Jarrett Stidham took the field as a starting quarterback in the NFL for the first time Sunday, putting together a surprisingly-competent performance for the Las Vegas Raiders despite their loss.
It was the first start in Stidham’s four-year career, with Las Vegas benching starter Derek Carr earlier in the week in an apparent effort to protect his trade value. The 26-year-old impressed, completing 23-of-34 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns — leading a game-tying drive in the final two minutes against one of the NFL’s best defenses.
Unfortunately for Stidham, the good times ended there. After throwing an interception early in the fourth quarter, he threw a second in overtime to set the San Francisco 49ers up for a game-winning field goal.
The former New England Patriots backup spoke about his performance after the game, drawing few positives from the performance.
“The ball is in my hands every play,” Stidham said, per team-provided video. “I’m the only one that gets to touch it every play. Unfortunately there were two interceptions in the game and probably some things I definitely could have done better to win. Obviously, we’re going to look at the film tomorrow morning and see what I could have done better.
“I definitely feel like I left some football out on the field today.”
The Raiders were officially eliminated from postseason contention with the loss, guaranteeing Stidham just one more start before season’s end. That will come against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.
