BRONCOS EXPECT TO GIVE LYNCH ONE MORE START
Broncos expect to give Lynch one more start before big changes begin
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clip was taken out of context and that it showed “a dude trying to win” and that Osweiler “can’t be the only one” trying to hold everyone accountable.
The truth is, the Broncos have been missing that and much more all season. They’ve lacked the stability, especially at quarterback, to garner the leadership most became accustomed to from Peyton Manning for four years and from DeMarcus Ware for three. And as the Broncos enter the final game of their first losing season since 2010, they are facing yet another quarterback change — one that has been weeks in the making.
Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos expect to have Paxton Lynch under center to give the second-year quarterback another shot to prove himself before the year expires and the Broncos’ focus turns completely toward rebuilding.
“He wasn’t quite ready last week, so hopefully he’s ready to go this week. That’s the plan, to start Paxton this week,” Joseph said. “We want to see him play. That’s been the goal the last couple of weeks, and that hasn’t happened. … Our first goal is to win a football game, obviously. But, again, with it being a quarterback issue going into the offseason, we want to see him play to see what (kind of ) player he is.”
The change will be the Broncos’ fifth at that position alone this season, but just another in a long line of changes to the franchise as a whole in recent years. Since the start of 2015, when they capped a roller coaster of a season with a Super Bowl victory, the Broncos have had two head coaches, three offensive coordinators, four starting quarterbacks, six right tackles, four left tackles, seven players rotating among the guard positions and at least three attempts to alter the offensive-line scheme.
Denver has experienced quite a bit in recent years, swinging from the highs of Super Bowl 50 to the lows of a losing season. But never has it experienced consistency.
And as the year turns, the Broncos are likely to endure even more.
Two days before the Broncos fell to the Redskins, general manager/president John Elway and director of player personnel Matt Russell watched from the sideline as top draft prospect Josh Allen guided the Wyoming Cowboys to a win in the Idaho Potato Bowl. Then Elway and Russell watched Kirk Cousins bounce back from a 1-7 start to key a Redskins victory at Washington.
In one weekend, the Broncos’ got a glimpse of what could be in 2018, sending a clear message to Lynch that time is running out.
Asked Tuesday if he viewed Sunday as a tryout of sorts for Lynch, Joseph chuckled and said the hope for him is “simple.”
“We simply want to see this guy play. He’s had one start this year where he played 2½, almost three quarters. So we want to see him play. He hasn’t played much as a Bronco. It’s simple: We want to see him play. Very simple.”
But the plan for the future is less so. The same message that was relayed to Lynch last weekend has been received by others across the board. Jobs are at stake, even if the playoffs aren’t anymore.