The Jarrett Stidham starting season debut has given much to talk about given that it’ll come at the AFC Championship Game vs. New England Patriots. However, the Denver Broncos quarterback is not fearing a thing, and he has revealed his biggest motivation ahead of the game.
“It means a lot, any time you step into a situation like this, I just want to go out there and play the absolute best I can for the guys in this locker room,” Stidham said to the press. “That’s all I care about. It’s great to have the support of the guys around me, and thankfully I’ve got a ton of amazing guys, amazing human beings in the locker room, but also amazing football players.” The Broncos QB is a team player to the highest of levels.
And there is reason to think the team actually has Stidham’s back. In the end, Sean Payton endorsed him and even a Patriots coach warned his own team about Stidham’s ability. So the confidence is high.
Stidham’s actual success is measured on other stuff
The way the Broncos can win this game is because of their elite defense. Stidham’s job is to not give the ball away, and try to move the chains a bit to prolong the drives so the defense gets some rest. However, the defense is the best way they win this game.
Drake Maye has a fumble problem. The Broncos could make damage and they also have a top-tier secondary. If Stidham doesn’t lose the game, the Broncos have a fair chance to win the game. Still, it will be a very hard-fought battle.
Sean Payton has to adjust massively
Sean Payton has designed quite a pass-happy offense for this Broncos team. In fact, Bo Nix had the most pass attempts this NFL season. Things must change with Stidham under center. It wouldn’t be wise to put a guy who hasn’t thrown a pass in two years to throw that much.
The Patriots have a great defense and Stidham shouldn’t be slinging it around 35-40 times. The running game should improve and Stidham’s passes should be short-to-intermediate levels. Hence, Payton must adjust his playbook.