Perhaps the task Jarrett Stidham soon will face isn’t as tall as people are thinking.
On paper, the challenge that awaits Stidham is awfully steep. He’s replacing arguably the greatest quarterback of all time and will have an average-to-below-average supporting cast to work with. Not to mention, the Patriots’ 2020 regular-season schedule is among the toughest in the NFL.
That said, Chris Simms is confident in New England’s ability to properly handle Stidham. The former NFL quarterback doesn’t see Stidham taking on a full plate, which should make his transition to starter a bit smoother.
“I don’t think New England is going to ask him to carry the team,” Simms told the New York Post. “I think they’re going to play a very similar style to what you saw last year from New England. Tom Brady didn’t win New England any games last year. I’m not trying to be a jerk saying that. They won games with their defense and playing a certain way and really not letting their offense screw the game up. I think it will be similar.”
Fans will remember the Patriots used a similar approach with Brady in the early 2000s. New England leaned on a stout defense and rarely tasked TB12 with playing outside his comfort zone. This isn’t to say Stidham will go on to reach similar levels of success as Brady, but in terms of learning and developing, he’s in a pretty good spot.
