Unfortunately, this game was killed the second that the Broncos confirmed that Bo Nix had a fracture in his ankle and would require surgery. Nix isn’t the finished article at quarterback, but he’s shown throughout his time in the NFL so far that he is a capable QB and can rally his team and be clutch in difficult moments.

The Broncos defense is truly elite, and while I think the Patriots aren’t as good as their record suggests, thanks to that easy schedule throughout the regular season, they should win here with ease. This will be a low scoring game, but the Patriots will be able to score on this defense, even if it’s just two TDs. I’m struggling to see Jarrett Stidham, the Broncos second string QB, managing to even score once with this offense.

When Rhamondre Stevenson was out injured it looked like TreVeyon Henderson had stolen his backfield, but since returning to the field we’ve seen the veteran slowly eat back carries, and now, in crunch time, overtake his rookie rival for carries.

Stevenson isn’t as dynamic as Henderson and is unlikely to rip off huge runs, but he’s more consistent and safer between the tackles. I’m loving his alternate line for this game, which would see him rush for 40+ yards. He’s managed that in seven of eight games since returning from injury in Week 12, and the only exception was his comeback game, in which he only carried the ball six times. If the Patriots hold a lead, which they will have, then there’s no better man to grind out the clock with than Stevenson.

The Rams did struggle towards the end of the season, losing two of their three final games and only narrowly beating the Panthers in the Wild Card Round. Despite that, I think they have the higher ceiling of the two teams. Across the whole season, including the play-offs, they rank top in offensive DVOA and second in EPA per play. They can be hugely explosive.

The return of Davante Adams has given the offense a real uplift, and in Sean McVay they have a great offensive mind. Defensively, they don’t quite stack up as well as the Seahawks, but I’m happy to bet on offense here. Especially with Sam Darnold questionable to play. I’m very sure that he’ll suit up on Sunday, but will he really be at full fitness? I’m not sure, and in games this close, he’ll need to be. It was 1-1 between the two teams during the regular season, but I think the Rams should win here. Just to be safe, I’m taking an alternate handicap and backing the Rams +2.5.

Over the final few weeks of the regular season and into the play-offs, the Rams backfield had looked like a 1a and 1b between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, but it was noticeable that in that tight, cagey game with the Bears, the team trusted the experienced Williams, and that should continue here.

He had 21 carries last time out, for only the fourth time this season, and he rewarded the team with 87 yards. The Seahawks are strong against the run, but we will see Williams get volume here. He’s had 50+ rushing yards in 18 of 19 games he’s played this season, getting a combined 161 rushing yards in two games against the Seahawks.