DENVER – This is how the Denver Broncos live.

Sweat it, then pull it out.

It happened again Saturday at Empower Field – and this time it punched a ticket to the AFC Championship Game.

The Broncos survived the Buffalo Bills for a 33-30 victory in overtime of the AFC divisional playoff, winning with Wil Lutz’s fourth field goal, a 24-yarder with 10 minutes, 16 seconds elapsed into OT. The game-winning kick was aided by two Bills defensive pass interference penalties after Denver gained possession with JaQuan McMillian’s interception.

But that’s not the only major drama enveloping Sean Payton’s team, which notched its NFL-high eighth victory this season after trailing in the fourth quarter.  

Bo Nix, Denver’s second-year quarterback, is done for the rest of the playoffs after suffering a fractured bone in his right ankle in the waning moments.

Now the Broncos have something else to sweat. Payton said Nix is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala.

“This team all year has lost key players, and we’ll rise up for the next challenge and go from there,” the Broncos coach said after returning to the podium for a second press conference to break the news about Nix.

Next-man up: Jarrett Stidham, a seventh-year pro who hasn’t thrown a pass in an NFL game since 2023.

Said Payton, “Stiddy is ready to go.”

We’ll see. Yet even without Nix, the Broncos (15-3) can’t be counted out when considering the manner in which they have lived on the edge all season.

Broncos’ wild season teeters on the brink, where it’s been all year

That’s the identity this team has embraced. And it’s tough to blame them for that when they’ve won with pivotal plays from a wide cast of characters.

On Saturday, they won with a season-high five takeaways by the defense – including two Josh Allen interceptions and two fumbles by the star quarterback – that set up the Nix-led offense for another crunch time rally.

“People think you can’t win that way in the league. And you can,” Garett Bolles, Denver’s all-pro left tackle, told USA TODAY Sports. “Because it’s the belief.

“You know, there’s a meter that goes back and forth in football. Sometimes, it gets away from you and you’ve got to pull it back. The great teams find a way to win. And we have that type of culture, the love that we have for each other, that we don’t want to let each other down.”

McMillan’s interception was one in a series of turnovers to impact the game, yet it also fueled controversy as he wrestled the football away as Brandin Cooks tried to haul in a deep pass from Allen, as both players tumbled to the turf. It set up the drive that positioned Denver to win – aided by pass interference penalties on Taron Johnson and Tre’Davious White that set up Lutz’s chip-shot game-winner.

The game-ending sequence added up to another measure of heartbreak for Buffalo, which advanced to at least the divisional round of the AFC playoffs for the sixth consecutive season but has been unable to break through to a Super Bowl.

Fueled by home crowd, Denver’s defense feasts on turnovers

And what a difference a year makes. Last season, the Broncos season ended with a convincing, 31-7 loss at Buffalo in the wild-card round. Now they earned the right to get Buffalo – and any other AFC challengers – on their own turf after claiming the No. 1 seed.

“It’s just different,” Broncos linebacker Jonathan Cooper told USA TODAY Sports. “Last year was our first time going into the playoffs. We weren’t used to the atmosphere. We weren’t at home. It was just a different type of environment. Now that we have a year of experiencing that, we knew what to expect, how to prepare and everybody was ready for.”

That covers a lot of ground. As Cooper spoke, he pointed to his locker mate, Nick Bonitto, and proclaimed, “This is my favorite teammate of all time.”

Bonitto surely provided reason for glowing compliments. He produced two of the takeaways, chasing Allen from behind on a scramble during the final seconds before halftime, which set up a 50-yard field goal from Lutz. On the opening possession of the second half, Bonitto sacked Allen and forced another fumble that set up another Lutz field goal.

Another big play came from Alex Singleton, whose hat-on-ball hit on James Cook shifted early momentum fueled by Buffalo’s running attack. Later, safety P.J. Locke made a spectacular interception to snuff out a scoring threat.

On the other side, Marvin Mims, Jr. and Lil’ Jordan Humphrey snagged sure-handed TD catches.

Then there was Frank Crum, the backup lineman. He scored Denver’s first touchdown in the second quarter, with a seven-yard reception on a tackle-eligible play. It was the first TD Crum has ever had an any level of competition. It was also representative of Payton’s creativity – borrowed from the Detroit Lions playbook with Taylor Decker.

