It’s mind-numbing that the defending Super Bowl champions, the Denver sports media and Broncos Country are currently talking themselves into Brian Hoyer being a practicable quarterback option.
The same quarterback that led the Houston Texans to zero points in the Wild Card round against the Kansas City Chiefs last season? Yes, that guy.
Hoyer has had opportunities to start in Arizona, Cleveland and Houston. All three franchises thought better of that and cut bait as soon as they could.
He’s posted a career 15-12 record in the regular season and playoffs combined, throwing 38 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
In the last two seasons he’s been benched for Johnny Manziel and Ryan Mallett, two guys who can’t get out of their own ways. Yikes
And, don’t forget he’s Mr. Glass. Hoyer has missed games because of injury each the last three years. Last season he sat out twice because of concussions, in 2014 he missed the Browns finale because of a shoulder injury and in 2013 he tore his ACL.
So Brian freaking Hoyer is the answer in Denver, really? Really?
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
How in the world is Hoyer an acceptable answer for the Broncos’ pressing need at quarterback?
Hoyer has been labeled as a “game manager.” Someone the Broncos can count on to hold down the fort while one of the best defenses in the league wins them games. If anyone believes this narrative they’re insane.
Last season he played with one of the best defenses in football. The Texans ranked only behind the Broncos and Seahawks in total defense in 2015, holding their opponents to less than 20 points a game. With that great defense to fall back on, Hoyer led Houston to a 9-7 record in the worst division in football. Expecting different results in Denver would be silly.
There’s also a perception that he’ll thrive once he is surrounded with talented wide receivers. No doubt Denver’s offense is loaded on the outside, but this is, again, complete nonsense. If guys like Josh Gordon (pre-suspension) and DeAndre Hopkins couldn’t make him better, how are Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders going to be his saving grace?
Houston’s offensive line was pretty bad last season, which undoubtedly played against Hoyer, but it’s not as if the Broncos don’t have major questions at that position group. Russell Okung is an upgrade, but Michael Schofield is rumored to have the inside track on a starting job. The same is true of Ty Sambrailo; a guy who’s only started three games in the NFL and is returning from shoulder surgery.
The Broncos and the Texans both rushed for 1,700 yards as a team last season. No advantages there. And with Denver bringing back both of their top (underwhelming) rushers don’t expect anything different.
Any way you cut it, Hoyer doesn’t make sense for the Denver Broncos. He’s been given multiple chances to be a starter in the NFL and he’s seized none of those opportunities. It’s not hard to figure out why.
Hoyer hasn’t won with a great defense. Extremely talented wide receivers haven’t made him better. He turns the ball over at an alarming clip, struggles behind mediocre offensive lines and he’s injury prone.
There isn’t a reasonable way to talk yourself into Hoyer being the Denver Broncos starting quarterback. Time and again he has proven nothing. Wasting a year of great defense and blowing an opportunity to repeat as Super Bowl champs just to see that up close would be ridiculous.
Quarterback is the most important position in sports. Last season the Broncos were lucky to get average quarterback play and ascend to the heights they did. They were able to do that because Peyton Manning knows NFL coverages like the back of his hand, something defenses had to respect, and Brock Osweiler was a complete unknown around the league.
Hoyer’s qualities (or lack thereof) and skill set aren’t unknown. He is a below-average quarterback who turns the ball over and can’t stay healthy. It’s crazy that anyone, including the quarterback desperate Broncos, can’t see that plain as day.
Hoyer is not only a bad fit for the Denver Broncos, he’s a disaster waiting to happen.
