Broncos in a lot of ways than, say, 45-10. A blowout means it's obvious when it's time to give up, and that you never should have been optimistic at the start. A 10-7 final, on the other hand, indicates that the universe just didn't like you that day. Even with Stidham forced into the injured Bo Nix's job, and even though the Patriots went 14-3 with an unbeaten road record this year, just one measly shift in the outcome of one play could have meant a Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl."
Jarrett Stidham opened with a first-quarter touchdown but failed to sustain effective play after the Patriots' go-ahead field goal to start the second half. The Broncos had five straight drives with opportunities to tie or lead but produced meager runs, ineffective passes, punts, and a blocked field goal. Drake Maye completed just 10 passes for 86 yards and emerged as the game’s unlikely hero. The 10-7 final felt more crushing than a blowout because a single play swing could have produced a Broncos-Seahawks Super Bowl. Late second-quarter pressure on a third-and-short from Denver's 33 prompted a split-second decision by Stidham.
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