Brock Osweiler has a golden opportunity.
Let’s see if he seizes it.
The Broncos are expected to make a change at quarterback on Wednesday, moving from Trevor Siemian to Osweiler in an attempt to save their season. (The move was announced at 9 a.m. Wednesday.) No one is expecting a ton from Oz, but there’s no way he can be as bad as Siemian, right?
Let’s be honest: Head coach Vance Joseph is making this change 2.5 games too late. Siemian should’ve been benched at halftime of the New York game, when Denver had a 3-1 record but was down 17-3. Against the hapless (and winless) Giants, Osweiler could have rallied the Broncos for a win that night. Siemian gave them no chance.
You know what’s happened since then. Siemian should’ve been benched before the Chargers game – he wasn’t – and Denver lost 21-0. Siemian then should’ve been benched before the Chiefs game – he wasn’t – and Denver again lost. Better later than never, but Osweiler surely would have preferred to start leading this team when, you know, they had a winning record.
Now, sitting at 3-4, Osweiler will be tasked with beating maybe the NFL’s best team in the Philadelphia Eagles. Somehow, someway win that one – and here comes Tom Brady, Hoodie and the Patriots fresh off their bye.
Good luck, Brock.
And while I’ve written in this space before that Osweiler owes Broncos fans an apology for his messy departure and how he handled the 2016 offseason, salvaging this year and leading the Broncos to a playoff berth would work just as well, if not better, than saying sorry.
All those hurt feelings about Oz skipping Peyton Manning’s retirement ceremony, the White House visit and the Super Bowl 50 ring ceremony would evaporate quicker than a cloud of smoke puffed into the Mile High air.
Broncos fans just want their team to win.
The team is under .500 for the first time since 2012 – a streak that spanned 80 games. The last three weeks have been extremely frustrating, and borderline unwatchable. Siemian went from darling after the Dallas game to many folks wondering if he’s taken his last snap as the Broncos’ quarterback.
Osweiler can not only save the season, but he can save his reputation with fans and possibly his NFL career. Money will never be an issue for the man, but staying employed in the NFL might be. After all, he was cut by the Cleveland Browns this summer.
But if Oz comes in like he did in 2015, and evens come close to matching his 5-2 record, he’ll once again be thought of as a viable starter in this league. His bad stint in Houston will simply be chalked up to being a poor fit, not an indictment of his ability to be an effective NFL quarterback.
This is a crossroads for the Broncos, and it’s a crossroads for Osweiler. The next few games could dictate his professional career for the next decade.
And that’s not being dramatic.
Osweiler has to win, and win quickly, to keep the starting job. Paxton Lynch is getting healthier by the day, and even though Joseph ruled him out as a candidate on Tuesday to start this week, you can bet if this Broncos’ season goes downhill (even more than it already has) that John Elway will be in Joseph’s office letting him know Lynch must play.
The kid was a first-round pick, and we still really don’t know anything about him. You can talk all you want about him “losing” the job twice, but he’s played a grand total of 2.5 career games. At some point, giving him a legitimate sample size to showcase his skills is only fair.
That showcase won’t come this year, though, if Osweiler wins. Joseph is too desperate to get this back on track. Elway’s far too competitive to pull a winner. Keep posting “Ws” and Oz will keep starting on Sundays.
Osweiler’s golden opportunity almost certainly begins Sunday in Philadelphia.
Seize it and, just like he was in November and December of 2015, Osweiler will be the toast of the town.
And this time, Peyton Manning isn’t walking through that door to take his job back.
Let’s Brock and Roll.
