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The Patriots And Broncos Have Been Taking Shots At Each Other

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The Patriots and Broncos have not wasted any opportunity to throw shots at one another, leading up to Sunday’s AFC Championship game. In the days leading up to the game, we’ve gotten a quote from one side or the other, giving the other team “bulletin board material” through the media. Some have been more intentional and direct than others, but it’s become very clear that their comments are directed at each other.

The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos have had their fair share of playoff battles, but it has been a while since we’ve seen this matchup in the postseason. The Broncos currently have a 4-1 all-time record against the Patriots in the playoffs, and the Patriots have never won a postseason game in Denver. The last meeting between these two teams came in 2016, when the Broncos beat the Patriots 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl. That game featured Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. There are a lot of new faces in this version of this playoff rivalry, but the bad blood still remains.

The Patriots And Broncos Have Been Taking Shots At Each Other

Bulletin Board Material

The trash-talking from both sides really kicked off on Wednesday. Patriots defensive lineman Milton Williams was asked what he knew about the Broncos’ backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham. His response raised some eyebrows.

“Nothing. I ain’t gonna lie, nothing. We’re gonna watch the tape on him and figure out what he likes to do. But no. They didn’t like him over Bo (Nix), so.”

Bo Nix, who was injured in the Broncos’ divisional round game against the Buffalo Bills, has been the starter all year for Denver. This will be Stidham’s first start since 2022. Williams was telling the truth when saying he doesn’t know much about Stidham due to his lack of experience on the field. The last part of that quote is what got so much attention. While it is objectively true that the Broncos would prefer to start Bo Nix if he were available, it came off a little harsh.

Broncos’ head coach, Sean Payton, wasted no time in having his own quote circulate around social media. On Wednesday, he was asked about the Denver fans being loud for every Broncos game and if they’ll need that on Sunday.

“Well, they’re going to have plenty of rest after this one… two weeks.”

That specific two-week rest period is in reference to the time between the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl. This is certainly not as direct and slighted towards anybody on the Patriots. It’s simply an insinuation that the Broncos are going to win this game against New England, and they are already thinking about the Super Bowl.

Respond In Kind

The quotes didn’t end there, though. Broncos’ defensive end, John Franklin-Myers, was asked about what he’s seen from Jarrett Stidham in practice. Understandably, he had glowing reviews for his teammate and quarterback. However, he also added a slight at Drake Maye in his response.

“Stiddy, man, he’s running scout-team plays and he’s running the (plays) better than their starting quarterback.”

This is certainly a shot at Maye. Maye, who is a finalist for the Most Valuable Player award and the Offensive Player of the Year award, is being compared to Stidham, who has been in the league for seven years and has only started four games. Stidham is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, but there is a reason he is a backup.

Kayshon Boutte was asked about Sean Payton’s comments regarding the two weeks of rest. He said he didn’t hear the quote originally; however had quite the response to Payton implying that the team will be playing in two weeks.

“They can rest in Cancun too at the end of the day.”

Walk The Walk

These coaches and players can say whatever they want between now and Sunday. When that game starts, none of that matters. There will likely be extra motivation for both sides and bragging rights for whoever comes out on top. They’ve talked the talk; now they need to walk the walk to back it up.