Osweiler’s the enemy and Denver Broncos want to ‘kill him’
Brock Osweiler spurned the Denver Broncos in March to sign a US$72-million deal in Houston.
On Monday night, Osweiler and the Texans play in Denver. Speculation in both camps centred on the fifth-year passer’s homecoming, and what he can expect at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
“I’m not really sure what kind of reception I’ll receive,” Osweiler said. “Obviously you hope for a great reception … I have nothing but love and appreciation for not only the organization, the players, the coaches, but the entire city of Denver. It was a phenomenal four years that my wife and I will never forget, and that we’ll always hold very close to our heart.”
Broncos fans, and some Broncos players, are unlikely to be as sentimental. Osweiler plays for the enemy now, as linebacker Brandon Marshall pointed out.
“There’s no ill will toward Brock. I am happy he got paid,” Marshall said. “But it’s competition. We want to kill him.”
The majority of Denver fans might have agreed in the spring; the team entered spring practices with only untried second-year nobody Trevor Siemian, untried rookie Paxton Lynch and veteran ham-and-egger Mark Sanchez at quarterback.
But fans seem happy, as they should, with solid play from Siemian. Still, expect fans to lay into Osweiler for deserting ship.
“At the end of the day,” Osweiler said, “I can’t control the fans. All I can do is control how I play, what kind of teammate I am to my new teammates down here and focusing on trying to win a football game.”
In six starts, Osweiler has largely stank for the Texans, despite the team’s winning record. He’s been OK at home, but truly dreadful on the road, in blowout losses at New England (27-0) and Minnesota (3113).
The team expects a lot more than an 8-8 TD-to-interception ratio, 59 per cent completion percentage and a considerably below-average 74.1 pass rating.
Osweiler and his teammates played poorly through 57 minutes last Sunday against Indianapolis, then got hot simultaneously to score two late touchdowns to tie it, then win it in overtime.
If he’s going to raise his game this season to better earn his US$17 million salary, Monday night would be the ideal time to start — with everyone’s eyes upon him in prime time.
“I don’t feel like a marked man,” Osweiler said. “Whether that’s how they feel or not, at the end of the day I have nothing but love and respect for everybody in that organization and especially the players.
“They were all great teammates for a number of years, so if that’s how they feel, I can’t change that. But at the end of the day, I’m treating this like a normal game.”
He and nobody else.