It may not matter who plays quarterback for the Denver Broncos (4-0) as they dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3) in the 27-7 win with two quarterbacks.
Quarterback Trevor Siemian did not finish the game. He injured his non-throwing shoulder midway through the second quarter after getting sacked. Rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch made his NFL debut and played with confidence, throwing for 170 yards and one touchdown. He did exactly what the Broncos wanted him to do.
“I think he’s really growing,” said Broncos Head Coach Kubiak on Lynch. “I thought he handled himself well. He made some big third downs for us. He got the ball downfield. He avoided some bad plays. He was impressive.”
As for Siemian, he is listed as day-to-day. It does not appear to be too serious as he was able to return to the game if needed.
The switch at quarterback did not affect the Broncos defense. After Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston ran in for a seven-yard touchdown in the first quarter, he and the Buccaneers offense were held in check.
Winston struggles started on his first throw of the game. Broncos’ cornerback Aqib Talib intercepted Winston, setting up a Siemian 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Winston threw for only 179 yards, way off his 310 passing yards per game. He was also sacked five times and intercepted twice by Talib.
Talib came into the game with a little more motivation than others. The Buccaneers drafted Talib in 2008 in the first round and was traded in 2012 to the New England Patriots because of his off the field troubles. He got his revenge, finishing with two interceptions in his return to Tampa Bay. This was Talib’s fourth career multi-interception game, his first multi-interception game as a Bronco. Talib now has three interceptions on the season.
“Aqib [Talib] was a hell of a player. He’s really turning into a leader and obviously played big today,” said Kubiak on Talib.
It was not just Talib that stepped up on the Broncos defense. Defensive end Derek Wolfe had two and a half sacks and five quarterback hits. Wolfe also tied for the tied for the team high in tackles with six.
The Broncos return home in week five to face the Atlanta Falcons (3-1) and their number one offense. The Falcons are coming in hot, winning their last three games. Wide receiver Juilo Jones notched 300 yards receiving in week four, becoming the sixth player all-time to get at least 300 yards receiving in a game.
Quarterback Matt Ryan will be the fourth first overall quarterback the Broncos have faced this season, joining Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Winston.
“We love to play against first-round picks. Keep em’ coming,” said Talib.
