Broncos Quarterback Battle Becomes Very Interesting

Saturday night the Broncos welcomed the San Francisco 49ers to town.  This was supposed to be the night that either Trevor Siemian or Mark Sanchez separated themselves from each other from the other as starting QB for the champs. Instead we were left with more questions, and no definitive answer.  The Broncos Quarterback battle has definitely become more interesting.

The game started out very well for young Trevor Siemian.  He was extremely crisp, and showed off his undeniable arm talent.  He was basically on the brink of taking a stranglehold on the starting job.  It was his.  Then came the mistake.  A pick six in which Siemian did not see the safety baiting him into the throw.  Another critique of Siemian is taking the check down too often.  I saw an example tonight.  It was 3rd and 9, and Trevor threw a 5 yard crosser to Norwood, and had to punt. Easy for me to say, but when you watch the replay, DT is open 20 yards down the field, and Sanders is open 15 yards down the field.

Enter Mark Sanchez:  He looked sharp in week one besides, guess what, a bad interception. Sanchez looked good at first as well.  For a second week he stood brave in the pocket with pressure right in his face to make a great throw.  Just as I was thinking that was one of his strengths, and writing it down in my notes, Sanchez ducked away from pressure and threw a bad ball.  A few plays later Sanchez coughed up the ball inside the 20.  The Denver D immediately bailed him out, and a few plays later Mark again, fumbled inside the 20.  Not Good.  Unfortunately for Sanchez, this has been his reputation; good in spurts, but always makes the ill-timed turnover.

What makes things even more undecided is that Paxton Lynch showed up vs the Niners, even without his signature ‘stache after rookie haircut day.  His athleticism and arm were on full display.  It is always hard to evaluate a quarterback, or anyone for the matter in the second half of a preseason game, however Lynch showed fans a lot of what they were excited about when the pick was made.

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Post-game Gary Kubiak reiterated that Pax is behind the other two quarterbacks, but still in the mix for the job.  Number 12 had multiple highlights, including a beautiful bootleg jump pass for a touchdown to TE John Phillips.  Speaking of Lynch, John Lynch, who was calling the game for 9News, had the same idea I did; Paxton needs to see some time with the starters.  Whether that be in practice, a 1/3 of the snaps, or starting the game next week, he needs to showcase his skills with the ones.

The quarterbacks were not the only question coming into Saturday nights game.  There are competitive battles all over the field.  The number 1 running back spot is basically C.J. Anderson’s.  He seems to have very fresh legs, and maybe an added burst heading into the season.  To me, rookie Devonte Booker is the clear number 2, and should get a ton of carries this season.  I hate to say it, but Ronnie Hillman is gone.  Last year’s leading rusher has had a few good carries, but so has Colorado State standout Kapri Bibbs.  The fact that Bibbs plays special teams will probably leave Hillman headed to another team.  We did not see Juwan Thompson tonight, but I could see him making the squad because of his versatility with ability to play fullback.

Another thing I took away from the game was Virgil Green and his great performance.  He looked great.  Green has always been a willing blocker, but this preseason he has shown his abilities as a receiver.  He should see a lot of snaps this season.

One thing to keep an eye on is the offensive line.  For a second straight week, we have seen the quarterbacks basically running for their lives.  They are losing the battle in the trenches.  This was a big problem last year.  My hope is that with Sambraillo and Okung healthy, they will look much different when the win column actually matters.  Try to have some patience with this unit.

The Broncos defense looked uninspired at times.  However, they continue to get QB pressure deep down in the roster.  I think the D will be tops in the NFL again this year.  We have yet to see the actual starting D that will host the Panthers on September 8th.  Don’t worry about the top unit in the NFL.  They will look like a completely different animal come money time.

In closing, I give you this: Trevor Siemian should be the Broncos week 1 starter.  He has shown the most to me.  His arm is awesome, he is mobile, and is the most ready QB on the roster if you ask me.  He’s shown me throws that only a handful of NFL quarterbacks can make.  I think Sanchez always has his mistakes in the back of his mind, making it tough for him to reinvent himself. Sanchez may have hit his ceiling, while Trevor has yet to get a glimpse of his.   Kubiak will probably name him the starter soon, however he has a tough decision to make.  Paxton Lynch doesn’t seem terribly far behind, but Siemian should be the starter for your 2016 defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos.  What do you think?  Who would you start?