Payton, mindful of the wide range of contributors, said he gave out five game balls during the postgame locker room celebration. He could have given out more, given all there was to unpack from the triumph that marked the franchise’s first home playoff game in a decade.

Regardless, they can breathe a sigh of relief. Denver collected five turnovers and still nearly lost.

The Bills forced overtime with a 50-yard Matt Prater field goal with five seconds on the clock. That game-tying boot answered for Nix’s 26-yard TD pass to Mims, with 55 seconds left on the fourth-quarter clock.

It was that kind of flow.

Denver scored 13 consecutive points late in the first half and early in the second half – aided by two Buffalo turnovers – to seize momentum. Buffalo scored 10 straight points early in the fourth quarter to flip momentum.

And now the momentum is all in Denver’s hands along with the drama – at least for another week.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on X: @JarrettBell

SEATTLE – The Seattle Seahawks illustrated what it looks like to win a game in all three phases in a dominant 41-6 rout of the San Francisco 49ers.

Special teams.

Offense.

Running back Kenneth Walker III registered 145 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. 

Defense.

Linebacker Ernest Jones produced a forced fumble and one interception and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence had two forced fumbles. The defense tallied three takeaways and caused San Francisco to turn the ball over on downs three times.

“(Saturday) was one of our most complete games, for sure,’ Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams said postgame. ‘Shaheed starting the game off like that, setting the tone and scoring on special teams. The defense out there getting a stop. Offense capitalizing off that and scoring.

‘You want to be a complete team that can win on all three phases. I think this is truly one of the only times I’ve ever been on a team where we are good on all three phases.”

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald called the divisional playoff win the most “complementary” game the team’s played all season. The 35-point win matched Seattle’s largest margin of victory in a postseason game.

Seattle’s performance made Sam Darnold’s oblique injury an afterthought. The quarterback started his pregame warmup routine in the locker room. Darnold waited until he was in full pads to warm up on the field in an effort to only warm up once, he said.

By the time Darnold took the field for live-game action, it was already advantage Seahawks, 7-0. After the opening kickoff, Darnold didn’t have to do much strenuous work as Seattle’s defense and Walker shined.

“Really good team win from the first snap. Kickoff, (Shaheed) taking it to the house, man, that was special,” Darnold said. “Our defense doing their thing, and as an offense, too. Like ball control. I feel like that was huge for us all game and finishing in the red zone. … We just controlled the football and finished in the red zone. That was the story.”

Darnold completed 12-of-17 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. He said he felt “really good.”

Players in the locker room said there was never a doubt about Darnold’s availability. Darnold’s 4-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, where he rolled out and torqued his body to deliver the football, served as validation.

“He was telling me he was good, and apparently he ain’t lie to me,” Smith-Njigba said. “He played great.”

Darnold played within himself, managed the game and didn’t commit a turnover in what was his first career playoff win. Darnold admitted he’s going to have to manage his oblique injury for the duration of the playoffs. But if the Seahawks perform in all three phases like they did on Saturday night, Darnold doesn’t have to do much. Just manage the game, take care of the football and make timely throws. Let Walker, the defense and special teams do the rest.

Seattle found its recipe for success as it gears up to host the NFC championship game.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The UCLA women’s basketball team advanced to the 2025 Final Four with national title aspirations but fell a game short of the championship.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies beat UCLA in the semifinals, 85-51, before defeating South Carolina for the program’s 12th championship. Bruins head coach Cori Close recently revealed to USA TODAY Sports that after the Bruins lost, she felt like she failed as a leader.

‘Last year, we were No. 1 in the country for 14 straight weeks, but there was a lot of heaviness of expectation,’ Close said while promoting her partnership with Wescom Foundation, which has a relief initiative dedicated to erasing debt for those impacted by the 2025 California wildfires.’It was the first time we were in this situation. Then, you add the fires and how many of our people that were involved in our program were really hurting, and then, we actually just ― keeping it real ― had six players leave our program in an offseason. It was hard. Our players said you would have never have known that we had the best year in UCLA history in women’s basketball.’

The Bruins went 30-2 in the regular season, winning 30 games for the first time in program history. UCLA also won its first Big Ten championship, defeating USC and guard JuJu Watkins, 72-67. The Bruins then earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, another program first. UCLA beat Southern University, Richmond and Ole Miss before meeting LSU in the Elite Eight. Close and the Bruins withstood a fourth-quarter surge from the Tigers before punching their ticket to the Final Four.

