Denver, CO

What did Broncos’ last two games say about Jarrett Stidham and quarterback outlook for 2024?

Published

2 years ago

January 7, 2024

What did Broncos’ last two games say about Jarrett Stidham and quarterback outlook for 2024?

LAS VEGAS — The conclusion of the Jarrett Stidham experiment wasn’t pretty.

Down 14 with 1:08 left against the Raiders, Stidham’s pass to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy fluttered inside Allegiant Stadium before it was picked off by safety Tre’von Moehrig, solidifying a 27-14 loss on Sunday afternoon.

When Stidham replaced nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, head coach Sean Payton hoped the move would ignite the offense. Stidham had his moments. He threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey against the Chargers in Week 17. And against the Raiders, he connected with Jeudy for a 24-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

But overall, he wasn’t the “spark” the Broncos were searching for. Denver averaged 15 points over the final two weeks, with 14- and 16-point outings standing as the Broncos’ two lowest scoring outputs since their 1-5 start. The Broncos were knocked out of playoff contention and Sunday’s loss secured their seventh straight losing season.

Payton thought Stidham, who threw for 272 yards, a touchdown and an interception, battled, but the coach didn’t provide a clear indication as to whether the last two starts were enough.

“I mean, you evaluate everything — practice snaps, training camp, preseason and regular season — for all these guys,” Payton said. “But this wasn’t about trying to get a look at Jarrett. It was about trying to win.”

Payton said the offseason will involve “a lot of work.” The quarterback position will certainly demand the most attention.

Whether Stidham showed enough to be in consideration for the starting job next season or not, he could be the best option, given the current landscape of the team. If it cuts Wilson, Denver would be forced to eat $85 million in dead cap money.

The free-agent market isn’t pretty, either. Perhaps, the best quarterback who will be available is Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins — a 35-year-old veteran who suffered a torn Achilles tendon in October.

Regardless, the Broncos likely won’t have the cap room to sign any big names.

Denver could go the route of signing someone cheap like Indianapolis’ Gardner Minshew or reunite Payton with New Orleans backup Jameis Winston. But would those players be an improvement from Wilson, who threw for 3,070 yards and 26 touchdowns?

The Broncos could, of course, draft a quarterback. They now have the 12th overall pick following Sunday’s loss, meaning they are more than likely out of the running for USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and possibly LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

Still, there’s a chance the Broncos could roll the dice on Washington signal caller Michael Penix Jr. and his iffy injury history. He’s had a clavicle injury, a dislocated shoulder and two torn ACLs.

At this point, the Broncos’ best-case scenario could be rolling with Stidham next season as a starter and drafting and developing a quarterback.

It was clear postgame that Stidham wants a shot to be the starter next year. And despite his delivering uninspiring performances in the final two weeks of Payton’s first year in Denver, he might be Denver’s short-term answer until a long-term solution comes to fruition.

“I want to be on the field for every snap next year if possible,” Stidham said. “They see me every day and know what I’m capable of. I’m just disappointed that I didn’t help those guys in the locker room win today.”

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Denver, CO

Where do Packers stand in NFC playoff picture after loss in Denver?

Published

7 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Where do Packers stand in NFC playoff picture after loss in Denver?

The Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) dropped from first to second in the NFC North and from the second seed to the seventh seed in the NFC after losing to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Significant injuries suffered against the Broncos will mean lasting implications are felt past Sunday. The Packers are also now a long shot to catch the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and it’ll take a win next Saturday night in Chicago to retake control in the NFC North.

But the Packers are still in a good spot in terms of making the postseason field, especially after the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys all lost on Sunday.

NFC playoff picture after Week 15

Los Angeles Rams (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
Chicago Bears (10-4, 6-3 vs. NFC)
Philadelphia Eagles (9-5, 7-3 vs. NFC)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, 5-5 vs. NFC)
Seattle Seahawks (11-3, 6-3 vs. NFC)
San Francisco 49ers (10-4, 8-2 vs. NFC)
Green Bay Packers (9-4-1, 7-2-1 vs. NFC)

Others: Lions (8-6), Panthers (7-7), Cowboys (6-7-1)

According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator, the Packers have a 92 percent chance of making the postseason with three weeks to go. They become all but guaranteed of a playoff spot if they can beat the Bears in Chicago in Week 16. In fact, just one win over the final three weeks could be enough for the Packers to get in.

