The head coach stepped back, saying, “Yes, I don’t think I said I know everything I need to know about him. I don’t think that’s what I said. “
Belichick admitted that the time would come for Stidham to potentially begin.
“At some point he will have the opportunity to play with a good opportunity to prepare and play and that will be a better assessment,” said Belichick. “At any point, I don’t know.”
So, we know that Belichick is precisely between not knowing everything there is to know about Stidham and also saying that there is some truth to the notion that the Patriots would not necessarily discover anything more about the young QB starting it against the Jets.
Did Belichick just put you in the rotation cycle? Are you dizzy?
There is a tightrope between these positions and Belichick is standing on it with his arms crossed.
So, what exactly does that mean? And when will Stidham really have that opportunity to play? There is still no Week 18. The 17 game season starts next year.
The Patriots cannot know everything about Stidham because he has not yet started an NFL game. He never spent a week of practice as the best quarterback. Instead, he is taking representatives from the scouting team and imitating Sam Darnold. The Patriots can see Stidham’s launch in practice. They cannot see him executing his attack.
So, why not throw it out there against the Jets? Belichick said that Newton gives the Patriots the best chance of winning, and New England will not give up either in Week 1, Week 17 or the Super Bowl.
But why is Belichick saying that the Patriots couldn’t necessarily learn anything by putting Stidham on the field this week with that whole week of training against the Jets? The Patriots have been carrying out Newton’s attack throughout the season with weapons that MMQB’s Albert Breer correctly stated that they would not start for two university teams this weekend. Stidham did not provide enough spark to light a firestarter in five shows of relief this season, and starting it on a new offensive with the same old receivers would still not put it in a really advantageous situation. Getting started is a step beyond entering a game in the middle of the third half. But it is not yet a legitimate appearance.
The way the Patriots handled Stidham throughout the season is at least strange. They liked Stidham enough to be prepared to enter the season with him as a starter until early July, when they officially signed with Newton. And they hired Newton without seeing Stidham’s training since January. Stidham only attended virtual meetings when the Patriots pulled the trigger on Newton.
Stidham failed his audition for the initial job at the beginning of the camp, throwing picks, getting hurt and falling behind Newton and Brian Hoyer to start the season. Still, Stidham was kept on the list.
After playing a little better than Hoyer in the week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Stidham was promoted to the reserve role and has maintained it ever since.
So the Patriots liked Stidham enough to consider him a starter, keep him on the team and move him back to the depth chart, but not enough to go to the training ground with him first on the depth chart or to actually start it.
As for the opportunity suggested by Belichick, it may just be the preseason that Belichick is referring to. Stidham would certainly have the opportunity to prepare for a preseason game. Belichick never said anything about Stidham’s start.
It still doesn’t make sense to start Newton on Sunday. The Patriots definitely know what’s in it. But perhaps there is a reason why Belichick believes it no longer makes sense to give Stidham his first start.
Miniature photo via Brian Fluharty / USA TODAY Sports Images