Which Denver Broncos QB is poised to take the reins?
The battle for the Denver Broncos’ quarterback position isn’t over, but the picture is becoming clearer as the offseason progresses…
The quarterback position is a two horse race.
Paxton Lynch has looked very good thus far, which is saying a lot with this haircut…
That being said, he has not had any reps as the starting quarterback and that isn’t likely to change on Saturday against the 49ers. With the 3rd preseason game usually used as warm up game where the starters play the most snaps in preparation for week 1, the coaches will not be inserting a QB to start the game that has never played with the first team.
If Lynch can continue to make plays without too many bonehead rookie mistakes during his limited reps the next two games and then come out and play stellar in preseason week 4 then the coaches might feel confident inserting him in a few weeks into the season once the butt fumble rears(heh) it’s ugly head. But start week one he will not.
Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian will have split the first team reps as of Saturday night, with one start each. Currently neither has overwhelmed the coaching staff and grabbed hold of the job, but neither has preformed so poorly as to have eliminated themselves either. Each has their own positives, Sanchez with experience and Siemian with a laser of an arm.
Sanchez has looked competent, he had one very good drive against the Bears that culminated in a long TD pass to the end zone. While the defender did trip over his own shoelaces and the ball probably had way too much air under it then the coaches would like, a touchdown pass is still a touchdown pass. However he has continued to have untimely interceptions on questionable decisions throughout camp and last week was no exception.
While Siemian is completely inexperienced, he has shown poise and has limited the turnovers, which is crucial when you have an all-time great defense. Some have criticized Siemian for checking down too often but as we learned last year we do not need to throw 55 touchdowns or score 50+ to win games.
Last year we played the field position game, being content with a punt and putting Von & Co back on the field. When we limited turnovers, we won. When we didn’t (see: Kansas City week 10), we lost. This is why Siemian should and will be our starting quarterback on September 8th against the Panthers.
We know Mark Sanchez will have untimely turnovers at crucial moments which will lose games. We don’t yet know what Siemian is, but so far he’s looked good. His turnovers have been few and far between, and with his ability to zip the ball through coverage coupled with his deep ball ability he presents a formidable challenge.
If we want to continue our dominance as the Super Bowl Champions the best choice is to ride with Siemian against Keuchly and the Panthers, eventually the coaches might think Lynch is ready and insert him after the bye week but he is not going to be ready week one. Keep Sanchez as a mentor and emergency QB, nothing more.
Gary Kubiak has been true to his word that this a legitimate battle. His staff has shown the ability to ditch their preconceived notions when a player goes out and earns a job or does the opposite (see: Ball, Montee). Throughout camp Trevor Siemian has been the better quarterback, he should win the job and start against Keuchly and company week 1 as we begin our defense of the Lombardi Trophy.
Go Broncos.