Denver Broncos: Trevor Siemian has solid first NFL start

Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian looked solid in his first NFL start. What did he do well, and where does he need improvement?

Upon further review, the game of football is still a team sport, and the Denver Broncos are very good at it. But we want to take a look at what Trevor Siemian did tonight, in particular.

Siemian’s first NFL start was something that drew a ton of national attention because of the fact that he was replacing Peyton Manning. It was more than just a guy taking over for a legend though — the odds have been stacked against Siemian since before he came into the league.

As we have highlighted on this site in the past, Siemian’s ability to overcome the odds has been the product of his resilience, calm personality, and of course — circumstance.

The Broncos were put in a really unique situation this offseason, coming off of that Super Bowl victory. They had an opportunity to go after a number of veteran guys at quarterback, and they also used a first round pick on Paxton Lynch.

The way the chips fell, Siemian got his shot to be the Broncos’ starter, and he did pretty well in his first game. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights…

This play is something that gave me a lot of confidence in this young player. Siemian’s ability to recognize that the defensive end was about to completely blow up this play was impressive enough, but his awareness to hold onto the ball after a pump fake, then make a side-arm throw is really something else.

On the first play from scrimmage and in his first ever NFL snap, that’s a pretty gutsy play by Siemian and it turned out to be a really good one.

On the flip side, this is the type of throw Siemian would like to have back. This was one of two interceptions on the day, and unquestionably one of Siemian’s worst decisions. He made some really nice throws on screen plays later in the game (which we’ll get to) but this one should have been thrown at Emmanuel Sanders’ feet.

This play with his legs is one of my favorite on the night for Siemian. He shows great pocket presence here, and an ability to both avoid the rush while keeping his eyes downfield, ultimately settling on taking the first down with his feet.

I love the way he works his way out of trouble here, every move precise as he looks for an opening in the coverage. This is a really athletic, smart play by the young quarterback.

This is an absolutely gorgeous throw from Siemian to Demaryius Thomas. It’s a throw we saw him make in the preseason and he executes this very well. The ball is placed in a perfect spot for DT, and it allows him to make a play after the catch, which is what he does best. Siemian gets rid of the ball quickly, makes a great read on the coverage, and delivers a perfect ball.

While Siemian’s attempted screen to Emmanuel Sanders in the first half was picked off, this is an absolutely incredible play. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Siemian had to wait for the defense to sell out on their pass rush before he got the ball off at the last second, and delivered a perfect screen to C.J. Anderson.

The blocks downfield developed perfectly, and Anderson did the rest.

Overall, I thought it was a solid debut for Siemian. He didn’t make any spectacular throws downfield, but he did have the Broncos’ offense driving on a number of occasions, three good drives being cut off by turnovers.

Those turnovers — especially the INTs — have to be corrected over the next 10 days. The Broncos get the Indianapolis Colts in week two, and we could perhaps see a bit more of an expanded playbook for Trevor Siemian.