After being named the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos’ upcoming preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, Trevor Siemian now has the inside track to start Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. If Siemian stays on top of Denver’s quarterback pecking order, can the Broncos win with him?
Many experts would say “no.” The Broncos are on track to be the first defending Super Bowl champions ever to begin a season with a starting quarterback who has never completed an NFL pass. Also, if Siemian does win the starting job, there is a chance Mark Sanchez could be cut, which would save Denver a roster spot and allow them to keep the conditional pick that they traded to the Philadelphia Eagles as compensation for Sanchez. However, this would leave the Broncos with no experience at quarterback and leave the team vulnerable if Siemian deals with any injuries. This is not a shot at Paxton Lynch, but given everything Gary Kubiak has said, the rookie is not yet ready.
The good thing is that Siemian has a very good team around him. The defense should be dominate again and create short fields for Siemian. The running back and wide receiver positions are deeper this season compared to recent years. Virgil Green seems to be poised for a breakout season at tight end. Also, the starting offensive line is improved from a season ago.
With all of this said, I believe the answer to this question is “yes.” The Broncos can win with Siemian as the starting quarterback. Siemian has the most experience with Kubiak’s system and veterans understand that. I also believe that Siemian has more confidence then Sanchez, which will play a role in fewer turnovers. Yes, Siemian threw a pick-six in the latest preseason game. However, he is still young and coachable. It seems like we already know what we are going to get from Sanchez at this stage in his career.
The success of the Broncos and Siemian will depend on the health of the offensive line. This is a better starting unit compared to last season. However, the lack of depth has been very noticeable in the preseason. Siemian does not have the body type and velocity on his ball to overcome anything relatively close to what we saw from the offensive line late in the regular season last year.
As long as Denver’s defense keeps them in games and Kubiak can keep Siemian playing situation football the Broncos can and will be able to win if they remain relatively healthy. It is now up Siemian to prove that he will not play himself out of a regular season starting job this week.
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