FOXBOROUGH, MA – Milton Williams spoke the truth when he stood at his locker and declared that he didn't know much aboutDenver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham.
"I ain't gonna lie," theNew England Patriotsdefensive lineman said, "nothing. We're gonna watch the tape on him and figure out what he likes to do. But no. They didn't like him over Bo (Nix), so."
Indeed, theBroncoswould have preferred their starting quarterback for the last two seasons, Nix, were healthy and playing rather than Stidham, pressed into starting action Jan. 25against the Patriots in the AFC championship gamedue to Bo Nix's season-ending ankle injury. But Williams' words were more logical than disrespectful. For a team that has embodied New England head coach Mike Vrabel – Williams' statement a fair example of that – the entire locker room knows they have come too far, with too much at stake, to lighten up because the No. 1 seed in the AFC has a backup quarterback in the lineup.
"I think he sees things really well," Vrabel said of Stidham. "I think he's athletic enough to extend, like we talk about a lot of quarterbacks. Accuracy. I think the decision-making – he's really decisive in the games that we went back and watched."
Patriots drafted Jarrett Stidham in 2019, praise his preparation
Stidham has plenty of connections to the Patriots, starting with them being the organization that drafted him out of Auburn in 2019 (fourth round, 133rd overall). He was Tom Brady's backup during the seven-time Super Bowl champion's final year with the organization, then served in the same role behind Cam Newton in 2020.
(Speaking of Brady, the Patriots know a thing about a backup coming in and being a hero in a conference title game. Drew Bledsoe, after Brady had usurped him earlier that season, led the Pats to Super Bowl 36 after Brady injured his ankle against the Pittsburgh Steelers.)
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
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Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
Linebacker Anfernee Jennings, drafted in 2020, is one of the two current Patriots (offensive lineman Mike Onwenu is the other) who overlapped with Stidham in New England. He sounded like Bill Belichick while describing Stidham – who took the job seriously, "prepared the right way," and acted like a NFL quarterback.
"'Stiddy' was a good teammate. He did a good job at doing his job," Jennings said. "I remember that he was a competitor.
"Those guys, they want to win, just like we want to win."
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels coached Stidham for two seasons in New England and then signed him after he took the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job in 2022. Stidham made his first two starts at the end of that season and replicated that with the Broncos the next season when he filled in for the benched Russell Wilson during head coach Sean Payton's first year in Denver.
Payton told reporters that he'd evaluated Stidham during his draft process when Payton was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Stidham's first career start, an overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers in which he threw 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, racked up 365 passing yards and averaged 10.7 yards per attempt, impressed him.
"I have a lot of respect for Josh (McDaniels), and I knew that he liked him," Payton said. "He really played well in that 49er game against a real good defense. That's when we became aggressive."
Stidham 'is going to rip it,' Broncos coach Sean Payton said
At the start of the season, Payton said he felt like his backup was one of the 32 best quarterbacks across the entire league.
"I think everyone feels that way," he said. "That's why that signing was important. You don't know when it's happening, but I'm glad it happened. I'm glad that acquisition took place.
"He's going to rip it, and that will be our approach. He has this calm demeanor that I think suits him well. He's played in big games, college."
Stidham has played behind mostly healthy quarterbacks during his professional career. Vrabel recalled negotiating with Stidham's representation during the offseason, and the player's agent joked that signing Stidham would guarantee good fortune for the Patriots. Payton won out and kept Stidham in Denver. But beyond the preseason and a handful of late-season affairs, there isn't much tape on Stidham.
Vrabel doubted whether McDaniels' relationship with Stidham would provide any game-planning advantage. But that doesn't mean they won't account for it, he said.
McDaniels described the 29-year-old as "smart, accurate, great human being, worked hard, great teammate."
"Just hadn't had an opportunity, based on the situations," said McDaniels, who added that he enjoyed working with him.
Patriots prepare for Broncos offense to operate on schedule
Patriots linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson, who has three sacks in two games this postseason, played against Stidham during their college days (Chaisson won a national title at Louisiana State in 2019). The team watched Stidham's preseason tape, Chaisson said, and said he can make the necessary throws from a clean pocket. Two All-Pros lead what is regarded as one of the league's best offensive lines in Denver and should provide that on a few occasions.
"We won't take that for granted at all," Chaisson said.
Not attempting a pass in a game in more than two years makes Stidham a mystery to plan against. The Patriots expect Payton will have the offense operating similarly to how it would with Nix.
"Until they show otherwise," Chaisson said.
By midweek, Vrabel had watched the approximately 400 regular-season snaps Stidham has taken across 20 appearances. Denver will stick to its strengths, Vrabel said.
"So, we'll have to be prepared for the plan and the things that they've shown. I'm sure there'll be some things that they haven't shown," Vrabel said. "He's more than capable to go out there and operate. It's why he's a backup, and one that was coveted around the league."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Broncos QB Jarrett Stidham has Patriots' respect in AFC championship
