Broncos’ scrimmage fails to clarify quarterback competition
Siemian appears to have edge after Saturday’s scrimmage
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos always knew Peyton Manning was their top quarterback in his four training camps. The picture hasn’t been as clear the last two years.
The scrimmage on Saturday failed to clarify who will be the starter when the season begins next month.
Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch have spent training camp trying to entrench themselves as the No. 1 quarterback. But with a few days before the first preseason game, there is no clear winner. Siemian, who won the starting job last year over veteran Mark Sanchez and Lynch, began to separate himself this week. But he didn’t lay claim to the No. 1 spot in Saturday’s scrimmage.
Coach Vance Joseph said Thursday’s preseason game at Chicago will hold more meaning.
“Today was a controlled scrimmage, especially for the (starters and backups),” he said. “Thursday in Chicago, that’s where the true evaluation starts for a lot of positions.”
The short scrimmage was a window into Thursday, and Siemian outperformed Lynch, the Broncos’ 2016 firstround draft pick. Siemian completed three of five passes for approximately 31 yards. His best pass of the day was to Bennie Fowler on a post pattern that might have gone the distance in a game.
“Over the last couple of days, I’ve started to get more and more comfortable and I’m really feeling the rhythm and getting the big picture of what we’re trying to do offensively,” Siemian said. “Very lucky to be practicing against our defense because it’s as hard as it’s going to get.”
Lynch finished 0-for-4. He was intercepted by cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and his only completion was wiped out on a penalty.
“I stepped up in the pocket and flushed out. I saw Emmanuel (Sanders) breaking out of his route, I didn’t see anybody around him and Chris had fallen off from the flat and kind of drifted back,” Lynch said. “Looking back you can’t force those kinds of passes. If you get pushed up in the pocket, that’s when I can take it down and run with it and use my athleticism.”
Joseph said Lynch held the ball too long on the play, giving the defense a chance to recover. He said he was happy with Siemian’s consistency and gave Lynch positive marks overall.
“Paxton, outside the interception, was very solid,” he said. “His best play of the day was brought back by a penalty. That would have been a pretty good drive.”
VIKINGS: Minnesota locked up another core piece of their defense, agreeing to a contract extension with nose tackle Linval Joseph.
Joseph’s agency, SportsTrust Advisors, announced the deal Saturday. NFL Media reported it’s a four-year extension worth as much as $50 million with $31.5 million in guaranteed money. This is the third extension the Vikings have done since training camp began, having previously signed defensive end Everson Griffen and cornerback Xavier Rhodes to new long-term deals.
This is Joseph’s fourth season with the Vikings under coach Mike Zimmer, who called Joseph the best nose tackle he’s “ever been around.” The 6-foot4, 329-pound Joseph was an injury replacement for last year’s Pro Bowl.
49ERS: San Francisco is concerned that linebacker Malcolm Smith, one of the team’s most coveted additions in free agency, might have suffered a significant injury Saturday during practice inside Levi’s Stadium.
Smith, 28, left the field during fullteam drills with an apparent upper body injury after working with the starters throughout training camp next to All-Pro NaVorro Bowman in the newlook defense.
“We think it was his chest area. Don’t know for sure. But that’s what it looked like,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Smith, the MVP of Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning team in the 2013 season, was brought in by San Francisco on a five-year contract in March.