However, that’s where their season ended. The Huskies, led by guard Paige Bueckers, overwhelmed UCLA with sweltering defense and punishing shots. By halftime, UConn had a 20-point lead, and a push from center Lauren Betts, who finished with 26 points, wasn’t enough. Close says, despite the gut-wrenching end to the season, she’s since encouraged the current roster to find the right balance between struggle and joy.

‘The hard is good. The hard helps us grow. Nobody grows in their comfort zone,’ said Close, whose No. 3 Bruins host No. 12 Maryland on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, NBC). ‘It’s not a happiness that depends on your happenings. Joy is a choice. Joy has a depth to it. Joy is not determined by the circumstances around you.’

Before the 2025-2026 season, UCLA lost six players from its Final Four team, including forwards Timea Gardiner and Janiah Barker and guard Londynn Jones. Gardiner, who has been dealing with a knee injury, has yet to return this season. Barker transferred to Tennessee and Jones to USC. As the Bruins reloaded for another championship push, Close brought in Betts’ sister, Sienna, a 6-foot-4 freshman forward ranked No. 2 overall in the class of 2025.

Back in the national title conversation this season, the UCLA coach says her team is focused on ‘selflessness.’ Close and her staff have challenged players not to put themselves above the team. The staff wants the roster to be hungry and have a growth mindset while shutting out any outside noise. Players are also being pushed to add value and bring energy. Close says she often asks her players if their energy is ‘worth being caught’ and ‘is it helping us grow or is it having us go back?’

The Bruins coach believes she has ‘the most talented roster in the country’ with ‘the highest ceiling.’ To the California native’s point, UCLA is led by six seniors ― Betts, guard Kiki Rice, guard Gianna Kneepkens, guard Gabriela Jaquez and guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, plus forward Angela Dugalić ― who could all be picked in the 2026 WNBA draft. Close calls having so many pro prospects ‘craziness.’ She wants to help her players master their craft to help them find success after UCLA.

‘It’s my great joy because I believe in them as people, I believe in their work ethic. I believe in what they’ve earned,’ she told USA TODAY. ‘I believe in the kind of teammates they’ve chosen to be ― to be able to talk to these agents and these [general managers] and to these head coaches and say, ‘You want them on your roster.’

‘This program is not about us. It’s about serving them. For me to facilitate a transition they’ve dreamt of their whole life, how lucky am I?’

While the Bruins continue their national title push, they’ve made it a point to not only lean on their seniors but also the entire team and the staff. UCLA holds regular lunches to connect with one another on a deeper level. After practice, they gather on a nearby patio and eat together. No phones are allowed as they focus on strengthening their relationships. According to Close, it’s paid off. The team has spent so much time together that she’s had to shut down the gym because ‘they don’t rest enough.’

What’s more, the connections have spurred new adventures like Leger-Walker’s ongoing TikTok series, where she is teaching Kneepkens how to dance. Close joked with USA TODAY that she wonders when Leger-Walker would help her with her moves. Yet, there’s something a bit deeper than team lunches or dancing lessons hidden behind Close’s efforts to make UCLA more connected.

‘Maybe what we went through last year, a little bit, and what I wanted to do, I just didn’t want to miss the moments this year. I wanted to really enjoy it,’ Close said. ‘Coach [John] Wooden used to say, ‘You know, Cori, you’re not coaching people’s jump shots. You’re coaching people’s hearts.’ But if you coach their hearts really well, usually, their jump shots end up pretty good, too.’

The first game of the NFL divisional playoffs provided plenty of excitement in the Mile High City. The top-seeded Denver Broncos needed overtime to take care of business against the Buffalo Bills and earn their first postseason win since Super Bowl 50.

A week after coming up with many big plays to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen committed four turnovers in the loss to Denver. That’s a career-high in the postseason.

Allen was emotional after the loss.

‘That’s extremely difficult,’ he said after the game. ‘Feel like I let my teammates down tonight.’

‘It’s been a long season,’ he said. ‘Hate how it ended. It’s going to stick with me for a long time.’

Allen finished the night 25-of-39 passing (64.1%) for 283 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 66 yards on the ground as well in the loss.

‘Can’t win with five turnovers,’ he said. ‘Fumbled twice, threw two [interceptions]. When you shoot yourself in the foot like that, you don’t deserve to win football games.

