The Broncos keep telling young quarterback he’s the man. He was named Wednesday as a new team captain.
“Thatap pretty cool,” Denver coach said.
Now we find out if Siemian can be the man to lead the Broncos to victory in the Black Hole, against rising star and the , with first place in the AFC West on the line.
“It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be a divisional game, so it’s going to be a tough game in a tough environment,” Siemian said. “Everybody is looking forward to the challenge.”
We hear the message: Kubiak wants and intends Siemian to be his starter for the remainder of the season, avoiding any quarterback controversy, while allowing prized draft choice time to learn the nuances of the NFL game without actually having to go out and win NFL games.
Beat the Raiders, and the legend of Siemian grows. Lose this game, and the quarterback controversy will intensify, no matter how much Kubiak wants to avoid it.
With a quarterback rating of 87.1, Siemian ranks 24th in the NFL. Yes, thatap better than performed a year ago. But thatap also damning with faint praise, and just because the Broncos named Siemian a captain doesn’t mean he commands nearly the respect that Manning did in the huddle. Denver asks Siemian not to get the team beat. But should the Broncos really count on him to go win the game in the fourth quarter at Oakland? Now that would be foolish.
And thatap why Kubiak is so intent on improving Denver’s rushing attack, which he labeled “nonexistent” Sunday, after the Broncos gained 57 yards on 25 carries in a 27-19 victory at home against San Diego.
I asked Kubiak how he balances a stubborn commitment to the run with finding a way to win the dang game, even if it means throwing the football more than he would like.
“There’s conversation all the time: ‘How are we balanced-wise? What’s going on here?’ Last week (against San Diego), you know you’re out of whack, you know you’re totally out of whack,” Kubiak said. “But at the same time you’ve got to go out there to make plays to win games.”
Here’s what has to concern Kubiak: His offense is designed to produce long, punishing drives that wear down the opposition with the running game. But the Broncos rank 29th in the 32-team league, with nearly 26 percent of their drives ending with a three-and-out. At 63.2 offensive snaps per game, Denver ranks 22nd in the NFL.
Siemian played his most spectacular game of the season on the road, throwing four touchdown passes at Cincinnati in a 29-17 victory. His work was particularly impressive because the Bengals stacked the box defensively, and Denver’s running game was nonexistent, with the Broncos gaining only 52 yards on 23 rushing attempts. But, in fairness, it should be noted on the scoring drive that gave Denver a lead late in the first half, Siemian twice threw near interceptions.
So whatap the point? The inability to consistently run the football and Siemian’s luck in avoiding turnovers have been recurring themes for Denver in 2016.
“When you have a carry and make 5 yards, you don’t feel so bad about calling it again. When you make 1, you’re a little leery about calling it,” Denver offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said.
The Broncos gave Siemian props, by putting a “C” on the front of the 24-year-old quarterback’s jersey.
Now, if the team really loves him, it will give Siemian something even cooler: a tailback that runs for a C-note against the Raiders.
