Competing for a starting quarterback position in the NFL is hard enough. Doing so under the constant scrutiny of Denver media while learning a new offense and playing against what is widely considered to be the best secondary in football is a totally different animal.
The ongoing competition between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch for the starting quarterback position has transfixed Broncos fans throughout the offseason and into training camp. While their play on the field will be the deciding factor in who starts for the team Week 1, the defense is also making sure it does everything in its power to prepare the quarterbacks for the regular season.
“I’m making it hard on both of them,” safety T.J. Ward said. “I’m not cutting anyone slack. I have no favorites in this race. I just want to see the best guy get the position. I’m going to do everything I can to make each one of them better. That’s the beauty of this camp.”
After a less than enthusing performance from the offense Sunday that ended in a Lorenzo Doss pick-6, the quarterback controversy is far from settled. One certainty is that the ‘No Fly Zone’ will continue to prove why they are so feared by opposing offenses.
Even in scrimmages and practices, the Broncos secondary plays with an intensity and pride that makes it easy to understand why they are so successful.
“One thing with those guys, and I’ve said it before in the past, when I came in right away those guys all had a chip on their shoulder,” defensive coordinator Joe Woods said. “You want to call it pride. When they all come out to compete they hate to get beat. It’s not perfect. They’ll complete a couple of passes on us, but those guys take it personal. That’s the thing I love about them. You can see that whole back end. You can see the young guys starting gravitate and become the same type of players in terms of their attitude.”
The ability for the Broncos offense to learn from a world-class defense is invaluable. The competition between the two units is real, and players take pride in beating the other side. Because of this, Lynch and Siemian play against the best on a daily basis. All-Pro cornerback Chris Harris understands the role he and the entire defense play in the progression of the offense.
“That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to drown them deep in the water every day and that’s our motivation,” Harris said. “We were upset with [Saturday’s] performance and we wanted to come back [Sunday] and show them who we are.”
That being said, Harris also noticed that the defense’s efforts are affecting the offense in a positive way. Over the first four days of training camp, Harris has noticed improvement in the offense as a whole.
“They are getting better,” Harris said. “They’re playing the best and they’re going to have days like this. I think we’re 3-1 out of four practices.”