We were battle-tested all year, down two scores at halftime. Come out, sack fumble, hold them to three [points], find ourselves leading that game… if one or two plays go our way, it’s a different story.’

The Bills have made the divisional round of the playoffs six years in a row with Allen and coach Sean McDermott. They are 2-4 in those games.

SEATTLE – The road to Super Bowl 60 in the NFC goes through the Pacific Northwest.

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 41-6 to advance to the NFC championship game. 

Pro Bowl returner Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff 95 yards to the house to begin the game – the Seahawks were off to the races from there.

The Seahawks got the opening kickoff return touchdown, the defense got a fourth-down stop and a takeaway in the first quarter alone as they stormed out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead.  

Later, the Seahawks went on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that was capped off with a seven-yard touchdown run by running back Kenneth Walker III to give Seattle a 24-6 advantage at halftime.

Seattle’s defense took command of the game in the second half.

Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams sacked Brock Purdy on fourth-and-2 to give the ball back to the Seahawks offense. The Seahawks managed a 24-yard field goal after the change of possession. On the 49ers’ next series, Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones intercepted a Purdy pass intended for tight end Luke Farrell.

Walker and the Seahawks made the 49ers pay following the turnover. The Seahawks running back found the end zone six plays later to give Seattle an insurmountable 34-6 lead with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.

The Seahawks defense forced three turnovers, sacked Purdy twice and kept San Francisco out of the end zone for the second time this season.

Walker registered 145 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. He was the best player on Seattle’s offense.

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold, who injured his oblique on Thursday, finished 12-of-17 for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Seattle now has a 13-3 all-time record at home in the postseason. Their Jan. 17 win earned the Seahawks their fifth conference championship appearance, and first since 2014. 

Quick takeaways

Kenneth Walker III has career night

Walker rushed for a season-best and career playoff-high 116 yards and his three rushing touchdowns equaled a lifetime best.

The Seahawks running back kept the chains moving for Seattle. He had nice outside runs and in between the tackles.

Walker also displayed his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. He tallied three receptions for 29 yards.

Zach Charbonnet injured his knee in the first half and didn’t return.

Rashid Shaheed’s explosive ability as returner

Shaheed’s given the Seahawks another explosive element ever since he was traded to Seattle. His opening kickoff return was a huge momentum boost for the Seahawks to begin the game. It also ignited an already raucous Seattle crowd.

Shaheed’s 95-yard kickoff return touchdown was the longest postseason kickoff return touchdown in franchise history.

Sam Darnold’s oblique injury

Darnold injured his oblique on Jan. 15. He came on the field late for pregame warmups which caused some concern. Those concerns dissipated quickly in the first half. Darnold rolled out and torqued his body on four-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first quarter.

Darnold didn’t perform like his oblique bothered him, but the quarterback didn’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting in what was an all-around team win.

Injury-riddled 49ers

It’s a testament to Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers for making it to the divisional round, but it was apparent that injuries to Fred Warner, George Kittle and Nick Bosa took a toll on the resilient team. To make matters worse, Christian McCaffrey was diagnosed with a stinger during the game. He played through the ailment during the second half, but checked out of the game in the fourth quarter.

Warner, Kittle and Bosa are three of the best players in the NFL at their respective positions. It’s nearly impossible to fill the void left by all three of them.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

After missing out on one former NFL Coach of the Year, the Atlanta Falcons moved quickly to secure another.

The team on Saturday announced the hiring of Kevin Stefanski, tapping him to take over as the franchise’s new head coach.

‘I’m beyond thrilled to be charged with leading this iconic franchise,’ Stefanski said in a statemen. ‘I am grateful to Mr. Blank and Matt Ryan for trusting me to coach this football team and there are many talented players on our roster that I cannot wait to coach. We share a vision for this football team that I believe will make Falcons fans everywhere proud. We will get to work immediately putting together a first-class coaching staff and working hard to get to know all the great people that are so important to getting us all where we want to go.’

Stefanski’s hire comes in the wake of the New York Giants partnering with John Harbaugh, who finalized a deal with the team on Saturday. Harbaugh had spoken with the Falcons on Monday. But an in-person meeting never took place before the Giants entered into negotiations with the former Baltimore Ravens coach.

Instead, Stefanski, the two-time NFL Coach of the Year who was fired by the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 5, takes over for a franchise that owns the second-longest active playoff drought at eight seasons.

