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The Denver Broncos will host the AFC Championship Game next Sunday against either the Houston Texans or the New England Patriots. Soon, that opponent will be revealed.
Because of a broken ankle suffered in the divisional round victory over the Buffalo Bills, Bo Nix will not be available to play again this season. The Broncos are already being counted out as a result, regardless of who they face next weekend.
While the loss of Nix is significant, Sean Payton feels he has one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league in Jarrett Stidham and he will have him ready to go. So, who should Broncos Country be rooting for on Sunday, the Patriots or the Texans?
Broncos Country rooting guide: Patriots or Texans?
Both of these teams present unique challenges for the Broncos, as both have been terrific this season.
Starting with the Patriots, Drake Maye is in the conversation to be named the Most Valuable Player of the league this season. Mike Vrabel, in his first year as head coach, was a perfect hire for this team.
The Patriots are a well-balanced team. This season, they ranked third in total offense and eighth in total defense. They have a strong rushing attack that supports Maye, who has shown the ability to beat defenses by getting the ball to several different weapons in the passing game.
They will not be an easy out for anyone who plays them.
On the other side, you have the Texans, who have won 10 games in a row. Coincidentally, their last loss came back in Week 9 to the Broncos, but it took a big hit on C.J. Stroud that knocked him out of that game with a concussion to help that cause. The Texans turned to Davis Mills, who nearly pulled out the victory.
The Broncos escaped Houston with an 18-15 victory, but a rematch would look much different.
The Texans have the league's best defense and there is really no debating that. They were ranked No. 1 overall in that category and they are talented everywhere, led by a fierce pass rush. The idea of Stidham, who hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game in two years, going up against that defense, is a scary thought.
But the Texans are much more pedestrian on offense (No. 18 overall) and as evidenced by Stroud's rough performance in the Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he is prone to errors and turning the ball over. The Broncos' defense matches up better against him than it would against Maye.
READ: Broncos' huge win over Bills clouded by controversy, but one play proves it all wrong
Scoring points against the Texans won't come easily, which would lead many Broncos fans to select the Patriots here, but it seems like the Broncos would have a better chance of grinding out a win over the Texans by forcing Stroud to commit turnovers and potentially setting up some short fields for the offense.
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