Does he fit the mold?
Siemian’s calm demeanor often perceived as a fault
To outsiders, it’s a problem. Trevor Siemian doesn’t fit the mold of a starting NFL quarterback, in part because he doesn’t yell. He doesn’t get too high or too low. He doesn’t show his ire or his frustration or any of the other myriad emotions coursing through him as the Broncos’ quarterback battle continues.
Take his reaction to being named the preseason Week 3 starter: “Oh, not much. Just kind of same as what I’ve been doing.”
Or his thoughts on Saturday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams being a chance to secure the starting job: “Not reading too much into it, to be honest with you.”
Or the bigger notion of succeeding Peyton Manning: “Again, I really haven’t thought about that too much. I try not to read too much into anything.”
But the calm demeanor that often is perceived as a fault is one of the biggest reasons the Broncos drafted him in 2015 and put him in the running to take over for a future Hall of Famer.
“Everybody has their own personality out there on the field,” said rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch. “There are guys who don’t run around and jump on guys, but you’ve seen I’m one of those guys. I just enjoy the game and love when people around me are successful, too. I love doing well with those young guys because I’m excited for them. I’m a little bit more running around, slapping guys on the head and cheering loud. Trevor definitely gets excited and is definitely happy whenever he goes out there and does well.”
Siemian’s style is a stark contrast to that of Lynch and veteran Mark Sanchez, and it has only added to the intrigue as the race to become the
starter drags on deep into the preseason.
In the first start of his pro career in a preseason game last Saturday, Siemian led the Broncos on a game-opening scoring drive, then committed an untimely mistake with an underthrown pass intended for Demaryius Thomas. San Francisco safety Eric Reid stepped in front for the interception and ran it back 42 yards for a score. Siemian tried to thwart the run, but his attempt at a tackle left him with a sore throwing shoulder and Reid with six points.
Although Siemian was unable to throw in practice Tuesday, he improved enough to take “80 percent” of his practice load Wednesday, passing included.
The three quarterbacks shared repetitions with the first-team offense while coach Gary Kubiak continues to mull his plan for Saturday’s game against the Rams.
Siemian is the starter, despite his shoulder soreness, but the order behind him has yet to be decided.
As the competition continues, all three say they’ve gleaned both positives and negatives from the first two preseason games. And the miscues — five turnovers — won’t dictate or hinder their play.
“I don’t think as a quarterback you can be trigger-shy,” Siemian said. “I think you get in trouble that way. Just knowing situations, learning from it and moving on.”
Sanchez echoed the same sentiment as he looked ahead to a game that could dictate his future with the Broncos.
Last week Sanchez fumbled on successive drives in the final seconds of the first half, marring an otherwise decent performance.
The seven-year veteran voiced his frustration after, saying he “squandered an opportunity” with his play.
But on Wednesday, he confidently reaffirmed his commitment to the competition.
“Squandered an opportunity that game,” he said. “I don’t think the whole thing. It wasn’t like, ‘OK, that’s it,’ and throw in the towel. I think a lot of people interpreted it that way. But that’s never been my attitude. I don’t quit. I’ll take this thing down to the wire if that’s what it takes, and that’s what it looks like. So let’s go.”