Paxton Lynch will start the Broncos’ final game of 2017
The Denver Broncos’ miserable 2017 season will come to an end on Sunday with Paxton Lynch taking the ball as the starting quarterback…
The Denver Broncos are out of playoff contention, and hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in a meaningless regular season game in terms of playoff implication, but an absolutely huge game when considering the future of many of these players and coaches in Denver.
Head coach Vance Joseph and quarterback Paxton Lynch will be under the microscope, even going up against many of Kansas City’s backups in this game, and will be expected to exceed expectations.
With just one game left in the 2017 season — Lynch’s second as a professional — this is a frustrating sentiment from the team’s head coach:
More from Joseph on Paxton Lynch: "We simply want to see this guy play. He's had one start this year where he played two-and-a-half, almost three quarters. So we want to see him play. He hasn't played much as a Bronco. It's simple: We want to see him play. Very simple."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 26, 2017
The Broncos will head into the 2018 offseason with no answer at the quarterback position regardless of what Lynch does in this game. Absolutely nothing can be decided based on this game alone.
The Broncos waited far too long to make the switch to Lynch, and because of that, he will perhaps never be given the rightful chance to lead this team when he was drafted to be its future.
This is why you play your first round picks, regardless of your team’s expectations or their readiness. The Broncos have missed the playoffs the past two years, and with that in mind, it seems like a total waste of time that the haven’t gotten any answers about the former Memphis star who once looked like a future NFL starter and playmaker in orange and blue.
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Now, because of the small sample size and his variety of injuries, Lynch looks like a bust and John Elway is going to be pressured to make a drastic change at the position.
Unless Lynch comes out and completes about 70 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions in this game, what are we really going to learn? He has always had the ability to make ‘wow’ throws and make plays with his legs, but we have seen absolutely zero consistency from him because the Broncos have never fully committed to him.
You can’t do that three years into a guy’s career when you haven’t had good quarterback play in the interim.
The Broncos are going to be backed into a corner this offseason because of their handling of Lynch, and unfortunately, because of his propensity for injuries.
We may not see Lynch’s NFL potential realized in Denver. We may never see it at all. I hope I am wrong about that. It’s very difficult to make it in the NFL as it is, but Lynch’s path has been even more difficult given the team’s decision to develop him on the sideline rather than on the field, and also because of the two serious injuries he’s suffered this season.
So, Lynch will start against the Kansas City Chiefs, but the question is this — does it really matter?