Getty New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels shake hands.
The New England Patriots aren’t the only team with quarterback issues.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas Raiders head coach and former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels announced that he would be benching Derek Carr for the final two games of the regular season.
Carr has had a decent season in what has been a struggle for the Raiders as a whole. The three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions per Pro Football Reference. While boasting quality passing numbers, his accuracy and decision-making have been an issue as he leads the league in interceptions thrown.
Carr will be replaced by former Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham. The 26-year-old has yet to start a game for Las Vegas so far this season per Pro Football Reference but has appeared in three games and thrown for 72 yards.
It appears that Carr will support his younger teammate according to comments made by McDaniels.
“None of us is happy with where we’re at, but we think it’s an opportunity to evaluate a younger player who hasn’t had much time to play,” the head coach said. “Talking to Derek, who was great, he understands the scenario that we’re in and the situation, and is very supportive of the two young guys.”
A Second Chance for Jarrett Stidham
After spending two years with the team that drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Stidham was traded to the Raiders in the 2022 offseason. The Patriots received a 2023 sixth-round pick while sending Las Vegas the quarterback and a 2023 seventh-round selection.
Stidham didn’t receive a ton of playing time in New England. He appeared in just eight games and tallied 270 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.
These last two games will be a chance for Stidham to show exactly what he can do with the likes of Davante Adams catching his passes.
Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick Respects Teddy Bridgewater
The Miami Dolphins announced on Wednesday that Teddy Bridgewater will be starting against New England in Week 17. Bill Belichick was asked about preparing to go up against Bridgewater and had plenty of praise for the veteran quarterback.
“Yeah, but we’ve been in that situation before,” Belichick replied when asked about preparing for Tua Tagovailoa and Bridgewater. “You can’t go into a game with two different offenses, it’s impossible. So, one’s right-handed and one’s left-handed. That definitely affects some things right there. But we could be looking at a different quarterback, just like when we were in Arizona in the first series of the game. So, you have to be ready for – you know who to expect to play, but that could change. Certainly, it’s changed for us. We’ve got players who have gone out in the first series, and we’ve had to play with different players. They’ve got to defend different players than they were expecting to defend on the other side of the ball. So, I mean that’s football.”
Belichick was then informed of the announcement and spoke highly of Bridgewater and even compared him to Tagovailoa.
“Yeah, I’ve always had a ton of respect for Teddy,” he said, “I like Teddy. Good athlete, good arm, smart kid, athletic. Presents a lot of the same problems that Tua does.”