Broncos coach wants QB Case Keenum to take more chances
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Case Keenum hasn’t thrown an interception since October, which isn’t winning him any brownie points at Broncos headquarters this week.
Coach Vance Joseph on Monday criticized his quarterback for being too cautious in Denver’s damaging 20-14 loss at San Francisco .
“Case has played his best football in the last month; yesterday, he was a little cautious with the ball,” Joseph said. “And the bottom line: we’ve got three weeks to play. He’s got to make more plays and sometimes taking some chances allow you to make more plays.”
So, Joseph wants his quarterback to quit fixating on avoiding interceptions .
“There’s going to be turnovers. So, he can’t worry about that. You can’t play this game perfect, but I want Case to be more aggressive, especially down the seams of those Cover-3 defenses,” Joseph said. “That’s where the soft spots are.”
The loss Sunday sent the Broncos (6-7) below .500 again, imperiled their playoff hopes and may ultimately jeopardize both Joseph’s and Keenum’s job security beyond this season.
Signed to a two-year, $36 million deal this spring, Keenum hasn’t been the same quarterback who guided the Vikings to the NFC championship game in January but the journeyman he was before that special season.
He threw three interceptions in his Denver debut and was picked off once in each of his next seven games before stringing together five games without an interception.
He has just five touchdown throws in that span, however, and he’s averaged a paltry 206 yards passing, which amounts to a good half for many quarterbacks in today’s high-scoring NFL.
“Case wants to be safe with the ball,” Joseph said. “And obviously he’s seeing different looks. But in my opinion, being safe with the ball, it allows you to have great numbers in that category.