PATRIOTS ROASTED BY FORMER SUPER BOWL MVP AHEAD OF AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

© David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are heading to the AFC Championship Game after taking care of the Houston Texans on Sunday. 

The team will take on the Denver Broncos, who recently found out that starting quarterback Bo Nix will miss the rest of the postseason with a broken ankle. The Broncos were able to beat the Buffalo Bills anyway, but it'll be tough to move forward without their quarterback. 

However, not everybody is penciling the Patriots into the Super Bowl. 

Former NFL quarterback Nick Foles was watching the game and wanted to remind everybody about something. Foles mentioned that the Patriots "struggle against backup QBs" in championship-style games. 

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

Of course, Foles is referring to Super Bowl LII, where he stepped in as the backup quarterback and led the Philadelphia Eagles to a win over the Patriots. 

In that game, Foles played like a star, throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns. The famous "Philly Special" play was born that night, and the Patriots received plenty of grief for losing to a backup quarterback. 

Foles went on to play one more season with the Eagles after that Super Bowl before signing a massive free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. 

It was a hilarious note from Foles, but the situations aren't exactly the same. 

Foles was the backup, but he had already been a Pro Bowler once in his career. The quarterback was a reliable veteran passer and one of the best backups in the league. 

The Broncos, though, have to rely on Jarrett Stidham. Stidham has just over 1,400 yards and eight touchdown passes in his career and has never played in a playoff game. 

Interestingly, Stidham did spend two seasons with the Patriots, and now he has a chance to prove himself against one of his former teams. 

- BRYCE LAZENBY

HEISMAN FINALISTS: LSU QB DANIELS, OREGON QB NIX, WASHINGTON QB PENIX JR., OHIO STATE WR, HARRISON JR.

Jayden Daniels. AP Photo

LSU's Jayden Daniels, Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr., transfer quarterbacks who have all played at least five college seasons, and Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists on Monday night.

The Heisman has been given to the nation's most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year's winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top four vote-getters determined by more than 870 voters, which include members of the media and former Heisman winners, are selected as finalists.

With Nix and Penix, the Pac-12 has two Heisman finalists for the first time since 2010 when Stanford's Andrew Luck was the runner-up to Auburn's Cam Newton, and Oregon running back LaMichael James finished third in the balloting.

The Pac-12 is in its final season with its current membership before 10 schools depart, including Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten.

A look at each finalist's road to Manhattan.