Siemian looks to be Broncos’ starting QB
Even though coach Vance Joseph isn’t saying it, steady and solid Trevor Siemian appears to have won the Denver Broncos’ quarterback derby for the second consecutive summer.
Siemian, who played college ball at Northwestern, has outplayed Paxton Lynch, whose flashes of athleticism and agility remain overshadowed by his poor decisions and bad throws. Siemian had a 128.2 passer rating in the Broncos’ 33- 14 preseason victory Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers; Lynch had a 72.3 rating.
Joseph appeared to squelch the notion that the decision might come down to which player has the higher perceived upside, saying: ‘‘ That does not matter. Whoever wins the job, wins the job. He’s the best guy for our football team. . . . It’s about performance, not potential.’’
Joseph said he was pleased with what he saw from Siemian against the 49ers.
‘‘ Trevor, he was solid; he was Trevor,’’ Joseph said. ‘‘ He made good decisions. His ball placement was on point. He controlled the huddle, so I was pleased with Trevor.’’
Conner, Steelers top Falcons
Rookie running back James Conner broke off runs of 17 and 19 yards to set up Bart Houston’s six- yard touchdown pass to Justin Hunter in the fourth quarter that lifted the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 17- 13 preseason victory against the visiting Atlanta Falcons.
Conner, who played college ball at Pittsburgh and overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma and a serious knee injury to reach the NFL, finished with 98 yards on 20 carries in his league debut. He was greeted with a big ovation from the home crowd when he entered the game on the Steelers’ third series.
The game also marked the return of Steelers receiver Martavis Bryant, who played in his first game in 18 months because of repeated violations of the NFL’s substance- abuse policy. He caught two passes for 20 yards.
Receiver Boldin retires
Less than two weeks after signing with the Buffalo Bills as a free agent, veteran receiver Anquan Boldin announced his retirement to pursue humanitarian and charitable work. He caught one pass for five yards Thursday in the only preseason game he played for the Bills.
Boldin, 36, caught 1,076 passes for 13,779 yards and 82 touchdowns in his 14- year career. He played seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, three each with the Baltimore Ravens and 49ers and one with the Detroit Lions.
Bengals safety out 4 to 6weeks
Cincinnati Bengals safety Shawn Williams suffered a dislocated elbow in a preseason game Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs and will miss four to six weeks. He will not, however, need surgery.