Though he’s currently the third-string quarterback for the Patriots, rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham made a strong first impression for the Patriots.
Playing after backup Bryan Hoyer exited Thursday’s preseason opener against the Detriot Lions, Stidham seized control of New England’s office midway through the second quarter and played the rest of the way. He only threw for one touchdown (Hoyer had two, and the Pats won 31-3), but the fourth-round pick out of Auburn was very accurate and went 14-for-24 for 179 yards, numbers that would have been better had some pinpoint passes not been dropped by his teammates.
Jarrett Stidham to Jakobi Meyers for a #Patriots touchdown! pic.twitter.com/9ptFE67zXE
— Casey Baker – New Account :/ (@_CaseyBaker) August 9, 2019
Stidham had 3 or 4 "holy sh*t" throws last night. This kid could be special https://t.co/HCuqIwIkKH
— Jakobi Meyers Stan (@SkobyNFL) August 9, 2019
Jakobi Meyers have a day! Jarrett Stidham throws him his 5th catch of the 1st half! (2 TDS) pic.twitter.com/GK8EO6pEGZ
— PatriotsNation™ (@PatsNationTM) August 9, 2019
It wasn’t perfect, but Stidham’s performance did earn him some praise from his coach, as well as sparking chatter on Boston sports radio that the team might have found the successor for Brady they’ve been searching for since trading Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers in the middle of the 2017 season.
“The most important thing for a quarterback is not to turn the ball over, make good decisions, and throw accurately,” New England coach Bill Belichick said Friday. “He did all those at times.”
While Patriots fans were happy to Stidham play well, there appeared to be one New England supporter who was less than thrilled with his performance.
Weird drama.
TD reaction to Hoyer on left.
TD reaction to Stidham on right.
🤔🤔🤔
— Savage Boston Sports 🇺🇸🍀 (@SavageBoston) August 9, 2019
The player who caught Stidham’s TD pass, rookie wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, also had a hell of a night, ending his NFL debut with 69 yards and two touchdowns after snagging six passes on eight targets.
Imagine being an NFL GM who watched Jakobi Meyers run the 40 and decided he wasn’t worth a draft pick. He just got 69 yards and 2TDs in his first preseason game after carving out first-team reps in training camp. pic.twitter.com/Z1onJDyvv1
— Cory Smith (@RCorySmith) August 9, 2019
“I have to keep proving to my coaches that I deserve to be here,” Meyers told NBC Sports Boston after the game. “I’m not on the team yet. I’m trying to make sure I can stay here and continue to be here. That’s really who I’m trying to prove a point to, not really to people who didn’t give me the call.”
Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and the world. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
