Mile High Sports

Despite loss, Trevor Siemian gave Broncos Country a lot to be excited about

MHS Staff

For the first time in a long time, Trevor Siemian and the Denver Broncos offense did everything they could to win the game. And while they ultimately came up short, we’d be wrong to overlook Siemian’s breakout performance.

He finished the night with 368 yards and three touchdowns on 59 percent completion, with a quarterback rating of 125.6 and zero interceptions. But the stats don’t do Siemian justice.

The Chiefs, aided by the Broncos offensive line, were doing everything in their power to end Siemian’s career a little early on Sunday night, and yet he overcame; he began to use his mobility in a way we’ve yet to see this season, moving in and out of the pocket and pushing the ball downfield.

It started with his first touchdown of the night.

The Broncos were trailing the Chiefs 9-3, they’d failed to accomplish much of anything in the first half and Siemian had already suffered three sacks at the hands of Justin Houston.

The team needed a spark.

That’s what he gave them, scrambling the length of the field and back before fitting a ball into Jordan Taylor for a touchdown.

While there have been plenty who have criticized Siemian this season, it was hard to deny that he just made the best play of his young career.

But that was just the start.

Down six with under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Siemian and the Broncos offense received the ball on their own 12-yard line. Four plays later, they were in the end zone.

It started with a beautiful 64-yard pass to Emmanuel Sanders, and with Sanders drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the conclusion of the play, it allowed for Siemian to connect with Sanders on another 35-yard pass into the end zone — the two combined for 99 yards on the drive alone.

While his first touchdown may have been the best play of his career, these two passes may have been his best throws of his career. Even while facing immense pressure from the Chiefs’ front seven, Siemian managed to drop each ball into a breadbasket for Sanders.

On the very next drive, the Broncos again received the ball deep in their own territory, and Siemian again rose to the occasion.

Facing a third-and-11 from his own 3-yard line, Siemian dropped back into the end zone, rolled out to his left and launched a dart to newly acquired A.J. Derby for 13 yards and the first down.

Given the moment in the game (Broncos up one with four minutes remaining), it was a huge conversion

Two plays later, following a 1-yard loss from Devontae Booker and a false start from Sanders, the Broncos faced a second-and-16 from their own 10. Flushed with pressure, Siemian stepped up into the pocket and scrambled 14 yards to bring up a much more suitable third-and-2.

On the next play, Siemian seemingly put the game out of reach.

https://twitter.com/AllbrightNFL/status/803092559669166080

Of course, the Chiefs would go on to drive the ball 75 yards down the field, score a touchdown and convert the game-tying two-point conversion to send the game into overtime, before hitting a 34-yarder as time expired in overtime to hand the Broncos their fourth loss of the season.

But it wasn’t all bad.

Trevor Siemian truly had a great performance on Sunday — the best of his career — and if he can build on that through these last five weeks, the Broncos are still a very dangerous team.

Yes, they’re walking a fine line towards the playoffs, but could they do it any other way?

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