Apparently, applying common sense is a lost art in the Mile High City. At least it seems to be when it comes to the highest-profile job in town. Because on that front, where everyone seems to have an opinion on who should be the Broncos starting quarterback, things like logic, evidence, history and the old-fashioned eye test are getting repeatedly ignored.
Somehow in this six-month drama, which has been going on since Peyton Manning decided to retire and Brock Osweiler bolted for Houston, Trevor Siemian has emerged as the favorite to win the gig. As of right now, that’s the prevailing opinion around town, to the point where anyone who dares to question that fact – guilty as charged – is deemed some sort of quack, wacko or worse.
But an honest assessment of Denver’s quarterback battle makes the Broncos apparent decision to go with Siemian to start the season a head-scratcher. In fact, it paints a scenario where the tin-foil hat crew would think something nefarious was afoot; it makes that little sense. One look at the evidence proves that point.
First, start with the team’s three preseason games thus far. Statistically, Mark Sanchez has been the team’s best quarterback.
In two games, the veteran has completed 20 of 30 passes for 219 yards with one touchdown and one interception. That’s a completion percentage of 66.7 percent, a yards-per-attempt of 7.3 and a QB rating of 85.3.
Through three games, Siemian’s numbers are not as good. He’s 27 of 43 for 285 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. It all adds up to a completion percentage of 62.8, an average per pass of 6.6 yards and a rating of 70.4.
In other words, there’s not a single statistical category in which Siemian has outshined Sanchez. Of course, that doesn’t match the narrative around town, where the youngster has clearly outplayed the vet in the minds of most observers.
The second area of analysis is the quarterback’s respective blunders. That’s been the biggest bugaboo during Sanchez’s career, as his solid play has continually been overshadowed by his untimely mistakes. So it’s a valid variable to assess in this battle.
During his first two appearances, Sanchez turned the ball over three times. The first came on an interception at Chicago, where the quarterback didn’t see the cornerback leave the receiver in the flat and a tipped ball turned into a pick. The second and third came with moments of each other, as consecutive drives didn’t end in points when Sanchez was hit and fumbled in field goal range against San Francisco.
It’s not as though Siemian has been much better, however. Against the 49ers, he threw a pick-six that came on just a dreadful pass. This weekend against the Rams, he threw another junior-varsity ball across the middle that should have resulted in a touchdown for the defense if it wasn’t dropped. Couple those two throws with another interception against Los Angeles and the blunders are fairly even.
But that’s not the story in Denver. Apparently, two awful passes in the middle of the field that should’ve resulted in pick-sixes are not as big of sins as fumbling while getting sacked behind a makeshift, backup offensive line. It seems like the opposite should be true.
Another valid category for comparison is experience. On that front, most people don’t give Sanchez high marks; after all, he’s bounced from the Jets to the Eagles to the Broncos for a reason, mainly his penchant for turnovers. But at least he’s actually seen an NFL defense during a regular season game; that’s something that no one else on Denver’s roster can claim.
But if the rumors are true, which claim that Gary Kubiak is either going to cut Sanchez or trade him to a QB-starved team, the defending champs will enter the regular season with two quarterbacks who have taken a combined one snap in the NFL. That’s just a preposterous notion.
At this point, there are so many things that Siemian hasn’t seen that it’s almost impossible to list them all. When he steps onto the field for the season opener, he’s never seen the bright lights, never taken a regular season snap, never faced a true pass rush, et cetera, et cetera. This list goes on and on and one.
Yet for some reason, the media and fans fail to question the decision to put the unproven quarterback in the line of fire. There’s no “WTF?” being asked on a daily basis of Gary Kubiak.
If the second-year player out of Northwestern was the team’s “quarterback of the future,” that would be understandable. After all, it’s not as though there’s a compelling reason not to turn the page; Sanchez isn’t Brett Favre, Kurt Warner or any other résumé-laden veteran. But Siemian’s not the quarterback of the future; Paxton Lynch has clearly been cast in that role.
That means the Broncos are going to endure rookie mistakes – see the fact that every throw he’s attempted over the middle during the preseason has either been a pick-six or should’ve been one – with someone who isn’t being groomed for the next 10 years. That’s a scenario that makes so little sense it’s baffling to comprehend. If Denver’s coaching staff was going with Lynch, it would be questionable; but at least it would be understandable, as the kid needs to get some experience at some point. To go through those pains with a quarterback who is going to be a backup at best within weeks is nothing short of stupid.
Yet, that’s the current scenario. A quarterback who has been outplayed in the preseason, who has an alarming lack of experience and who has shown every bit as much of a penchant for big turnovers as his competitors appears to be the guy who will take over the helm for the world champions.
If the Broncos were smart, they’d start Mark Sanchez in Week 1 and figure out how long it’ll take to turn the reins over to Paxton Lynch. Instead, they seemed poised to go with Trevor Siemian against the Panthers.
What the heck is going on in Denver? There’s no other way to phrase it, as common sense has been shoved aside, replaced by a healthy dose of delusion, groupthink or some other ailment.
