Stidham: Wish I put team in better spot to win

DENVER -- Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham found out Sunday just how rugged uncharted football ground can be.

The 29-year-old backup was shoved into the starting lineup for Sunday's AFC Championship Game after Bo Nix fractured an ankle in the closing moments of Denver's divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills last weekend. But the excitement of a potential Super Bowl trip hanging in the balance of his fifth career start was lost in the swirl of a second-half snowstorm and the Patriots' defense as New England left town with a 10-7 win.

"It was fun to get back out there with the guys,'' said Stidham, who was 17-of-31 passing for 133 yards. "Moments like this, this is why you play the game, why you grow up and play the game of football, all the long hours that you put into it. ... This is why we do what we do. …