Former New England Patriots QB Jarrett Stidham made his debut with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night in the annual Hall of Fame game.
The Raiders were taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Stidham had some bright spots for his new club. He scored his first NFL touchdown in nearly two years on a 12-yard TD run. Ethan Hurwitz of the QU Chronicle tweeted the highlight:
Jarrett Stidham’s first TD since 10/5/20
The play drew a reaction from the McCourty Twins’ Instagram page run by Patriots safety Devin McCourty and his twin brother, former Patriot and recently retired Jason McCourty. Someone took to their Instagram story to cheer on Stidham’s “wheels.” Also, Patriots punter and former All-Pro Jake Bailey took note of the quarterback’s score.
Zack Cox of NESN recorded and posted the story post:
Some love for Jarrett Stidham from his former Patriots teammates.
Stidham had another memorable moment, though it came on an incompletion.
He took a shot from a pass-rushing Jaguars player, but not before uncorking an accurate downfield pass to Raiders receiver Tyron Johnson. The pass was right on the money, but unfortunately, the third-year receiver couldn’t hold onto the pass that would have put the Raiders inside the Jaguars’ five-yard line. Here is a look at the play. TWSN’s Aidan Maher tweeted it:
Awesome throw from Jarrett Stidham. He took an absolute shot when he released this ball.
The Raiders defeated the Jaguars 27-11 to open the Josh McDaniels era with a win. However, game outcomes aren’t that important during the preseason. Coaches and fans are more interested in the development of certain players.
Stidham is someone the Raiders’ coaching staff are probably watching closely. He’s battling Nick Mullens for the backup quarterback spot, which would mean he’s one play from being the starter.
How Well Did Jarrett Stidham Play on Thursday?
In totality, Stidham had only a decent day statistically. He completed 8 of 15 passes for 96 yards, 0 TDs, or picks. His only rush was the 12-yard scamper for the TD. Stidham was sacked three times, once by No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker. Stidham’s day would have looked much better if Johnson had hauled that pass on the sidelines.
It would have been about a 35-yard completion. A 9-for-15 day for 131 yards and perhaps a second TD running or one passing would have been much more attractive. As it was, it wasn’t a horrible performance, as the 25-year-old looked to be comfortable and in command of the huddle during his time on the field.
Mullens was a little more accurate than Stidham. Mullens completed 8 of 11 throws for 72 yards, 0 TDs, or interceptions. Mullens wasn’t able to find the end zone on the ground. He logged one rush for no gain.
The Raiders leaned heavily on the run against the Jags. Las Vegas ran the ball 33 times compared to 32 passes between Stidham, Mullens, and Chase Garbers, who completed 4 of 6 passes for 35 yards. All of the Raiders’ TDs came on the ground. Running backs Austin Walter and Ameer Abdullah joined Stidham with rushing TDs of their own.
New England’s QB Situation is Pretty Straightforward
The Patriots are locked into the Mac Jones experience at quarterback, and his backup will likely be Brian Hoyer once the season begins. However, the team drafted Bailey Zappe out of Western Kentucky this spring. Zappe has performed nicely in training camp and would appear to be a strong candidate to be Jones’ long-term backup if things go as planned with the starting signal-caller.
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Patriots Stars React to Jarrett Stidham’s Raiders Debut