Zac Dysert will have a better game Friday than Brock Osweiler because Osweiler has everything to lose, while Desert has everything to gain, at least according to one person in Denver. Neither of these quarterbacks will be the starting quarterback this season if Peyton Manning remains healthy, but the future of the franchise will begin to be decided in Seattle.
On BSN Denver Sports Desk on Mile High Sports AM 1340, Josh Dover and Adam Kinney say that Osweiler has been prepping for this for his whole career, while Dysert is still rather new to this, bouncing his way back and forth between the third-team and the practice squad. The pressure is fully on Osweiler, and that could be the difference, they think.
It all makes for an interesting few quarters of what would usually be categorized as meaningless football as the Broncos kick off the 2015 preseason. With head coach Gary Kubiak’s decision to rest Manning in the preseason opener, but keep several other key starters in the lineup against the back-to-back NFC champion Seahawks, Broncos fans will have a good look at what Osweiler can do with the ones (mostly). Osweiler has a chance to show that the team made a wise pick selecting him in the second round and a worthwhile investment keeping him on the roster for a fourth year. It’s a tremendous amount of pressure from a fan base who ran a not just serviceable, but downright good quarterback like Jake Plummer out of town.
Dysert, meanwhile, is enjoying the stress-free life usually reserved for the backup. With Manning’s hourglass running near empty, the pressure is mounting on Brock while Dysert runs his toes through the sand. With a big night tonight, Dysert could put himself in a very good spot heading into next season.
Still, Dysert isn’t without issues of his own. Bleacher Report highlighted a key factor in why Dysert will more than likely not be in a Broncos jerseys by the end of the preseason:
Dysert can throw with heat—and lots of it. The problem is Dysert doesn’t have the control when more touch is needed. This leads to passes that bounce off shoulder pads or hands and into the waiting arms of a defender.
That analysis applies to Osweiler too, though, who stated earlier this week that while practice drills are great, he needs game action to really get his feet wet. Here is his opportunity.
Dover predicted that Osweiler and Dysert will go a combined 7-21 with two interceptions. They both will be behind a struggling offensive line and will be hoping that Ronnie Hillman has a huge game on the ground to take the pressure off of them.
Listen to the full conversation between Dover and Kinney in the podcast below.
Listen to BSN Denver Sports Desk every weekday from 9a-11a on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or Listen Live anytime for what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
