The Denver Broncos are 7-3 going into their bye week thanks to the heroics in week 10 against the New Orleans Saints by rookie safeties Justin Simmons and Will Parks.
Teams usually use bye weeks to fix their mistakes, get healthy, or switch personal. This is a great time for Broncos Head Coach Gary Kubiak to consider making 2016 first round pick from Memphis University Paxton Lynch starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
Current starting quarterback Trevor Siemian has done a serviceable job for the Broncos. He has earned respect from his teammates and was voted a captain after only seven career starts.
After suffering an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in week 4, Siemian’s play has descended. The injury caused him to miss one game and he has not looked like the same player.
Since returning to the lineup in week 6, Siemian has achieved a lousily 74.0 QB rating while completing only 55.9 percent of his passes. Before his injury, he achieved an impressive 99.6 rating while completing 68.2 percent of his passes.
The injury to his non-throwing has reportedly bothered him since injuring it. He received an injection to his shoulder following the week 10 win. The bye week should give Siemian time to heal, but he has serious flaws in his game that limits the offense.
Siemian averages only 225 passing yards per game, ranking 27th in the league. He is a quarterback who does not push the football down field. He averages only 6.97 per pass attempt, giving him the 22nd rank in the league in such category.
The Broncos have two Pro Bowl wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Both receivers are capable of getting behind a defense with there speed, but Siemian does not use their talents to his advantage.
Coming out of college, Lynch impressed Broncos Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager John Elway with his skill set and seen him as a fit for the Kubiak’s offensive system.
“He’s a young guy with tremendous athletic ability, he’s got the strong arm, can make all the throws, he’s smart, and he’s a guy that can fit into this offense real well,” said Elway in an interview with Denver Sports 760 in May.
Lynch saw his first action in week 4 as he came in for relief when Siemian injured his shoulder against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Lynch entered the game late in the second quarter and took control of the offense. Lynch finished with 170 yards passing and one touchdown in a 27-7 win.
The rookie quarterback started the next game against the Atlanta Falcons, but it was not the outing he wanted to showcase. The team lost 23-16, but to be fair, Lynch did not get any help from the offensive line and his head coach was dealing with migraines that put him in the hospital after the game. The first round pick was under direst throughout the game, getting sacked six times and suffered 10 quarterback hits. He finished with 223 yards passing to go along with one touchdown and one interception.
Even in the loss, Lynch showed flashes of being the quarterback the Broncos expect to have for years to come. It is expected Siemian is holding onto the starting job until the team feels Lynch is ready.
By making Lynch the starter after the bye week, it gives him an extra week to prepare for the Broncos pivotal week 12 matchup against AFC West rival Kansas City Chiefs. The team could use a spark in the offense after the offense has looked sluggish the last few weeks.
A switch at quarterback this late in season can be risky, but it worked for the Broncos last year. Kubiak swapped Brock Osweiler out for Peyton Manning at halftime in a week 17 game versus the San Diego Chargers. Kubiak was looking for a spark the team needed and it paid off all the way to the title game as the Broncos won Super Bowl 50.
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