Denver Broncos: Predicting The 2017 Stats for Paxton Lynch

As Paxton Lynch gears up for a heated quarterback battle in training camp, we detail what a Paxton Lynch stat line may look like in 2017. 

Mark this down; Paxton Lynch will be the starting quarterback in 2017 for the Denver Broncos. The narrative has changed coming out of the Broncos offseason program. Paxton Lynch is “lighting it up”. The supposed “gap” has been closed according to the Denver media.

Now, with training camp nearing Paxton Lynch is ready to seize the job. This has always been a situation where Trevor Siemian would have to significantly outplay Lynch in order to win the job. Hence, if it is close, the job is going to Lynch. The reason is simply the investment the Broncos made at the position. The Broncos traded up in the first round in 2016 to draft Paxton Lynch. As a result, the time is now to see what their investment is made of. Seems like a good time to look at what type of stats the first-year starter could put up.

The Fit

Make no mistake, this Mike McCoy led offense will not be the Tim Tebow offense of 2011. As a result of Tebow’s very limited skill set, Mike McCoy recreated the offense mid-season to match it to that of it’s quarterback. That offense featured a plethora of read option, and highly favored the run to the pass. Furthermore, during a road game against Kansas City, Tebow actually won a game completing only two passes on eight attempts. McCoy did have success with Tebow that year.  However, this will not be the offense this year.

Paxton Lynch will sling the ball around the field. The Broncos will certainly do a good job of balancing run and pass, but will try to implement the screen game as an extension of the passing game. This is something Lynch did early and often during his time at Memphis, and was also a staple of the McCoy/Gase offense when Peyton Manning was in town from 2012-2014. Because of this, his stats are going to be far higher than they were a year ago.

Now, short passes aren’t the only thing that the Broncos are going to employ. Paxton Lynch has a cannon for an arm, and McCoy would be foolish to not use it. Look for a lot of deep passes to these high paid receivers on the outside. If there is one thing that Lynch has not been shy about during OTA’s, it’s throwing deep. The second half of OTA’s, he was mostly on point with these passes as well.

The Stats

Paxton Lynch isn’t going to be great all the time, but in this offense, stats shouldn’t be lacking too bad. Don’t expect McCoy to implement an extraordinary amount of read-option, but it will be used in moderation. Lynch has the wheels and the athleticism to do damage not only through the air, but also on the ground. As a result, Lynch should be a quality fantasy player in 2017. However, more importantly, Lynch should make big plays that win some big games.

In conclusion, here are my predictions for Lynch’s final stats in 2017.

Completion Percentage: 61%

Yards: 3,822

Yard Per Attempt:  7.24

Passing Touchdowns:  23

Interceptions:  16

Rushing Yards:  345

Rushing Touchdowns:  4

Fumbles:  6

Next: Predicting Emmanuel Sanders 2017 Stats

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