Is it time for Broncos to give Osweiler a shot at quarterback?
OK, I’m not very good at math, and I certainly couldn’t read a cover 2 under the duress of an NFL pass rush. But 42 points in four games for the Broncos? That’s no bueno. I admire Vance Joseph’s loyalty to Trevor Siemian, but why does the coach handle his struggling quarterback with kid gloves? Brian Griese and Jake Plummer certainly didn’t get a free pass in this town, so why should it be a big deal to consider benching Siemian for Brock Osweiler? Jhabvala: I don’t think they’re handling Siemian with kid gloves. Joseph has said flat-out that Siemian needs to play better. But he also said the problem doesn’t rest solely with the quarterback. The turnovers have been brutal, and if Siemian does lose his starting job, that will undoubtedly be the biggest reason. But the offensive line as a whole has struggled for more than two years now in pass protection. The running game has suddenly stalled. We’ve seen what Siemian is capable of when he has protection up front and support from a running game.
When a leaky offensive line puts Siemian in harm’s way, that is indeed an offensive unit problem. But when Siemian is faced with trouble, his quarterback rating under pressure (a ridiculously low 8.9) ranks as the league’s worst. That’s a QB problem, Mr. Joseph. Osweiler is no Tom Brady. But his 13-8 record as a starter in Denver and Houston favors comparably to the 11-9 mark posted by Siemian. If Osweiler subbed for a faltering Peyton Manning in 2015, is Siemian’s ego so fragile he couldn’t withstand being replaced by Osweiler now?
Siemian has definitely struggled under pressure. But consider the situations he’s been in. Of the Broncos’ 31 third downs over the past two games, 24 have been with 6 or more yards to go. I would imagine most quarterbacks — save for the exclusive club of the Bradys and the Aaron Rodgers and the Peyton Mannings — would struggle with that. Siemian needs to protect the ball. He needs to make better decisions under pressure. But Joseph is right when he said the problem isn’t “a Trevor problem.” Changing the quarterback alone may not solve the long list of issues they’re dealing with.
The time to make a quarterback change is before all hope is lost in a game or for the season. With a tough road ahead, the Broncos are soon going to be a 3-6 football team if they continue to average 10.5 points per game. I have no problem with giving Siemian one more chance to start against division-leading Kansas City. But if the offense is struggling at halftime, the Broncos should have no problem giving Osweiler a chance to give the team a spark. Fair?
It’s not about what’s fair. It’s about what will help them win. If the offense is still sputtering, if Siemian continues to turn the ball over, if the defense is still unable to make the big plays it’s capable of because the offense can’t score — then, yes, absolutely. Make the change. But to get back to the way they were playing at the start of the season, the Broncos will have to do more than swap out one player. Until that run game is rediscovered, until the protection is better, Osweiler will face the same issues he did late in the 2015 season. Remember the Khalil Mack game?