Denver Broncos: Paxton Lynch starting a no-lose situation
By Bruce Matson
The Denver Broncos will be making a change by rolling with Paxton Lynch as their starting quarterback this week.
With six straight losses the Denver Broncos needed to make a change. They are currently sitting sitting dead last in the AFC West Division with a 3-6 record.
NFL Insider for ESPN, Dan Graziano, reported on Tuesday that the Broncos plan to start Paxton Lynch at quarterback in Week 12 against the Oakland Raiders. The team then confirmed the decision on Wednesday. Lynch will be the third quarterback to start for the Broncos this season.
A change at quarterback was eventually going to happen, considering the poor play from Brock Osweiler in the last few weeks. Osweiler started three games, losing all three of those games while completing just 53.10 percent of his passes. It’s obvious the Osweiler and Trevor Siemian experiments haven’t worked out this season and now it is time to see what Lynch can do.
Lynch started two games last year and posted a 1-1 record. He completed 59 percent of his passes for 497 yards and two touchdowns. The former 2016 first round pick for the Broncos will make his first snap under center this week against a Raiders defense who is one of the worst in the league against the pass. If anything, this is the perfect time to see what Lynch can do.
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He was considered a developmental prospect when he came out for the draft in 2016. However, his strong arm and athleticism made him one of the top quarterbacks in his draft class and ultimately a first round selection by the Broncos.
This is a no lose situation for the Broncos. Either way, they are not going to make the playoffs this season. They have fallen too far back in the playoff race to make a comeback. It appears that Denver is going to use the rest of the season to evaluate the talent that is currently on their roster to see what type of moves they need to make in the off-season.
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Even though he was a first round selection, Lynch was never considered a bullet proof prospect. He came from a small school where he had limited experience playing against high level competition. Lynch has a lot of potential, but it appears time is running out and he will need to accelerate his development if he wants a chance to become a full-time starting quarterback for the Broncos
The schedule going to be pretty relaxed in the next few weeks for the Broncos, with games against Oakland, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and the Indianapolis Colts. There’s a chance that he could put something together in the next few weeks.
I don’t expect him to come out guns blazing and leading the team to victory. He struggled to beat out Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler for a reason. He also experience some injuries during his tenure with the Broncos, limiting his ability to practice and develop his skill set. After all that being said, he most certainly has an uphill battle to go against.
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Even with the odds stacked against Lynch, he was a first round pick for a reason. He has a lot of potential and there’s still a chance that he could put something together to close out the season.