On Sunday, quarterback Jarrett Stidham will throw his first pass in a game that counts in more than two years. Whether Stidham can get it done for the Broncos against the Patriots with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line comes down to one word.
Confidence.
Stidham’s confidence in himself. And the confidence the coaching staff and teammates have in Stidham.
Former Colts and Panthers coach Frank Reich, who won two playoff games at quarterback for the Bills in January 1993 despite having no regular-season starts, explained this week on PFT Live that his ability to win those games (41-38 against the Oilers, overcoming a 35-3 second-half deficit, and 24-7 over the Steelers in Pittsburgh) flowed directly from the confidence he had in himself, and the confidence he sensed from those around him.
Coach Sean Payton signed Stidham only weeks after becoming the Broncos’ head coach, three years ago. Stidham has one more year on the team, and in the offense, than starter Bo Nix, who suffered a broken ankle eight days ago.
In his final two years with the Saints, quarterback Drew Brees missed nine games due to injury. In 2019, the Saints went 5-0 without Brees. In 2020, they won three of four without Brees. All victories came with the quarterbacks Payton acquired and coached to be ready to run the offense, if the starter was out.
Payton made it clear this week that he has full faith in Stidham.
“I told the team this,” Payton said. “I said, ‘I’m not worried about ‘Stiddy’ in this game. I’m worried about everyone else, alright, and how we play.’ That really is the truth.”
Payton also made it clear that the Patriots’ access to game film involving Stidham doesn’t matter.
“They’re going to defend the offense,” Payton said. “Maybe there are certain things, but you don’t go to this whole different playbook.”
That’s the right way to fill out a quarterback depth chart. You sign, draft, and/or trade for quarterbacks who can run the offense. Too many teams (and one is too many) have a backup quarterback whose skillset doesn’t match the starter’s. So when the backup has to play, the other 10 players have to adapt to a dramatic change in the approach — like the Broncos did 14 years ago, when Tim Tebow became the starter during the season.
It’s little things, too. Payton discussed this week the importance of emulating the starter’s cadence, and that Stidham proved during practice he can do that.
The key will be emulating Nix during the game. The more that Stidham can sound and move and play like Nix, the more seamless it will be for the other players to do their job as they have through 18 prior games in the 2025 season.
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