Boy, has it been a week for Broncos Country. I was struck with sadness and concern at losing Bo Nix to a freak injury that punched me in the face post-game after one of the most memorable playoff games I’ve seen the Broncos play (and I’ve seen a hell of a lot of them).

I immediately took notice of how Sean Payton talked about it in his announcement press conference, and my attitude switched to hope.

I spent some time this week reviewing my past posts about Stidham to help give me a sense of what we can expect. I’ve been just as excited as all of you out there with the way this team and fanbase are rallying around Jarrett Stidham. Side note: I absolutely love the Stiddy Lebron meme that has taken us by storm on social media. I have no idea who started it, but I give a big hat tip to the creative mind behind it.

As the week has progressed, I’ve gotten settled into the idea that this game is going to be difficult. The Patriots are not a pushover. We’ve all called them cupcakes because of their schedule all season long, but they have proven time and time again that teams underestimate them at their own peril.

Here are the central keys to the Broncos coming out of this game with a victory and a Super Bowl appearance for the first time since 2015:

What the Broncos need most is a productive run game. That’s been an honest weakness. RJ Harvey isn’t nearly as impressive running the ball as he is catching passes out of the backfield or pass blocking. Jaleel McLaughlin is more productive, but doesn’t pass block as well, which tends to make the offense less dynamic when he’s in.

With J.K. Dobbins ruled out, the Broncos have to find a hot hand and produce ways to keep the offense on schedule. While I’d normally suggest an offense supplement this with a screen game, the Payton offense already does that each and every week. Heck, if Tyler Badie starts popping off, give him more touches.

If the Broncos do get the run churning early, look for it to open up the play-action deep shots we all love.

2) Take what the defense gives in the passing game

Jarrett Stidham is a smart quarterback. He’s been in this offense for three years, and that makes him well-suited to knowing what Payton is calling, why he is calling it, and where he should be going with the ball. Stidham needs to be patient and let the team get to work. He should only play hero ball at the end of the half and game when the impact of a turnover is minimized.

The secret sauce of this team all year long has been the offensive designs of Sean Payton and his staff. They absolutely will get the Pats in unfavorable situations. When those plays come up, Stiddy and the offense must execute. The wide receivers especially need to catch everything that hits their hands. The offense can’t afford the amount of drops we saw vs the Bills if they expect to win.

One big worry from the Bills game was the horrible run defense. The defense probably had its worst game of the season as far as stopping the run is concerned. The matchup of our pass defense vs the Pats pass offense is favorable to the Broncos. To get to that, you have to stop the run and keep them from gashing us for 5-10 yards per play. That’s easier said than done with quality runners like TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson running the ball. The defense’s ability to stop the run could be the difference between victory or defeat.

2) Pressure Drake Maye smartly

One constant I’ve seen in the playoffs is that Maye will make mistakes if you pressure him. Vance Joseph and the defense need to do what they’ve been doing all year and mix in relentless pass rushing to get Maye to make mistakes.

The big problem they need to stay away from here is letting him have open lanes to run. He’s a very athletic, mobile quarterback who will gash this defense with his legs if given the opportunity. So pressure, but do it in the cage rush manner like what they employed against the Bills and Eagles.

3) Mix up the coverage looks

If people still think the Broncos are a man-coverage team, they either haven’t been watching the games or don’t know what they are talking about. They do such an excellent job of mixing up their coverage with disguise that is has caused a ton of problems (ask Josh Allen).

I expect wrinkles of all types in the coverage game, which could lead to big turnovers.

I’m cautiously optimistic about this game. The Broncos are at home. The crowd is going to impact the game. The altitude is going to impact the game. The world thinks this Broncos team is done. This team loves being doubted. We’ve heard it all season long, and they have responded in any way necessary to pull out a victory.

It isn’t going to be easy. Nothing is going to be handed to this team. They will have to go out there and take victory. They have to want it more than the Pats while being able to execute to the highest level of their abilities.

I’m seeing the right things from this team that I’ve seen from other teams in 1997, 1998, and 2015. One thing I can say is this team believes in each other moreso than any Broncos team I’ve seen. They can absolutely win this game. Let’s go, Bronocos Country!