For the first time all season long, the Denver Broncos will have Paxton Lynch available to them, and he’ll reportedly back up Brock Osweiler on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
#Broncos QB Paxton Lynch had a good week — health-wise, with no setbacks — and all signs are pointing to him being the backup tomorrow, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 18, 2017
It’s obviously a bit of positive news, as Lynch has been out since before the start of the season with a shoulder injury.
It also does a couple of things for the Broncos.
First, it allows them to potentially turn to a third quarterback if Osweiler continues to struggle and the team falls behind against a below-average Bengals team.
Secondly, it signals a further shift down the ladder for Trevor Siemian, who beat out Lynch in the preseason two years in a row but who is now obviously in Vance Joseph’s doghouse.
Lynch, of course, is the team’s first-round pick from 2016. John Elway traded up to land him ahead of other teams, including the Dallas Cowboys. However, the Memphis product has shown himself to be inaccurate and hesitant when he’s had his chances, which is why Siemian won the job two years in a row.
In limited action last year, Lynch completed less than 60 percent of his passes for 497 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a passer rating of 79.2.
Between Osweiler and Siemian this year, Denver quarterbacks have completed 59.3 percent of their passes for 2,116 yards with 11 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a passer rating of 62.5.
The Broncos, at 3-6, are in danger of watching their season go down the toilet altogether. It’s going to be interesting to see what they do at the quarterback position the rest of the way, especially if their five-game losing skid turns into six at home against Cincinnati.