Denver Broncos lament lapses in AFC championship that cost them a trip to the Super Bowl

All of that wasn't enough to prevent New England's 10-7 win in the snow Sunday that was fueled partly by Broncos coach Sean Payton's decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 14 instead of kicking a field goal for a double-digit lead before the blizzard arrived at halftime.

The fourth down pass attempt failed and the Broncos never got inside New England's 30-yard line again.

“It was a slip or naked (bootleg) that we have run pretty well. They played a 6-1 front with a two-deep shell. Hindsight, the initial run thought was a better decision,” Payton said. “There’s always regrets. Look, I felt like here we are fourth-and-1. I felt close enough. Also, it’s a call you make based on the team you are playing and what you are watching on the other side of the ball. But, there will always be second thoughts.”

Kick the field goal. Take the sack. And it might have been Denver heading to Santa Clara, California, to face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl instead of the upstart Patriots (17-3).

The Broncos (15-4) lost a conference championship for just the third time in 11 tries and they lost to the Patriots at home in the playoffs for the first time in five tries. Payton himself fell to 1-3 in conference championships.

Watching it all from a suite was quarterback Bo Nix, who broke his right ankle on Denver's game-winning drive in overtime against Buffalo in the divisional round. He's looking at a three-month recovery from surgery last week in Alabama.

The recovery time for the Broncos will be a lot longer.

“We'll remember it for the rest of our lives,” linebacker Alex Singleton said.

Bo-lievers

One thing that was solidified this season: the Broncos have their franchise quarterback in Nix, who's won 25 games and led 11 game-winning drives in his first two seasons.

“This dude, he's special,” safety Talanoa Hufanga said. “There's a reason I wore a T-shirt with him on it because I want him to feel the confidence that I have in him. But, a dude who just goes out there and regardless of the situation, you all saw it all year, these fourth quarters and he pulls them out and you're like, ‘How does he do it?’”

Better team?

Several Broncos, starting with OLB Nik Bonitto after the game, said they felt the better team lost Sunday.

“It's sickening ... knowing we're definitely the better team," Bonitto said.

Singleton said he had booked an Airbnb for his family in Santa Clara.

“I think a lot of us had plans,” Singleton said. “I think we knew that we were the better team. And it (stinks).”

Coaching carousel

The Broncos could be losing Joseph to a head coaching job, although OLB Jonathon Cooper appeared to let slip news that Joseph was staying in Denver.

“He's the best D.C. I've had. I'm happy that he's ...,” Cooper said, catching himself mid-word. “I don't know exactly what to say because I don't know all that he said. But he's a great coach and I'm happy to have him.”

Joseph interviewed for several of the 10 jobs that came open this cycle but he likely would be back in demand a year from now — and have a deeper college QB class to help turn around a franchise in 2027.

Dobbins' future

Running back J.K. Dobbins said the plan was for him to play in the Super Bowl if the Broncos had beaten the Patriots.

Dobbins had Lisfranc foot surgery in mid-November after rushing for 772 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games while averaging five yards per carry. The Broncos’ backfield averaged one fewer yard per carry and 31 fewer yards per game since Dobbins got hurt Nov. 6.

“Well, I wouldn’t call it rushing back,” Dobbins said. “We were just doing what my body was allowing us to do. It wasn’t a rush. I just wanted to win. I’ve been in the playoffs a lot. I felt like I could have helped my team. I wasn’t there for them so it hurts. It hurts to watch. It hurts to not be out there and help the team win.”

He returned to practice last week and said he was very close to playing against the Patriots: "There were even discussions about me playing yesterday, but this organization is so great. They want to do right by me. So they decided — we decided — to not go out there.

“I wanted to be out there. Like, I wish I could have. Stupid hip-drop tackle however many weeks ago, that's what put me out. I can't control it. But what I can control is how I come back ... and I will be back even better."

And he hopes it's in Denver.

“Yeah, I'm a Bronco. I'm a Buckeye and I'm a Bronco,” said Dobbins, a pending free agent. “I wasn't drafted here but I do firmly believe that I'm a Bronco.”

Other pending unrestricted free agents include John Franklin-Myers, P.J. Locke, Justin Strnad and Singleton.

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