Broncos’ Siemian starting to make believers across the NFL
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Trevor Siemian is finally starting to get some love around the NFL.
Through two weeks, the Denver Broncos’ third-year pro is tied for the league lead with six TD passes and the Broncos (2-0) are tops in the NFL with a 57 percent third-down conversion rate.
Siemian spent his rookie year learning from Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler, an apprenticeship he parlayed into the starting job by beating out the franchise’s supposed future QB, Paxton Lynch, in back-toback summers.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is among the believers in the former part-time starter at Northwestern who thought long and hard about getting his real estate license when his college career ended on crutches.
Jones was aware of the Broncos’ brilliant defense but was admittedly surprised to see Siemian carve up his Cowboys with four TD passes in a 42-17 shellacking in Denver last weekend.
“We were a little taken aback by how well they did offensively,” Jones said. “Their quarterback played outstanding.”
Siemian has now started 16 games, the equivalent of a full season, and he’s gone 10-6 while throwing for 3,851 yards with 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions — the kind of numbers that would be impressive for a first-round pick, let alone a seventh.
“Definitely room for a lot of improvement, you know, all over the place, I can tell you,” Siemian said Wednesday. “But it’s just playing you get more comfortable certainly, just feel for the game, things happen a little slower for you. So, it’s like anybody else, the more you play the more comfortable you get and usually the better off you are.”
Siemian is the only Broncos QB with two dozen TD throws in his first 16 career NFL starts (his boss, John Elway, had 11).
So, isn’t it high time that Siemian gets some respect, wondered Phil Simms, a Super Bowl winner and longtime CBS commentator.
“I love the way he plays. I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. He hangs in there, takes big hits, he throws the ball on time, he throws it with anticipation and he throws a perfect spiral almost every single throw,” Simms said “I wish everybody would get over the fact that he is their quarterback. And, ‘Oh he wasn’t a high draft pick,’ or ‘He’s not a franchise guy.’ Well, you know what? I think he really is.”
Sean McDermott, whose Bills (1-1) host the Broncos this weekend, was one of Siemian’s earliest converts.
“I had the chance to go against Trevor a year ago when I was with the Panthers, the opening game of the year. I was impressed with him then. I continue to be impressed,” McDermott said. “He’s smart. He