Hearing about Jarrett Stidham carving up the San Francisco 49ers top-ranked defense would’ve been considered a phantasmic work of fiction. After all, how could a rarely-used backup quarterback step into the starting spot and survive against the league’s best defense?
But that’s exactly what the Las Vegas Raiders new starting quarterback did on Sunday afternoon. Stidham breathed life into moribund Silver & Black offense showing poise and dropping dimes as he racked up 365 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, as well as 34 yards scrambling. The end result was a familiar one, however, for the Raiders — a 37-34 defeat in overtime that saw Stidham throw the deciding interception (more on that below).