Any hopes the Denver Broncos and their fandom had of a return to the playoffs were promptly dashed Monday when the team announced Trevor Siemian would be the starting quarterback for the 2017 season after beating out 2016 first round draft pick Paxton Lynch.
“We decided on making Trevor Siemian our quarterback,” Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said. “Both guys competed hard. Both guys wanted the job. We’re pleased with both guys, but overall the operation of the entire offense, decision-making, ball placement, was more consistent with Trevor. That’s why he won the job.”
Coach Joseph names @TrevorSiemian the starting quarterback. pic.twitter.com/0qEdL8vXXG
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 21, 2017
The Broncos had given both men the opportunity to win the job in the preseason and switched starters over their first two games. Apparently, Joseph had seen enough in that handful of quarters’ action to go ahead and doom his team to a .500 at best season with the former Northwestern quarterback.
Last year Siemian started 14 games for the Broncos, went 8-6 and completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Did Siemian perform better against the vanilla defenses and scrubs Denver faced over the first two weeks of the NFL preseason? No one should care. What they should care about is how well Lynch played when he had his opportunity. He’s the only potential franchise guy on the roster and, frankly, both men were out-statted by No. 3 quarterback Kyle Sloter.
https://twitter.com/Cianaf/status/899777314829021184
Lynch got two starts last season and went 1-1, completed 59 percent of his passes for 497 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. I’m not saying he’s a guaranteed home run franchise guy. But he’s the only one on the roster that gives the Broncos a shot and he’s not going to get better unless he plays. Sitting on the bench for another year while the team sputters along to mediocrity with Siemian isn’t going to do anyone any good.
“I gave it everything I had to go out there and win the job, and at the end of the day the coaches made the decision,” Lynch said. “Now, at the point where I’m at, I just have to prepare and be ready. Obviously I believe in myself to be the starter, but the coaches made a decision and that’s what I’m rolling with.”
There is no way that Vance Joseph can look his team in the eyes and name Paxton Lynch the starter. Game over Trevor Siemian is your starter
— Mark Schlereth (@markschlereth) August 20, 2017
The move reeks of desperation for Joseph, who doesn’t want to post a losing record his first season as Denver’s coach. Starting Lynch is a high-risk, high reward proposition. If he is a franchise quarterback, you unleash him in your offense. If he sputters, you probably finish 5-11. Siemian is almost a guaranteed 7-9 to 9-7 finish and, unless you’re Jeff Fisher, that’s not good enough for anybody. It’s sure as hell not going to be good enough to win the AFC West with the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs in the way.
“I think I just worried about myself and improving,” Siemian said. “I got a shot coming, and for me, that’s all I needed. I think I’ve grown a lot as a player.”
Hue Jackson promises quarterback decision this week
If you watched Monday night’s preseason game between the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants, you probably didn’t feel great about any of the quarterbacks on the field. For the Giants, at least, Eli Manning is a known quantity, but the Browns could be picking between bad and worse in the Brock Osweiler vs DeShone Kizer quarterback battle.
“I will watch the tape,” Jackson said after Monday night’s game. “There were some things that I felt on the sidelines just being out there watching the game, calling the plays and watching how things happen. Like I told you guys, I hope by Wednesday of this upcoming week we will have a decision of where we are headed, and I think that is what we have to do.”
At one point, the #Browns thought they would cut Brock Osweiler.
Now? He's a sound game away from being their starter for the season.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 21, 2017
There weren’t a lot of great things to watch and, trust me, I watched it all and there’s a live blog to prove it. I’ve been an advocate of Osweiler’s all off-season, proposing it was shitty coaching in Houston that led to his demise there. He seems to be doing his best to prove me wrong.
Regardless, I think Osweiler will get the call. If the Browns can keep a solid running game on the field, and they have the line and backs to do it, Osweiler should be able to get his confidence back and work the play action. Osweiler didn’t make the wrong reads Monday night, but his balls were high and off-target. His lone interception came from a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage.
Rookie @DKizer_14 made plays through the air and on the ground in a preseason win over the Giants.
His best plays from #NYGvsCLE! 👇👇👇 https://t.co/3HCj3fUZaZ
— NFL (@NFL) August 22, 2017
Osweiler was 6-of-8 for 25 yards and a pick Monday night against the Giants. Kizer finished 8-of-13 for 74 yards. The guy that has already seemed to be supplanted in the QB race, Cody Kessler, was a perfect 7-for-7 for 50 yards.
“Brock did some things early, but obviously, the tipped ball…” Jackson said. “Again, you are getting holding calls and all of the sudden you are playing behind the sticks all of the time. That is not good. We are kind of mixing and matching the offensive line a little bit right now so that is tough. DeShone, there were some things he did really well and there are some things he has to keep improving on. To answer it all, I want to watch the tape before I give you an honest assessment of both those guys.”
Bills injury woes
New Buffalo Bills cornerback E.J. Gaines missed practice over the weekend with a hamstring injury. The Bills acquired Gaines as part of the Sammy Watkins trade with the Los Angeles Rams. Gaines played in 11 games for the Rams last year and started 10, recording 56 tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and seven passes defended.
The Bills also got bad news with newly-acquired wide receiver Jordan Matthews as well as left tackle Cordy Glenn. Glenn is dealing with a foot injury and Matthews a sternum injury and neither guy will be ready to play again in the preseason. According to head coach Sean McDermott, the earliest we’ll see either of them is Week One of the regular season.
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