Keenum passing $25M test
Case Keenum looked like 25 million bucks. And, dare we say, the Broncos had the look of a playoff team.
OK, it’s dangerous to draw big conclusions from any NFL exhibition game. But for the first time in nearly a full year, way back when the Broncos routed Dallas, a team coached by Vance Joseph looked like, well, a team that might do Denver proud.
What we saw Friday, during a 29-17 victory against Washington, was proof the Broncos are finally done resting on the laurels of their victory in Super Bowl 50. That’s a good place to start.
This is no longer the fourcorners offense once favored by Gary Kubiak, who wisely got out of the way and let Von Miller dance until the league handed over the Lombardi Trophy. But that act grew stale, and by last season, a carousel of Denver quarterbacks spun in circles, unable to get out of their own way.
That’s why general manager John Elway signed Keenum as a free agent, guaranteeing him $25 million. And what we finally saw in his third appearance in a Denver uniform was more than plain veteran competence, but also strong evidence this attack has been reinvented under the direction of offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.
“I like what we’ve done, as far as establishing an identity,” said Keenum, who completed 12-of-18 passes for 148 yards against Washington.
The Broncos will spread out opposing defenses with three, four and sometimes five receivers flanked alongside Keenum, allowing him to create mis-
matches with his field vision rather than an elite arm.
Unlike a year ago, when a Denver pass over the middle was an interception waiting to happen, Keenum does his best work between the numbers, especially when the target is Emmanuel Sanders, who has clearly emerged as the new QB’s go-to receiver on third down. Demaryius Thomas still works the yards-after-the-catch territory favored in heyday of Peyton Manning, while rookie Courtland Sutton stretches the field with a catch radius that will often doom a cornerback isolated in man coverage to curse his fate.
Fearless prediction: Sanders will lead the Broncos in touchdown catches. And Sutton (52 catches, six TDs, for those of you at home preparing for a fantasy draft) will finish No. 2 in receptions for scores.
The Broncos no longer are forced to be a run-first team. While Joseph is hesitant to commit, there should be little doubt rookie Royce Freeman is the primary option at running back. He provides the power between the tackles and scored the first touchdown of the night, blasting 24 yards to the end zone, sprung by a fierce block from his fullback in the I-formation, as old school as your father’s 1973 Ford Bronco.
Denver, however, need not rely on ground-andpound to establish its offense. We know because Phillip Lindsay, the 5-foot-8 undrafted rookie, has earned his touches with the offensive’s first unit, often being utilized in the way New England and San Diego have employed Danny Woodhead.
Look for the Broncos to use the rush to establish a quick pace more than to milk the clock. And is it rude to ask: Does Devontae Booker, who began camp as No. 1 on the depth chart, truly have a defined role on this team?
Ultimately, Keenum is the key to whether Denver can double its number of victories from 2017, finish 10-6 and win an AFC West that has nominated only one iffy choice as dominant team. (The Chargers, are you kidding me?)
At this point, Keenum is a game-manager, not a game-changer. With 35 passing attempts, he has thrown neither a touchdown pass nor an interception during the preseason. “More games are lost than won in this league,” Joseph said.
Keenum proved as Minnesota’s starting QB he can be trusted not to mess up.
The question: Can the Broncos make the playoffs, if they need to rely on Keenum to go win the game?