Now that the 2023 season has concluded for the Denver Broncos, we’re going to begin a series of lists of the team’s statistical leaders in major categories such as passing, receiving and rushing. Today, we’re starting with the passing categories.
Of course, Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham were the only players who lined up under center for the Broncos in 2023, so a list of Denver’s passing leaders from this season would be a short one.
Instead, we’re going to compare Wilson’s and Stidham’s stats from the 2023 campaign. Wilson played in 15 games and Stidham only played in two games, so Wilson obviously has more passing yards (3,070 to 496) and passing touchdowns (26 to 2).
In an effort to fairly gauge the numbers adjusted for sample size, we have listed averages instead of season-long totals. For example, Wilson totaled 3,070 passing yards last season, but he averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt. Stidham only totaled 496 passing yards in two games, but he averaged 7.5 yards per passing attempt.
Stidham probably benefits slightly in YPA based on his smaller sample size, but it’s a better comparison than raw passing totals. With that in mind, here’s how the two QBs stacked up in 2023.
Completion rate: Russell Wilson (66.4%) over Jarrett Stidham (60.6%)
Passing yards per attempt: Stidham (7.5) over Wilson (6.9)
Touchdown percentage: Wilson (5.8%) over Stidham (3.0%)
Interception percentage: Stidham (1.5%) over Wilson (1.8%)
Passing yards per game: Wilson (204.7) over Stidham (165.3)
Passer rating: Wilson (98.0) over Stidham (87.7)
Rushing yards per carry: Wilson (4.3) over Stidham (0.9)
Sack rate: Wilson (9.1%) over Stidham (9.6%)
