Let’s review the numbers: 13 drives, six punts, two fumbles, one interception, $72 million.
Brock Osweiler, in the spotlight of Thursday Night Football, was exposed against the Patriots and their third-string quarterback, Jacoby Brissett. There was no Tom Brady. No Dont’a Hightower. No Jimmy Garoppolo, even. And Rob Gronkowski was targeted only once and had zero catches.
The Texans didn’t get in the red zone at all, making it as far as New England’s 36-yard line only once in a 27-0 shutout. And Osweiler threw his fourth interception in three games.
“It looked like on that one he probably tried to force it,” Houston coach Bill O’Brien told reporters after the game. “He’s just trying to make a play. It’s not concerning to me. It’s just something that we have to go over with him and coach him up on what that coverage was and what that route was and where he should go with the ball the next time. We’ll fix that.”
The Patriots were without some of their biggest stars on the field, but stars weren’t needed to pick apart Osweiler.
And stars weren’t needed to validate John Elway’s decision in March.
Osweiler, the Broncos’ long-time transition plan for the post-Peyton Manning era, left for riches in Houston. He spurned a chance to take over a defending Super Bowl champion, perhaps because he was still irked by his benching in the Broncos’ regular-season finale.
Coach Gary Kubiak replaced Osweiler with Manning in the third quarter of that game, adhering to a plan that was laid out nearly two months earlier. Manning was finally healthy (enough) to take the reins, and after five turnovers against San Diego, the Broncos needed a jump-start.
Kubiak had a gut feeling Manning would be it. Osweiler likely had a different feeling.
“I can understand that he didn’t want to sit down and have Peyton come back in that San Diego game, but it wasn’t the fact that Brock was playing bad,” Elway told me in August. “We needed a change of something. So I was a little surprised just how he seemed to be a little bent out of shape about that. But he had an opportunity to make a tremendous amount of money in Houston, and for us, it just didn’t fit.”
Osweiler was benched and then Osweiler bolted.
The knee-jerk reaction was that Elway didn’t do enough to keep Osweiler. That he let his starting quarterback go while his options for a replacement were limited — at best.
But with quarterback Trevor Siemian and the Broncos’ defense carrying their team to a 2-0 start, and Osweiler leading the Texans to an embarrassing shutout, the tune has quickly changed. The questions of Elway’s thinking have instantly turned to praise, proving just how little it takes for opinions to flip in sports and, more so, how foolish it was to question Elway’s decision some six months ago.
Elway wanted to find the best fit. Osweiler wanted to be The Guy, with a salary to match.
It may be early, but Bill Belichick wasn’t the only one who looked brilliant Thursday night.
Broncos 3 up, 3 down
3 Up
1. Philadelphia Eagles. Carson Wentz has been likened to Ben Roethlisberger — and with good reason. Wentz, the fifth rookie QB since 1970 to win his first two starts, is averaging 234 yards per game and has thrown a three touchdowns and zero interceptions.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers. Big Ben threw two interceptions in the first half of the Steelers’ victory over the Bengals, and star receiver Antonio Brown was limited to only 39 receiving yards. But running back DeAngelo Williams came through with 94 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
3. New York Giants. Don’t look now but the Giants’ defense is pretty good. The group that ranked 32nd in yards allowed per game (420.3) and 30th in average scoring (27.6 points allowed) last season now ranks eighth (308 yards) and is tied for seventh (16) in each category, respectively.
3 Down
1. Minnesota Vikings. First Teddy Bridgewater goes down with a season-ending knee injury. Now Adrian Peterson is out with a knee injury that will require surgery and could cost him the season. Minnesota can’t catch a break.
2. Chicago Bears. Jay Cutler has a right thumb sprain, Danny Trevathan needs thumb surgery, and the Bears are 0-2 and screaming at each other. Sounds like a healthy thing they have going there.
3. Buffalo Bills. The Bills fired their offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, are 0-2 and now have the unfortunate pleasure of facing the Cardinals and Patriots in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively. Time for Rex Ryan to start packing?
