Jarrett Stidham is set to start for the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game against the New England Patriots. The backup is coming in for starter Bo Nix, who suffered an ankle injury that required surgery in the divisional round game against the Buffalo Bills.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby shares his honest feelings about Stidham, who was previously his teammate, ahead of the AFC title game. Crosby and Stidham went against each other in practice with the Raiders, thereby building chemistry and familiarity.
Although Jarrett Stidham’s career stats don’t exactly scream superstar, Crosby is convinced he has everything needed to put together a strong, productive performance against the Patriots. He believes the talent in the Broncos’ team can elevate him to a brilliant performance in the game.
“Denver did a great job by bringing him in, having him as the backup because he’s not just gonna go in there and dink and dunk and play it safe,” Crosby said on “Let’s Go.” He’s gonna go out there and play quarterback and try to help them win the game. They already have a top defense.
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“They already have a good running game. They got a good o-line. I think he just needs to be himself. Don’t go out there trying not to lose. You gotta go out there and let it rip.”
Maxx Crosby describes how tough Jarrett Stidham is
Maxx Crosby explained how tough Jarrett Stidham can be on the field in his appearance on “Let’s Go.” The star defensive end cited the scenarios between him and the quarterback in practice during their time together with the Raiders during the 2022 season.
“He’s tough as hell and I got to go against him in practice all the time because he was a scout look quarterback,” Crosby said. “We got into it all the time ’cause you know me, I can’t help myself.
“I’m hitting the backup quarterbacks every time. … The one thing I respected most about him (Stidham) is that he didn’t back down. He didn’t back down whatsoever. He was talking s— back to me and I was like, okay, I like this guy. I know I can go in the foxhole with him.”
The Broncos are hoping to see Jarrett Stidham in this mode when they take on the Patriots for a place in the Super Bowl on Sunday. Without a doubt, the absence of Bo Nix is a big blow. However, Stidham can make up for that with a performance of his life in the game.
