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The Denver Broncos have been in the news the last day or so, if you hadn't noticed. With its playoff odds on life support and financial considerations taking precedent, the team is making a major change to its offense. So yes, the Broncos Week 17 quarterback will be Jarrett Stidham and not Russell Wilson.
Payroll impact aside, what does the move to Stidham mean for the rest of Denver's season? Well, he's unlikely to lead them to the postseason, as even a defeat of the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday only gives them a 12 percent shot at qualifying.
But with Wilson on his way out in Denver, Sean Payton might as well see what he has in Stidham. Can the former Patriots draft pick serve as a viable option to start next season? Someone has to step up in the post-Wilson era. Here's your shot, Jarrett.
The Chargers, meanwhile, beat the Broncos to the punch in waving the white flag on 2023. Losing QB Justin Herbert snowballed into a disastrous loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and an occasion to clean house. Now, L.A. needs a new head coach and general manager for 2024 and beyond.
Games such as this can provide important showcase opportunities for players in new roles, which is where the real intrigue lies. With that in mind, how about some Broncos Week 17 predictions to put our money where our mouth is.
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Stidham SZN
It's officially Jarrett Stidham Time in Denver. With Russell Wilson encased in bubble wrap, what can the Broncos expect from their new QB1?
Who knows! Stidham has 131 pass attempts in his NFL career, so the sample size isn't large. In two starts, both with the Las Vegas Raiders, he threw the ball a combined 70 times, completing 45 of those passes for 584 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
In the Year of the Backup Quarterback, any opportunity to show the league what a player can do is a precious one. In that vein, will Payton open up the playbook and let Stidham cook a bit more than Russ was allowed to?
The other important factor here is the Chargers' pass defense, and how not good it is. Only two teams give up more passing yards per game than the Bolts do.
Add that all up, and we could see a more adventurous Denver offense on Sunday. Wilson hit the 300-yard mark twice in 2023, back in Weeks 2 and 3.
Stidham probably won't get there, but a game with 250+ passing yards (something Russ has done once since Week 3) is certainly on the table.
Jeudy shines again
Whether because of Wilson's abilities or Payton's play-calling, it's been a rough year for Denver wideouts. In particular, Jerry Jeudy.
Jeudy has just 48 catches for 625 yards with two games to go. His high-game this season is 81 yards, and his 75 targets is one fewer than Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson has, despite Jefferson missing about half of the season due to injury.
If Stidham steps onto the field Sunday with a grip-it and rip-it mentality, Jeudy should be the beneficiary. Courtland Sutton, Denver's leading receiver, is dealing with the effects of a concussion and might not be ready to suit up.
In any case, Jeudy has two games to build some chemistry with Stidham and remind the league why he was such a highly regarded receiver coming out of Alabama.
80 receiving yards feels like a nice round number for Jeudy to shoot for, so we'll predict that.
New-look Broncos best Chargers
In a battle of AFC West backup quarterbacks, who prevails in this one? Easton Stick has been fine in replacing Herbert, competing over 65 percent of his passes and throwing just one interception in 89 attempts.
But here is where Stidham and the Broncos likely have the advantage. The Chargers don't have Justin Herbert, and they also are playing under an interim head coach in Giff Smith.
Sean Payton is still running the show in Denver. While a QB change is major, the shakeup is not as drastic as L.A.'s has been.
For that reason, the Broncos should be able to pull out a victory at home this Sunday. Whether Jarrett Stidham is the future is one thing, but this week, he'll be the victor.
