ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando spends each Sunday with ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden and the Monday Night Football crew. This week, they're in Denver, for the Houston Texans-Denver Broncos matchup (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET). Here are some takeaways from Gruden on the Broncos.
DENVER -- The Broncos still have a championship defense. They have very good wide receivers. One question heading into their Monday Night Football matchup against the Texans in Week 7 is whether they can realistically win another Super Bowl with virtually zero experience at quarterback.
The Broncos get another shot to evaluate their 2016 prospects when Trevor Siemian starts against the Texans. Siemian and Paxton Lynch have long-term promise. They are the future. But the championship window for this defense will not stay this wide open forever, and if the Broncos' offense continues to sputter, a short-term move for Tony Romo or Jay Cutler before the Nov. 1 trading deadline should be a consideration, at least.
There are salary-cap implications and other considerations when deciding whether to make a bold move for a quarterback in the middle of the season (Denver could really use left tackle Joe Thomas if Cleveland trades him, but that's another subject for another day). Broncos general manager John Elway has shown no fear in making aggressive moves. He always seems to get the last laugh, and if Siemian outplays Brock Osweiler on Monday night, would anyone be surprised? But as the Broncos look at their offensive film from their current two-game losing streak, they will see the growing pains that often come with having a first-year starter behind center.
Knowing where to go with the ball
San Diego rushed three or four defenders and played Cover 2 in the secondary quite a bit against Denver in Week 6. Siemian needed to find his checkdown receivers.
The screenshot below sums up multiple issues affecting Denver's offense. The line was overwhelmed, leading to a holding call. Siemian felt the pressure and took off running, missing an opportunity to find wide-open running back C.J. Anderson (circled) as his checkdown receiver. The ball has traditionally gone to the checkdown receiver about 70 percent of the time on these all-go concepts like the one shown here. And that's where it needed to go here.
Fixing problems before the snap
The Broncos need to do much more offensively to help out Siemian. The line is struggling across the board. Denver had all five offensive linemen flagged in the same game, which almost never happens. Any quarterback would have a hard time succeeding without more help. Romo in particular could be vulnerable to injuries playing behind a line with so many problems. But a veteran quarterback can also help the situation by making adjustments before the snap. A first-year starter can't be expected to do as much.
Anderson is averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry. An experienced quarterback could check into better runs or check out of runs entirely when appropriate. The screenshot below shows the Broncos running into a loaded box for a 2-yard loss early in the second half against San Diego. The Chargers' Melvin Ingram was the unblocked defender on this play. He took down Anderson in the backfield. This play was doomed before it started.
There have been other times when the Broncos did not seem to recognize all-out blitzes before the snap. Veteran quarterbacks tend to see these problems, giving the offense a chance to make the proper adjustments. We have also seen some of the Broncos' offensive players waving their arms frantically before the snap, as if they were trying to get Siemian's attention so they could figure out what play was called.
There's no substitute for experience in some of these situations.
There's good with Siemian, too
Siemian proved his toughness against Cincinnati in Week 3. He audibled to a touchdown run in the red zone against the Colts in Week 2. He has shown, at times, an ability to call multiple plays in the huddle and execute them. He is athletic enough to scramble for first downs. Siemian also can throw with good anticipation, such as when he threw to Emmanuel Sanders for a 14-yard gain on an out-breaking route against Carolina in the season opener. He can look a bit like Alex Smith when he's playing well.
Siemian is tough to evaluate because the Broncos are not asking him to do much. He has started only five games and thrown 151 passes to this point.
Elway and coach Gary Kubiak might feel as though they can develop Siemian throughout the season and win with him when it counts. They could turn to Lynch at some point as well. But they did take a shot with Mark Sanchez this past offseason, and when it didn't work out, they cut their losses. If they still think a veteran quarterback could put them over the top, there are a couple who could be available. It's something to keep in mind as the Broncos try to get their offense back on track beginning with this game against the Texans.