Are all these sacks hazardous to the health of quarterback Trevor Siemian?
Kiz: With a 3-1 record, the Broncos stand tall in the NFL standings. But is it safe for quarterback Trevor Siemian to stand in the pocket? Thirteen sacks in four games? Not good. In fact, Siemian is getting sacked on 9.35 percent of his dropbacks, which not only ranks 27th in the league, it’s significantly worse than a year ago, when his sack rate was 6.56 percent. Jhabvala: I don’t think there is any scenario in which taking sacks is healthy for a quarterback. Pass protection is undoubtedly the biggest issue for the Broncos’ new-look offensive line. The run game has been revived, and the offense, in comparison to last year’s, is much more productive. But Siemian has been hit 24 times and is on pace for 52 sacks this season. Pressure was expected early this season, given the caliber of pass rushers they’ve faced already, but the lagging protection has made Siemian vulnerable.
Kiz: We all know sacks are detrimental to the health of scoring drives, and they’re particularly worrisome for Siemian, whose history of injury, dating to his college days at Northwestern, is well-documented. The Broncos have a choice: Either Siemian starts standing in a cleaner pocket, or Brock Osweiler will be standing in the Denver huddle as an injury replacement at quarterback. Can the tackles be counted on to protect Siemian from edge rushers? Jhabvala: It’s their job to protect the quarterback. The edges have been the biggest issues for the Broncos’ line for the past three seasons, really, but this time of year should serve as a reminder. It was Week 4 of 2016 when Siemian was pummeled at Tampa Bay and suffered a shoulder sprain that he played with the rest of the season.
Kiz: The most significant play of Denver’s 16-10 victory against Oakland on Sunday came when Raiders quarterback Derek Carr suffered a back injury that could sideline him for a month or more. In the instant Carr went down, the Broncos took Oakland down a notch in the playoff race. Lose Siemian to injury, and that advantage would be gone, with the Denver offense in the same scramble mode now faced by the Raiders. Jhabvala: Siemian’s health is vital to this offense. It’s easy to forget he has started only 18 games in his career and he’ll make mistakes that a relatively inexperienced quarterback will make. But he’s also a smart quarterback who will improve if given space to operate. The Broncos have provided support around him, with a deep running back group and a pair of Pro Bowl receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. But the line has to provide better protection. When this offense, with a healthy Siemian, is running on all cylinders, it’s an impressive group. Perhaps underrated, even. But it wouldn’t be with Siemian on the sideline.