Bronco Country, The Ride Is Over

It’s time for Jarrett Stidham to saddle up and ride because the rodeo is over for Russell Wilson.

LET’S RIDE

Sean Payton Benches Russ

Sean Payton has informed the Denver Broncos players and staff that Jarrett Stidham will be starting this Sunday against the LA Chargers. Many speculate that this is a money move for the Broncos, as they are practically eliminated from playoff contention and can’t have Russell Wilson get hurt and trigger a guaranteed payout for next season.

I think there is some truth to keeping Wilson healthy so he can pass his physical in March; otherwise, the Broncos would need to dish out $37 million in guaranteed money. I also think that Sean Payton is doing this to see what he has in Jarrett Stidham. Is Stidham a viable backup? Can he possibly be a starter in the league? Will the Broncos need to make some offseason moves and get a QB1 somehow? All of these are questions that need to be answered before draft day.

Here’s one thing we do know… DangeRuss ≠ Dangerous

Thursday Night Football

We’ve got a Thursday Night Banger for a matchup. We get to see Joe Flacco play his old team when the Cleveland Browns take on the New York Jets.

📺️ Gametime is at 8:15 pm ET on PRIME Video

📍 The Browns are hosting this game in Cleveland

💰️ The Browns are 7.5-point favorites at home and the O/U is 34.5.

👉️ The Browns are guaranteed a spot in the playoffs with a win or tie tonight.

❤️‍🩹 Browns receiver Amari Cooper had a dominant day against the Houston Texans over the weekend. Cooper is a game-time decision tonight as he’s working on recovering from a foot injury in a short week.

❤️‍🩹 The Jets are starting Trevor Siemian at QB as Zach Wilson is still in the concussion protocol.

College Bowl Games

Last night’s bowl games did not disappoint. It was air raid, air raid, and more air raid. You’ll see the trend.

West Virginia Dominates

🏈 WVU defeated North Carolina 30-10 in last night’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl. It was an uphill battle for the Heels after the Mountaineers scored a 75-yard TD on the game's first play. North Carolina would score their 10 points in the 2nd quarter and get blanked in the rest. UNC couldn’t get much offense going without their star QB and WR, both of whom are preparing for the NFL draft.

Oklahoma State Top Texas A&M

🏈Texas A&M suffered more than one loss last night. The Aggies lost the TaxAct Texas Bowl in Houston in a tough battle against the OKST Cowboys. The final score was 31-23, but the biggest loss was A&M losing their starting QB Jaylen Henderson to an injury on the first play of the game.

👉️ Marcel Reed replaced Henderson and threw for 361 yards and an INT while going 20 of 33. He rushed for 29 yards and a score in an effort to keep the Aggies in the game.

✈️ + 🏃 It was an all-around showing from the OKST offense as they had 436 yards in the air with a pair of both TDs and INTs. The running collected 134 yards on the ground and two rushing TDs.

⁉️ If you get mayonnaise poured on you for winning the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, does this mean all the players get their taxes done for free for winning this TaxAct bowl? The NIL money ain’t tax-free, right?

USC Dominates In The Ocean Air

👉️ Before we get to anything, I’d like to mention how cool it is that the Holiday Bowl was played at Petco Park in San Diego, and I love that the city got a football game in a professional venue….. I still can’t believe the Chargers left that city behind.

✈️ The USC Trojans continued their season of air raid and the Lousville Cardinals apparently lost their ability to fly. With Caleb Williams sitting on the bench, Miller Moss made his first college start and threw six touchdowns in a 42-28 win. Moss was 23 of 33 for 372 yards, 6 TDs, and 2 INT. So, this begs the question. Is Caleb Williams really this talented? Should Williams be the #1 pick in the NFL draft, or is he just a system QB in a really good system? 🤔 

Thursday Bowl Games

The Bowl Games continue to heat up as we approach the New Year's playoff games. Here’s today’s schedule.

#24 SMU vs Boston College (Wasabi Fenway Bowl)

📺️ Gametime is 11 am ET on ESPN, live from Fenway Park

💰️ SMU is a favorite at -13, and the O/U is 47.5

Rutgers vs Miami (Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl)

📺️ Gametime is 2:15 pm ET on ESPN, live from Yankee Stadium

💰️ Rutgers is favored a -2, and the O/U is 41.5

#18 NC State vs #25 Kansas State (Pop-Tarts Bowl)

📺️ Gametime is 5:45 pm ET on ESPN, live from Camping World Stadium

💰️ KSU is favored by 3 points, and the O/U is 47.5

#14 Arizona vs #12 Oklahoma (Valero Alamo Bowl)

📺️ Gametime is 9:15 pm ET on ESPN, live from the Alamodome

💰️ Arizona is favored by 2.5 points, and the O/U is 59.5

We’ll be back tomorrow to talk more football, bowl games, etc, and maybe we’ll mix in a little NHL and NBA talk.

Have a day!

-The Daily Breakroom