Current NBC NFL analyst Devin McCourty recently warned the New England Patriots that Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham developed a reputation for “killing” the Denver defense during practices.
With Broncos QB1 Bo Nix sidelined due to an ankle injury, Stidham will start when Denver hosts New England in the AFC Championship Game this Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi suggested that Stidham will prove doubters wrong while making his first meaningful in-game start since January 2024.
Jarrett Stidham impressed Broncos all the way back in training camp
“I thought if you watched training camp, if you watched certainly the preseason games, he was outstanding. He had one of the better training camps of any quarterback,” Lombardi said about Stidham, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “If you’re watching it, I’m not sure he had a bad day. Just seeing him perform very well, and you wish you had a couple of warm-up games that he wasn’t coming off of running the practice squad, but he’s a vet, he’s a professional and he’s right.”
Broncos head coach Sean Payton has insisted that Stidham is “gonna rip it” versus New England. Meanwhile, Patriots inside linebackers coach and defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr said on Thursday that he believes Stidham “could be the starter for a number of teams.”
Stidham isn’t a complete stranger to the Patriots, as he spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with New England after the club made him a fourth-round draft pick in 2019. Stidham played under Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during stints with the AFC East club and with the Las Vegas Raiders when McDaniels was Las Vegas’ head coach.
Jarrett Stidham is comfortable with the Denver offense despite lack of in-game reps
Throughout the week, outlets such as DraftKings Sportsbook have routinely listed the Broncos as 4.5-point home underdogs against the Patriots. Lombardi indicated that Stidham won’t be rusty when the signal-caller enters Empower Field at Mile High this Sunday.
“The way he does prepare, which is hard to do for 18 straight weeks, 18 straight games when you’re the backup, but when he’s running plays, calling our plays in a walkthrough period, every week there’s never hesitation. He knows it cold, so no concerns there. I’m excited to watch him play,” Lombardi added during his comments about Stidham.
With Stidham now leading the Broncos offense, the pressure is on the Patriots to not end up on the wrong side of what could go down as the biggest upset in conference-championship game history.
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