The NFC North winner looks like a coinflip. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers a 48 percent chance of winning the division right now, and it would go up to 82 percent with a win over the Bears on Saturday. Chicago took down the Cleveland Browns with ease in bitter cold temps at Soldier Field on Sunday.

The Athletic’s model also gives the Packers a 98 percent chance of being the No. 2 seed if Matt LaFleur’s team can win out. That will be much easier said than done without Micah Parsons (and potentially Christian Watson) down the stretch.

Two very possibilities for the Packers: Win the NFC North and host the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round, or get in as the No. 7 seed and go to Chicago to play the Bears in the NFC Wild Card Round. A third round of the rivalry is increasingly possible in January.

Packers remaining games

Nothing easy here. The Bears, Ravens and Vikings all won Sunday. The Bears and Ravens won comfortably; the Vikings upset the Cowboys — who desperately needed to win — in Dallas. The Bears and Ravens are both playing to win division titles. The Vikings are a dangerously talented spoiler team, and winning at U.S. Bank Stadium is never easy. The Athletic’s model gives the Packers roughly a 40 percent chance of making the postseason even with an 0-3 finish. The Lions are the biggest threat to pass the Packers in the event they finish 0-3.

It appears the Packers can clinch a playoff spot next week with a win over the Bears and a Steelers win over the Lions.

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Denver, CO

Packers vs. Broncos Week 15 Game Discussion Thread

Published

19 hours ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Packers vs. Broncos Week 15 Game Discussion Thread

It’s time for the AFC’s #1 team to meet the NFC’s #2. Today the Denver Broncos host the Green Bay Packers in a key late-season inter-conference matchup that could have playoff seeding implications for both teams.

In Denver, the Broncos will be trying to hold on to the top spot in the AFC and keep their impressive win streak rolling. Denver has won ten straight games, some of them in fairly ridiculous fashion, but they sit at 11-2, sharing the top record in the NFL with the New England Patriots, who are just behind them in the playoff picture based on conference record.

The Packers, meanwhile, want to hold on to the lead in the NFC North before they have their rematch with the Chicago Bears next Saturday night. Green Bay sits behind only the Los Angeles Rams in the playoff race in the NFC, and they want to return to the Central time zone with that lead intact.

Join us here at Acme Packing Company to discuss today’s game, and Go Pack Go!

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Denver, CO

Denver hosts Houston on 4-game home skid

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Press Room

Houston Rockets (16-6, third in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (18-6, second in the Western Conference)

Denver; Monday, 9:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Denver hosts Houston looking to end its four-game home slide.

The Nuggets are 13-5 in conference games. Denver averages 125.5 points while outscoring opponents by 9.6 points per game.

The Rockets are 9-5 in Western Conference play. Houston is fifth in the NBA scoring 120.6 points per game while shooting 48.6%.

The Nuggets’ 13.5 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Rockets give up. The Rockets average 120.6 points per game, 4.7 more than the 115.9 the Nuggets give up.

The teams meet for the second time this season. In the last meeting on Nov. 22 the Nuggets won 112-109 led by 34 points from Nikola Jokic, while Reed Sheppard scored 27 points for the Rockets.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jokic is averaging 29.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.9 assists for the Nuggets. Hunter Tyson is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Alperen Sengun is averaging 23 points, 9.4 rebounds, seven assists and 1.5 steals for the Rockets. Amen Thompson is averaging 20.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nuggets: 7-3, averaging 126.7 points, 41.4 rebounds, 30.3 assists, 5.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.8 points per game.

Rockets: 7-3, averaging 115.7 points, 47.2 rebounds, 24.8 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.0 points.

INJURIES: Nuggets: Christian Braun: out (ankle), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Julian Strawther: day to day (back).

Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Dorian Finney-Smith: out (ankle), Tari Eason: out (oblique).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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