Jarrett Stidham is not entering uncharted waters as a backup quarterback starting an NFL playoff game. Ironically, the Denver Broncos’ opponent in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, the New England Patriots, fell to a backup QB eight years ago in Super Bowl LII.
Stidham will start in place of Bo Nix, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the final moments of Denver’s win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.
Nick Foles, who replaced Carson Wentz and started the Super Bowl for the Eagles after the 2017 season, reminded Broncos fans that history suggests they should be encouraged … while trolling the Patriots by recalling a game they would rather forget.
“Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours,” Foles wrote on social media. “I feel for Bo and the team, and I’m sending prayers for a strong recovery. A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games.”
Broncos fans would certainly love it if Stidham had a performance similar to the one Foles put together against New England on football’s biggest stage. Foles went 28 of 43 for 377 yards and three touchdowns that night, leading Philadelphia to a 41-33 win over the then-defending Super Bowl champions.
Foles’ MVP performance also included being on the receiving end of the “Philly Special” that instantly became part of Super Bowl lore.
While Stidham will be in a similar spot this Sunday, there are a few clear differences between his situation and the one Foles found himself in eight years ago.
Foles had been entrenched in the Eagles’ starting lineup for roughly six weeks before facing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That stretch included five starts and two playoff games. Conversely, Sunday will mark Stidham’s first extended playing time in a non-exhibition game since the 2023 season. In fact, Stidham hasn’t even thrown a pass in a non-exhibition game in over two years.
Foles’ performance also came in the backdrop of Bill Belichick’s baffling decision to bench cornerback Malcolm Butler, the hero during the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks three years earlier. It’s rather unlikely that current New England coach Mike Vrabel will be benching any of his star defenders next Sunday against Stidham.
However, while Foles faced the Patriots on a neutral site, Stidham will benefit from the friendly confines and altitude of Empower Field at Mile High. Rest assured that the Broncos’ faithful will give Stidham the silence he needs to run the Broncos’ offense while going into a frenzied pitch anytime Patriots QB Drake Maye is on the field.
Stidham appears to have the belief of his teammates and coaches, including Broncos head man Sean Payton.
“He will be ready to go and ready for the moment,” Payton said following Denver’s win over Buffalo. “[Stidham’s] great strength is his mental aptitude and his progressions in understanding plays. … He’s very accurate. He has a lot to his ball.”
Payton alluded to Foles and former New York Giants QB Jeff Hostetler, who relieved injured starter Phil Simms late in the 1990 season before leading New York to an upset win over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.
“Historically speaking, all bets weren’t off with Hostetler, [and] they weren’t off in Philly [with Foles],” Payton said.
