Plummer: Broncos’ Siemian ‘a lot better’ through 2 games than him
Sep 21, 2016, 10:48 PM
In Jake Plummer’s first to NFL starts the then-Arizona Cardinals quarterback threw for a combine completion percentage of 48.28, 327 yards, 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
So, it’s no exaggeration when the former Denver Bronco said Trevor Siemian (66.8 percent, 444 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions) out played him in his first two games.
“I think they’ve got a kid back there that can do it all. He can throw on the run. He’s great at play fakes and setting up. What I’ve been impressed with is his feet and his accuracy,” Plummer told “The Drive” Wednesday.
“And yeah, you’re going to miss some shots occasionally, but this kid is in his second NFL game. And he looks a (heck) of a lot better than I did in my second NFL game.”
And perhaps more importantly, Siemian’s 2-0 (as compared to Plummer’s 1-1 record) and the Broncos seem to be off to a better start than last year under future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.
“Last year, at this time, they were nowhere near as proficient as they are right now. And that was with an 18-year vet running the show,” Plummer said. “And they’ve got a guy who’s basically a rookie who I think is going out there and learning on the run.”
But it’s not Siemian’s yards or completion percentage that Plummer’s most impressed it.
It’s his feet.
“This kid’s feet are amazing.” Plummer said. “From what I’ve seen, his feet tell me everything. He’s on rhythm. He shortens his drop when he needs to. He elongates when he needs to.”
Plummer said, just from watching his five-step drops, Plummer said he can see that Siemian knows where he’s going with the ball each play.
A “shorter” five-step drop indicates the ball’s going one place. A “longer” five-step drop, another receiver.
“I see him already have a pretty good mastery of that, and that, to me, makes me rest easy knowing the kid knows where he’s going with the ball,” Plummer said. “And that’s what you’ve got to know in this offense.”
And to think, Plummer said, that people are griping about Siemian not putting up “five touchdowns a game” when he was supposed to come in and not hurt a team with a Super Bowl-quality defense.
“So he’s just got to steer the ship, right? And now, we’re complaining because he’s not throwing five touchdowns a game,” Plummer said.
“The kid’s steering the ship. He’s driving it down the road.”
Follow 104.3 The Fan digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @johnnyhart7.