Nick Foles knows a thing or two about facing the New England Patriots deep in the postseason, especially as a backup quarterback. That’s exactly why, when Bo Nix suffered a season-ending broken ankle and the Broncos turned to Jarrett Stidham, the former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback felt compelled to say something to Broncos Country.

“Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours,” the NFL legend tweeted. “I feel for Bo and the team, and I’m sending prayers for a strong recovery. A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games.”

Fast forward to now, and that optimism unraveled quickly. New England traveled to Denver, navigated a gritty road environment, and, despite a few shaky moments, walked away with the AFC Championship win. And almost as soon as the result was finalized, Foles deleted the tweet. And it wasn’t hard to see why.

The confidence behind Foles’ message wasn’t random. He’d lived that exact scenario. In 2017, Carson Wentz led the Eagles to a dominant regular-season start before tearing his ACL in Week 14. Foles stepped in the following week and immediately delivered. In Week 15, he threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns in a 34–29 road win over the New York Giants. A week later, he guided Philly to a 19-10 win over the Raiders.

After a quiet showing in the regular-season finale, Foles flipped the switch in the playoffs. The Eagles edged the Atlanta Falcons 15–10 in the Divisional Round, with Foles completing 23 of 30 passes for 246 yards. Then came the NFC Championship. Against the Minnesota Vikings, he put together one of the best games of his career. We’re talking about 26 of 33 for 352 yards and three touchdowns, sending Philadelphia to the Super Bowl.

On the sport’s biggest stage, Foles finished the job. He led the Eagles past the Patriots 41–33, completing 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns to deliver the franchise its first Lombardi Trophy. That history is what made the comparison tempting. After Denver’s Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, Sean Payton announced that Nix would miss the rest of the season and named Stidham the starter. The belief was there. Foles’ precedent was there. Broncos Country rallied.

But this time, the script didn’t repeat. New England’s defense tightened up, the margins disappeared, Denver preferred to go for it on a fourth and short instead of three points, and fell short with a backup quarterback under center with just 3 points. And as that reality set in, Nick Foles’ tweet quietly disappeared.

Sean Payton addressed his regret for not going for a field goal

It’s not that Sean Payton’s Broncos played bad football against the Patriots. For most of the night, they actually kept New England in check. The problem was how things unraveled at a key moment, when Payton chose aggression over caution. Instead of taking an easy field goal on a fourth-and-short, Payton rolled the dice. And after the loss, he didn’t shy away from the decision or the regret that came with it.

“There’s always regrets,” Payton said in his post-game press conference. “I mean, look, I felt here we are fourth and one, we felt close enough that, and it’s also a call you make based on the team you’re playing and what you’re watching on the other side of the ball. So, yeah, there will always be second thoughts.”

The moment came in the first half. Denver held a 7–0 lead and had a chance to push it into double digits. Instead, they went for it. The call felt uneasy from the snap, and the Patriots stopped it cleanly. The score stayed 7–0, and almost instantly, the momentum swung. New England responded by tying the game, then taking the lead. Denver never recovered. The Broncos stayed stuck at seven points for the rest of the game.

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In the end, that decision loomed large. Denver lost by just three points, while the Patriots claimed the Lamar Hunt Trophy and punched their ticket to the Super Bowl. New England now heads to Levi’s Stadium to face the Seattle Seahawks. For the Broncos, meanwhile, it’s a tough ending to what was otherwise a strong season.