Polumbus: Siemian’s out starter, a Broncos dress rehearsal recap

The stadium was pumping, the guys were dancing, the media was anxiously awaiting Saturday to watch the Denver Broncos starters come out to work for their only extended playing time of the preseason against the Los Angeles Rams.

The starters went a full half and gave us some time for some observations. Here are mine:

QB battle

Trevor Siemian locked up the starting job against the Carolina Panthers in a performance that was exactly what I would expect from him. He managed the game.

He kept the down and distance on schedule. He showed some nerves with a few passes off target, escaped one interception that could have been disastrous, and showed he still has a cannon of an arm.

I am OK with “dinking and dunking” our way down the field this year in the passing game. We will take plenty of shots that will come off play-action, and Siemian certainly has the arm to make those throws.

From an offensive lineman’s point of view, Siemian is all that I could ask for as my quarterback.

What I want (speaking specifically from offensive point of view) is to have a quarterback that plays with timing. He learned from the absolute master of playing with timing in Peyton Manning. Siemian will get rid of the ball on time –– thank you –– and I am already on his side.

And because Siemian will be given play calls from Kubiak to reflect his strengths, short passing and shot plays off play-action, the offensive line will know that they have to put the team on their back in the run game. Yes, please. As a lineman, I get to go into every game knowing that we will be running the ball? I will take that.

The offensive line will look to Siemian as their leader out of respect to their quarterback, but they will take pride in knowing that every game will come down to their performance in the run game.

Offense

This was it folks. Call it boring. Call it old school football. Call it what you want. This is what you will see from the Broncos offense this year.

Run, run, run, run, run, run … that is exactly how the Broncos began the game. Siemian did not even get a chance to throw a pass until his third series.

We knew when Peyton Manning left that we would be seeing the true Kubiak system this year, which is a one that lives and dies by the run game setting the tone.

We confirmed it when they drafted fullback Andy Janovich in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Andy had a couple unbelievable blocks in this game leading the way for C.J. Anderson around the edge and flat backing his linebacker. As a former offensive lineman that stuff gets me fired up.

With a fullback in the game, we have true call it and run it running plays that the defense does not have answers for even when they bring a safety down into the box.

Anderson is getting better and looks primed to finally have a few big games at the beginning of the season rather than just at the end.

Paxton Lynch got the entire second half while Mark Sanchez watched from the sideline. Lynch looked fine. He didn’t do anything to jump Siemian, but solid quarterback play from the young gun did warrant him overtake Sanchez.

He is coming, still quicker than people think, but he didn’t do enough to get the Game 1 nod.

Defense

News flash: Von Miller is really good. The dude looked to be in Super Bowl MVP form as he terrorized the Rams offensive line. There is my full report for you on him: He is really good.

I am glad I never have to block him again.

Shane Ray is the guy I want to talk about. I have openly talked on the air that Ray needed to gain some weight after in the offseason. I knew the guy flashed great ability to get after the quarterback last year, but he was a lightweight. Once you got your paws on him last year you could shut him down.

He gained 10 pounds over the offseason and looks to be turning into the player the Broncos hoped they had drafted in the first round in 2015.

Last week, I watched him get after five-time Pro Bowler Joe Staley. He had a perfectly timed a spin move after Staley overset him, then followed it up like a seasoned vet with a bull rush right down the veteran tackle’s chest. No sacks on those plays, but great quarterback pressure.

This week, he wreaked just as much havoc as Miller. The sack numbers haven’t shown up yet for Ray, but trust me they will. Ray is a much better player this year with some added weight.

Special teams

Riley Dixon got the full game at punter and has done enough for the Broncos to start shopping around Britton Colquit as trade bait.

In the NFL, players have zero leverage, and the Broncos have asked Colquitt to take a pay cut despite practically winning us a few games at the end of the 2015 season. This is the second year in a row that they have asked him to restructure, and this time they have even more leverage with a solid alternative in Dixon.

Britton may or may not be on this team after cuts, but he will be playing in the NFL somewhere. He is a heck of a punter that just happens to be making too much money.

Don’t make too much money in the NFL or you will get cut.

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