Jarrett Stidham had something to prove in Friday's preseason opener. He delivered.
The Denver Broncos quarterback went 9-of-15 for 131 yards and one touchdown, leading three scoring drives in a preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons. It was his first live game action since the AFC Championship, where he was thrust into an almost impossible spot after starter Bo Nix fractured his ankle the week before the game against the New England Patriots. The Broncos lost that game, ending their season.
Coach Sean Payton did not hide his disappointment after the playoff exit. "It wasn't just a disappointment for (Stidham), I was disappointed in myself," Payton said.
Stidham, reflecting on the championship loss after Friday's win, kept his focus on moving forward. "Obviously things didn't go our way in the championship game, but you know that's football," he said. "There's got to be a winner and there's got to be a loser, and you know if you get knocked down, you got to get right back up and get right back to work, and that's what it was the entire offseason."
Payton praised Stidham's response, pointing to a quality he sees as central to the quarterback's game. "When you lose a game like (the AFC Championship) and you go back and look at it closely, and the margins in that game — one of his strengths is his resiliency," Payton said. "I think he's got a little bit of the 'it' factor that he can come in with. He's really good with the operation and quick with the play. With his experience and his comfort level with how we're calling it, I thought he handled it well."
Stidham is currently competing with Sam Ehlinger for the backup quarterback role. In recent weeks, both players have taken turns running the second-string offense in practice. Friday's performance may have shifted the balance in Stidham's favor, though neither job is settled yet.
Stidham credited consistent work as the foundation of his approach. "I feel like one of the things I try to hang my hat on is just kind of putting my nose down and just working," he said after the win.
The Broncos were back in training camp practice on Wednesday.
