DT on if Broncos will name QB after Saturday’s game: ‘I hope so’
Aug 18, 2017, 11:59 PM | Updated: Aug 19, 2017, 5:45 pm
Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said during OTAs in June that when he saw a “clear separation” between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch he’d call off the competition between the quarterbacks.
After Saturday’s tilt against the 49ers, both gunslingers will have had a chance to start under center during the preseason, which should give Joseph and the Broncos to evaluate Siemian and Lynch equally.
That being said, there’s no promise that by early next week Denver will have a starter named for its Sept. 11 regular season opener at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I hope so. I don’t know for sure, but I hope so,” Thomas said on the prospects of either Siemian or Lynch winning the job after Saturday’s game in Santa Clara.
General manager John Elway said after Thursday’s final joint practice between the 49ers and Broncos that the competition’s not necessarily concluded, which is why the two split time over the past week.
“I know Vance is going to continue to look at it, and we’ll stay in contact and communicate on it,” Elway said. “As we said, we wanted to see these guys through preseason and eventually we’re going to name a starter. We just don’t know when.”
Joseph said that, much like last week’s preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, both Siemian and Lynch will play a quarter and a half, with the latter getting the start. Third-teamer Kyle Sloter will get the entire fourth quarter, the head coach said.
Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said he’s just looking for improvement from the unit on the whole from Week 1 in Chicago, which is something they try to do each preseason.
“There’s going to a different way we’re going to approach this game, where our thoughts are and what we need to do against this defense. Really looking for guys to pick it up a notch and play better,” McCoy said. “Make sure we have to do better on third downs. Third down was not something — we have to improve there.
“We didn’t execute the way we wanted to for four quarters last week. If we execute on third down, good things are going to happen.”
Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.
