5 reasons Patriots can make playoffs with Jarrett Stidham in 2020

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 29: Jarrett Stidham #4 of the New England Patriots during the preseason game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on August 29, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 08: Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots reacts during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at Gillette Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /

1. The Patriots defense is still elite

Anyone who watched the Patriots closely last season understands that much of their team success could be attributed to the stellar effort put forth by their defense. Going from Brady to Stidham at quarterback shouldn’t alter the efforts of Belichick’s defense.

The unit might not hold opponents to 14.1 points per game again in 2020, but it’s still going to be one of the top 10 groups in the NFL. In other words, the Patriots offense isn’t going to need to win a ton of shootouts this year.

That means Stidham will be asked to be a game manager as opposed to a game-winner. The Patriots are only asking their quarterback to be a cog of a successful team this year. Stidham isn’t capable of being a star. Fortunately, that’s not what his franchise is asking of him.

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Look for New England to work hard to win a lot of low scoring games in 2020. They won’t be a juggernaut, but they still have the defensive talent required to win more than their share of close games. The combination of an elite defense and a Stidham-led offense can produce double-digit wins for the Patriots this year.

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