Atlanta’s coaching hire marks the latest step to set up a new leadership structure as part of an offseason overhaul. After an 8-9 season, the Falcons fired both coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. The organization later installed Matt Ryan, the franchise’s all-time passing leader who spent 14 years with the team, as president of football. Stefanski will report to Ryan, who will oversee all football operations but also hire a general manager.

‘We’re thrilled to land a lead-by-example leader in Kevin Stefanski who brings a clear vision for his staff, our team and a closely aligned focus on building this team on fundamentals, toughness and active collaboration with every area of the football operation,’ Ryan said. ‘Coach Stefanski is a team-first leader who puts a premium on accountability for everyone and a player-driven culture. His experience in Cleveland and Minnesota has given him a great understanding of the importance of working in sync with scouting, personnel and the rest of the football staff to maximize talent across the roster and in doing everything possible to put our players in the best position to succeed.’

In Atlanta, Stefanski will be tasked with turning around an organization that has not registered a winning record since 2017. The Falcons won their final four games of the season under Morris to force a three-way tie atop the NFC South, but Blank still opted for a fresh start.

Stefanski takes over the reins to an offense that ranked just 24th in scoring despite All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson logging a league-high 2,298 yards from scrimmage. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament – his third such injury in his career – after largely struggling throughout his first season as a full-time starter, completing just 60.1% of his passes.

Backup Kirk Cousins flourished when Stefanski was his offensive coordinator on the Minnesota Vikings, but the veteran could be released this offseason.

The Falcons also interviewed Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, former Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, former Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.

Alberto Mendoza is the backup quarterback for Indiana, behind his Heisman-winning brother Fernando.
Indiana recently signed transfer quarterback Josh Hoover, signaling a challenge for Alberto’s future starting role.
Alberto Mendoza intends to compete for the starting job rather than transfer from Indiana.

MIAMI — He sat on a aluminum bleacher with the rest of the forgotten, a full-blown feeding frenzy unloading in front of him.

Everyone wanted a piece of Alberto Mendoza. 

Meanwhile, a larger hoard of media — one not seen at College Football Playoff media day in maybe ever — was hovering around Fernando Mendoza while he sat surrounded at a podium for the elite.

You know him. 

Heisman Trophy winner. Star quarterback. The key to Indiana completing the greatest turnaround in sports history Monday night against Miami in the College Football Playoff championship game. As pure and true since a guy named Tebow.

And the older brother of Alberto, Indiana’s backup quarterback. The guy hanging with the other backups in the bleachers.

This is where the story begins, where a brother trying to find his own way in a sport he loves, dutifully and unflinchingly sitting for an hour — an hour! —  and answering questions about the one player in college football everyone can’t get enough of.

Is Fernando really as perfect as he looks? 

Was Fernando always great at sports? 

If Fernando were an animal in the jungle, what would he be?

But while the deeply vacuous wondered and wandered aloud in the annual menagerie that is CFP media day, an important thing happened to Alberto a couple of weeks ago. 

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti signed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover from the transfer portal for the 2026 season. About as clear a statement as can be made about the future of Alberto. 

The Hoosiers aren’t paying Hoover millions to leave TCU so he can decide a year from now if Alberto is a Tiger or Lion in the jungle. And it’s here where we find the cold, hard truth of the sport. 

There’s a finite clock for starting quarterbacks in the NIL era. Teams and coaches don’t have time to invest two or three years of development.

High-value contracts are made for now, not when it all finally comes together. 

“I get it,” Alberto says. “It’s a business.” 

That doesn’t make it any easier to swallow the reality that he’s a play away from critical minutes against Miami — and who knows how long from becoming the Indiana starter.

He already convinced one NIL gun for hire (see: Fernando) to skip in line ahead of him. He’s not sitting around and letting it happen a second time — or worse, leaving town because of it.  

Mendoza says he will compete with Hoover for the starting job, and says Fernando told him to go win the job instead of waiting. Force Indiana and Cignetti into a difficult decision.

Cignetti, meanwhile, understands the complexities of the situation. It’s a small and growing sample size of the undeniable: inexperienced quarterbacks rarely work in the NIL era. 

The surest, safest way to efficient play from the most important position on the field has quickly become the transfer portal.

