The first on-field meeting between Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix came back in December of 2022, when Maye was suiting up for North Carolina and Nix was still at Oregon. The Ducks won a tight one, as Nix went for 205 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Maye threw three touchdowns in the game, on 206 yards passing, but it was Nix’s second TD–with 19 seconds to go–that stuck Maye with a 28-27 loss.
The next meeting of the two should have come next week in Denver in the AFC Championship game, after Nix led the Broncos to a wild 33-30 overtime win over the Bills on Saturday and Maye survived a 28-16 decision over the Texans on Sunday. But that was before the awful news that Nix had suffered a broken ankle in the win over Buffalo and that his season is over.
Nix will sit out the AFC Championship game. Maye will play, but he will do so against Jarrett Stidham, the former Patriots quarterback who is now Nix’s backup.
Drake Maye on Bo Nix: ‘It Was Heartbreaking’
After the Patriots’ win, Maye was asked about his relationship with Nix, which includes the Holiday Bowl but also time together working out ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, when Maye went No. 3 and Nix went No. 12. Maye said he was heartbroken.
“Bo, man. I got to train with Bo in predraft,” Maye said. I got to know him well, him and his family, his wife.
“First off, they’re just great people. Great Christians. Really enjoyed being around Bo Nix and his family. Obviously, the news is—it was heartbreaking. The player he is, the guy he is, just praying for Bo. I know he is going to bounce back. He is a great player in this league. Look forward to matching up with him. We had one in college, he got the best of me. So, I know he will bounce back. They got a great team. We’re gonna have a tough one next week.”
GettyDenver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix
Patriots Off to Play Broncos in AFC Championship
Indeed, it will be odd week of preparation for the Patriots, who will be traveling to Denver for the right to go to the Super Bowl. But they will be preparing for a quarterback who is both familiar and utterly an unknown. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was in New England when the Patriots drafted Stidham in 2021, and was his offensive coordinator to open his career. McDaniels also brought Stidham to Las Vegas with him when he took over the Raiders in 2022.
But as far as game film on Stidham, that is limited. He has started four games in his six NFL seasons, with a 1-3 record and just 197 career passes thrown.
Still, after a game in which Maye compounded some of his difficulties hold the ball in the wild-card game against the Chargers by fumbling four times (losing two) and throwing an interception, he’s taking next week’s challenge seriously.
“Not satisfied. We’re back on the road, back on the road in the AFC Championship game, that kind of speaks for itself,” Maye said. “Just trying to enjoy this, enjoy these playoff wins. I think in the regular season, when you come up with wins, you feel like you can play better. …
“I wish I had some plays back but that is part of it, part of playing good teams in the playoffs. Proud of these guys for how we played, we saw the defense picking us up when we need to, and special teams was huge. And, like I said, back on the road, we’ve got a tough opponent.”
Patriots’ Drake Maye Sends Message to Bo Nix After ‘Heartbreaking’ Injury