Jarrett Stidham stuns Patriots as Tom Brady’s Raiders consider major gamble to revive offense

Jarrett Stidham fired off an early answer to his doubters as he looks to inspire the Denver Broncos into the Super Bowl.

Standing in for Bo Nix, the inexperienced quarterback went three and out on his first drive but uncorked a 52-yard bomb to Marvin Mims on his next opportunity.

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He then found Courtland Sutton for the score as the Broncos face the New England Patriots for a place in Super Bowl LX, which fans can watch here.

“That was the biggest throw of his life on a deep ball,” declared Tony Romo on the Call for CBS.

Stidham was thrown in at the deep end with just four NFL starts to his name — the fewest of any starting quarterback at this stage of the season.

But former coach Antonio Pierce, who signed the QB from the Pats for a late-round pick swap, claimed he is not the sitting duck some made him out to be.

Speaking on CBS Sports after Stidham arrived looking cool as a cucumber in a cowboy hat, Pierce claimed the passer had a composed mentality and never flinched on the scout team despite going up against Maxx Crosby.

He referenced a game where the backup lit up the San Francisco 49ers after Derek Carr was benched, only to be let down by his defense in a loss.

He suggested there would be “no difference” in the game plan between Stidham, whose wife is a former athlete turned model, and Nix.

“I would not be surprised if this kid plays out of his mind today and puts on a spectacular performance,” Pierce added.

Broncos QB coach Davis Webb has a lot riding on this postseason run.

NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported that he is being lined up by the Raiders to interview for their head coach job next week.

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The Buffalo Bills are also in the hunt but must wait until the end of Denver’s season to arrange a meeting.

Davis Webb compared to young Sean McVay

Webb, who played six seasons in the NFL as a quarterback but started just one game, has thrived in Denver and is regarded as a name to monitor.

He has done good work with Bo Nix since his rookie season and could be just the man Tom Brady‘s franchise needs despite never being an offensive coordinator.

It would be a gamble, but there is huge potential upside.

“Davis Webb, to me, might be the most interesting name, though,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said on The Rich Eisen Show. “He’s incredibly well thought of.

“He hasn’t coached for very long, [which] is the problem, but he played in the league recently.

“I think Davis Webb has a ton of head coach qualities. And I think part of it is the same thing with the Rams. The Rams had with McVay, right?

“I remember talking to the Rams front office people when they hired Sean, and the whole thing was, ‘Well, we can hire him now, a year early, or we just won’t get him at all because if he doesn’t get a job this year, he’s going to get one next year, and we’re not going to be looking for one next year, right?

“So, I think with Davis, that’s part of the logic, is ‘Do we go in early on a guy, a year early with a guy, bring in an experienced offensive coordinator who can work with the quarterback, and just bet on this guy’s upside?’ And so, I think Davis Webb has a shot in Vegas under that sort of setup.”

With the No. 1 pick locked up, Fernando Mendoza is expected to play in silver and black in 2026.

Per Ian Rapoport, Nix faces up to four months in recovery but his surgery revealed “limited ligament damage and no joint surface damage.”

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