In some methods, there’s precedent for what Jarrett Stidham is making an attempt to perform.
Doug Williams, Jeff Hostetler, Tom Brady and Nick Foles are among the many backup quarterbacks who led their groups to Tremendous Bowl championships after being pressed into beginning obligation.
However, not like Stidham, every of these QBs began a minimum of a few common season video games earlier than their inconceivable playoff runs.
That’s why Stidham is making an attempt to realize the unprecedented when he begins this Sunday for the Denver Broncos, who’re internet hosting the New England Patriots within the AFC Championship Sport.
“At the end of the day, I’m not focused on anything but Sunday,” Stidham mentioned. “How can I help my teammates succeed on Sunday? What is my job on each and every play?”
Stidham, 29, has been thrust into the highlight after first-string quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending damaged ankle throughout time beyond regulation of the Broncos’ 33-30 win towards the Buffalo Payments in final weekend’s Divisional Spherical.
Nix managed to complete that recreation however has since undergone surgical procedure.
With a Tremendous Bowl berth on the road, top-seeded Denver now turns to Stidham, a seven-year NFL veteran who has made solely 4 begins in his profession — and none since 2023.
“He’s going to rip it, and that’ll be our approach,” head coach Sean Payton mentioned. “He’s got this calm demeanor that I think suits him well. He’s played in big games in college. I said this at the start of the season: I felt like our [No.] 2 was inside the best 32 [quarterbacks in the NFL]. And I think everyone feels that way.”
The percentages are towards Stidham.
He’s set to grow to be the seventh quarterback to start out a playoff recreation after not beginning in any respect within the common season. Frank Reich, who stuffed in for the Payments’ Jim Kelly in 1992, was the one one to win.
Much more dramatically, Stidham is ready to grow to be the second quarterback to start out within the playoffs after not making an attempt a single go all yr.
“My recommendation to [Stidham] is to dam out the noise,’’ Hostetler, who led the Giants to a Tremendous Bowl title after the 1990 season as an damage alternative for Phil Simms, instructed the Denzer Gazette.
“That’s really hard to do because you’ve got reporters asking questions. They were asking me things like, ‘This coach doesn’t think you can get it done. [John] Madden doesn’t think you can get it done.’”
However Payton has religion in Stidham, an Auburn alum who was initially drafted by the Patriots within the fourth spherical in 2019.
Stidham spent his first three seasons in New England, then went to Las Vegas through commerce after Josh McDaniels — who was his offensive coordinator with the Patriots — grew to become the Raiders’ head coach in 2022. McDaniels has since returned to New England as its OC.
Payton made the regular Stidham one in all his first free-agent signings after taking the Broncos’ head-coaching job in 2023.
“That signing was important,” Payton mentioned. “You don’t know when [Stidham will be needed while] it’s happening, but I’m glad … that acquisition took place.”
Stidham is 1-3 in his profession as a starter. He’s thrown eight landing passes and eight interceptions in 20 profession appearances.
Regardless of being the house group, the Broncos (14-3) are 5.5-point underdogs to Drake Maye, Mike Vrabel and the second-seeded Patriots (14-3).
But when the Broncos one way or the other go on to win the Tremendous Bowl, Stidham will be a part of the ranks of Hostetler, Foles and others in NFL lore.
“Going back to when I was backing up Russ [Wilson in 2023], I’ve prepared the same, every single week, like I am the starter,” Stidham mentioned. “It just hasn’t, obviously, been that way, minus two weeks. So my preparation hasn’t changed one bit.”
