Jarrett Stidham said he would ‘absolutely love’ to start against the Jets
"That's not going to change the way I prepare."
The second half of Monday night’s game was yet another audition for Jarrett Stidham, and now the quarterback and the rest of the NFL will wait to see whether he’s earned a callback.
Stidham replaced starter Cam Newton midway through the third quarter of the Patriots’ lackluster 38-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, seeing action for the fifth time this season. The second-year QB finished 4 of 11 for 44 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions and was sacked once.
He took over for Brian Hoyer against the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year and has come in for Newton on several other occasions, yet he’s been inconsistent overall in a limited sample size. Many fans are clamoring for Stidham to start next week in a meaningless finale against the New York Jets, but Stidham knows the decision is up to the coaches.
“Everybody in the game of football wants to be playing every single week,” Stidham said Monday night. “So yeah, I would absolutely love to have that opportunity, but again, that’s not in my control. I’m not going to focus on it. That’s not going to change the way I prepare. I prepare like I’m the starter, even going back to last year.”
Stidham said that his focus is simply on maximizing every opportunity that comes his way, regardless of what quarter it is or how long he’s out there. He said that whatever opportunities he’s given in practice, even if they’re limited, he tries his best to get the ball to the right person and make the proper play.
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Game action has helped him get more comfortable, he said, but he acknowledged he hasn’t made the most of the chances he’s gotten to this point.
“That’s obviously one of the biggest things for development, is just getting some experience,” Stidham said. “I’ve loved each and every opportunity that I’ve had. I wish, obviously, that they had gone better and we could put some more points on the board. Game experience, there’s nothing like it.”
Stidham struggled with accuracy Monday night, missing on the vast majority of his throws. On one drive late in the fourth quarter, he had a wide open Jakobi Meyers down the middle of the field on third and 10 but underthrew him. A first down was within reach, but the pass was off the mark.
Jarrett Stidham Postgame Press Conference pic.twitter.com/6h4a7fnJhb
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 29, 2020
He said that he believes he understands the intricacies of the offense, and he expects more of himself whenever he gets the chance to play.
“I look at it as I know how to execute this offense and I know what we’re trying to do,” Stidham said. “If I get that opportunity, then I need to go in there and execute.”
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