OSWEILER READY TO FACE TEAM HE LEFT BEHIND
Osweiler returns to face the Broncos he left behind
“Nobody has any ill will toward Brock, but at the same time, it’s a competition and we want to shut him down . ... He came from here, and we want to kill him. That’s just what we want to do.” Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall, on Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler “I don’t feel like a marked man, whether that’s how they feel or not. I have nothing but love and respect for everybody in that organization, and especially the players.” Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler, on playing his former team
Several Broncos defenders have had Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans circled on their calendars since April, when the schedule came out. It doesn’t take much motivation for this proud defense to get fired up.
But Denver is riding a twogame losing streak into a primetime contest with many challenging the defense’s status as an elite group. For added incentive, the game marks the return to Denver for quarterback Brock Osweiler, who turned down a chance to lead the Broncos after Peyton Manning’s retirement. Osweiler instead chose the riches offered him by the Texans.
“He definitely left us for a reason,” linebacker Todd Davis said. “So I’m sure he’ll have some extra oomph coming in. And I’m sure we will, too. There will be some extra oomph from everybody.”
There’s no animosity toward the 25-year-old quarterback for leaving the defending Super Bowl champions. But the Broncos are salivating at the thought of getting after a former teammate who caught many by surprise when he signed a fouryear, $72 million contract with the Texans on March 9.
“I can completely understand why everybody was extremely surprised and shocked at the time,” said Osweiler, who led the Broncos to a 5-2 record in his seven starts last season. “It was the hardest decision of my life.”
For the better part of four years, Osweiler ran the Broncos’ scout team against an emerging defense that learned his tendencies and intercepted his passes. They know him. Now they can’t wait to make plays against him.
Broncos pass rushers couldn’t hide their smiles this week when asked about Osweiler’s tendency to hold on to the ball in the pocket. That’s a big mistake going against Von Miller, Shane Ray, Derek Wolfe and the rest of
the Broncos’ sack-hungry defenders. Osweiler has been sacked 12 times this season.
“Nobody has any ill will toward Brock, but at the same time, it’s a competition and we want to shut him down,” Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall said. “Just because it’s Brock, we know Brock. He came from here, and we want to kill him. That’s just what we want to do.”
The taste of a reputation tarnished by two sluggish performances in five days has the Broncos’ defense eager to get back to its brand of football. The Broncos sacked opponents 17 times over their first four games but only twice in each of the past two games.
Playing a quarterback with shaky pocket presence might be one of the reasons for the smiles by the Broncos defenders.
“Tendencies don’t typically change. They just try to disguise them. But you are who you are, and you play how you play,” Ray said. “Different offense, different guys to throw the ball to, but quarterbacking doesn’t change. We just know him. I don’t have anything against Brock. Hopefully he’ll fall down easy for me.”
The defensive secondary also wants in on this. Cornerback Chris Harris noted Osweiler’s gunslinger mentality this season. Osweiler has thrown eight interceptions, tied for second worst in the NFL, which means there probably will be plenty of opportunities to make a play on the ball. Osweiler has struggled with intermediate routes, thrown 1120 yards downfield, completing just 47.9 percent, with two touchdown passes and five interceptions on 48 attempts.
Osweiler said the quarterbackfriendly system run by Texans coach Bill O’Brien played a role in his signing with Houston. He said being benched by Broncos coach Gary Kubiak in the Broncos’ regular-season finale last season was frustrating but had nothing to do with his decision to leave.
Another big factor in Osweiler’s decision to leave Denver was money. The Broncos were interested in retaining Osweiler but not giving him the huge offer that Houston dangled. The Broncos spent much of the month after winning Super Bowl 50 waiting for Manning’s retirement decision.
“Denver had the opportunity to extend an offer,” Osweiler said. “In fact, they had a great, very long period of time to extend an offer.”
Osweiler faces the perils of his decision Monday night against a swarming Denver defense. The Broncos want to prove he made the wrong choice.
“I don’t feel like a marked man, whether that’s how they feel or not,” Osweiler said. “I have nothing but love and respect for everybody in that organization, and especially the players.”
A significant portion of the crowd in Denver will boo Osweiler. And Broncos defenders will have “some extra oomph” as they look to make plays and punish him.
They don’t hate him, but it may seem like it come Monday night.