Doesn’t matter that Alberto led Christopher Columbus High School in Miami to back-to-back state titles once Fernando left. Doesn’t matter that Alberto brings something different to the offense — his ability to stress defenses with his legs — and has shown rare dual-threat ability in limited backup action this season.

All that matters is the here and now. There’s a reason more than 200 Bowl Subdivision (and another 100 Championship Subdivision) quarterbacks hit the transfer portal when it opened on January 2.

It’s all about the quick fix, with the least amount of the unknown. 

“We’ll see what happens,” Cignetti said. “I like (Alberto) a lot as a player. We’ll see what the future holds.”

There was a moment last month, in what was then the biggest game of the season, that we nearly saw what Indiana had with Alberto. Fernando was drilled by Ohio State edge Caden Curry on the first play of the Big Ten championship game, and Alberto replaced him for a play. 

His first significant snap of the season, and Alberto handed off. But it’s not like he hasn’t shown it this season. 

His numbers are high level, even in mop up time. He plays the part well, with five touchdown passes and runs of 59, 53 and 39 yards. 

He’s not just a guy with clipboard. 

“You get me out there, I can rip it,” Alberto says. “I’m very confident in my ability.”

Meanwhile, back at the circus, the bobblehead bunch is busy asking about six-seven, and if Alberto and Fernando fought as kids. 

Last one from me! Wait, what was I going to ask you again? Oh yeah, social media is ablaze with 2016. What were you doing in 2016?!

“I was, like, 12,” Alberto says.

And just for the record, yeah, they did fight as kids. And yeah, there were times when Alberto got the better of Fernando playing sports.

The last thing he’s going to do is let a high-dollar mercenary run him out of Bloomington. So here’s a better question for the wandering, vacuous masses: 

What if Alberto wins the job, and a multi-million dollar contract sits on the bench? 

Guess who then becomes the story of college football?

For all the right reasons. 

The Denver Broncos return to the AFC championship game for the first time in 10 years in an exceedingly difficult spot.

Starting quarterback Bo Nix will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken bone in his ankle in Saturday’s divisional playoff win over the Buffalo Bills, Broncos coach Sean Payton announced.

That leaves Jarrett Stidham to take the reins to the Broncos’ offense for the tilt against either the New England Patriots or the Houston Texans with a trip to Super Bowl 60 on the line.

Here’s what we know about the outlook for Stidham and the Broncos:

Who is Jarrett Stidham?

A seventh-year veteran, Stidham is about to command a spotlight far more intense than he’s ever experienced.

The 2019 fourth-round pick out of Auburn began his NFL career as Tom Brady’s backup on the Patriots. His chance to become Brady’s successor never fully materialized, however, and he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.

All four starts in Stidham’s career came as teams were pivoting away from marquee veteran passers. First, he stepped in for the final two games of the Raiders’ 2022 season when Derek Carr was benched. Then, he did the same for the Broncos in 2023 as Payton and Co. sat Russell Wilson.

But even with Denver bringing on Bo Nix the following year to step in as the starter, Stidham hung around as a trusted backup for Payton. In March, Stidham re-signed to the team on a two-year, $12 million deal that included $7 million guaranteed.

“We’re excited Jarrett’s back,” Payton said at the NFL league meetings this spring. “He brings a veteran presence, but also a young presence about him. And I know how he feels about his own abilities. … I think the experience from Jarrett is helpful to Bo.”

Jarrett Stidham stats

Completions: 117
Passing attempts: 197
Completion percentage: 59.4%
Passing yards: 1,422
Touchdown passes: 8
Interceptions: 8

Broncos QB depth chart

Bo Nix
Jarrett Stidham
Sam Ehlinger

Anthony Edwards produced a career-high night for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Still, it didn’t result in a successful outing as they suffered a 126-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the road.

Edwards reached 54 points after nailing a 3-point shot in the corner to make it a one-point game with 9.8 seconds left in regulation. He added one more free throw and finished the game with 55 points, a new career high.

The Timberwolves star scored 26 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 29 points through the first three quarters of play.

Victor Wembanyama led the way for the Spurs with 39 points.

Anthony Edwards stats vs. San Antonio Spurs

Points: 55
FG: 19-for-33
3PT: 9-for-16
Free Throws: 8-for-10
Rebounds: 4
Assists: 3
Steals: 0
Blocks: 0
Turnovers: 2
Fouls: 4
Minutes: 40

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves vs. Spurs highlights