The game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos will be presented Sunday, from 3 p.m., on RDS and RDS.ca.
Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who will get his first start since the end of the 2023 season on Sunday, still tried to make his week as normal as possible.
That includes a trip to Target on Monday with her kids.
Asked if he had been recognized or approached since he became the center of the news, Stidham replied: “No, incognito, no one noticed.”
Stidham, 29, will start for the Broncos on Sunday against the Patriots, replacing Bo Nix. The latter fractured his right ankle on the final sequence of the Broncos’ 33-30 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills.
In the space of an hour, the Broncos players went from the euphoria of reaching the American final to the devastating news of Nix’s absence for the rest of the season.
In the days that followed, Broncos coaches and players along with Stidham attempted to follow their regular routines to prepare for the game that could send them to the Super Bowl.
“We wouldn’t be in this position without Bo,” Stidham said. I know us on offense, I know this whole team… we want to play on Sunday to make him proud. »
Stidham’s teammates expressed a lot of confidence in the quarterback’s preparation for Sunday’s duel, which will mark the Broncos’ first appearance in the American Championship game since their Super Bowl title during the 2015 season.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II said Stidham “had a mojo, a confidence about him that you rarely see.”
Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that there were differences between the playing styles of Nix and Stidham and that the game plan would be adjusted. However, he said he had no doubts about Stidham’s preparation.
“He’s going to break everything and that’s going to be our approach,” Peyton said. He has a calmness that suits him… I feel that our No. 2 quarterback is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league. »
Stidham’s last starts date back to the final two weeks of the 2023 season, when he replaced Russell Wilson.
He had only appeared in four games this season, in the Broncos’ 44-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
Stidham signed a two-year contract with the Broncos last off-season. The Patriots, who drafted him in 2019, also tried to sign him.
He was asked Wednesday if he had taken a moment to think about how a win Sunday and an appearance at the Super Bowl could benefit his career.
“In the end, I’m only focused on Sunday, on my work for each game. How can I help my teammates on Sunday? I don’t care about anything other than the next five days. »
