Broncos Name Brock Osweiler Starting QB, Likely To Face Patriots Week 10
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Patriots always have an advantage at quarterback. But against the Broncos and their murky QB situation, that edge is amplified.
The Pats will once again have a significant advantage with Tom Brady under center when they face the Broncos in Week 10, as Denver head coach Vance Joseph has officially named Brock Osweiler the starter moving forward, according to the NFL Network's James Palmer.
It appears that Osweiler will keep the starting role for the foreseeable future regardless of his performance in Week 9 against the Eagles, as Trevor Siemian lost his job after struggling mightily for the past three weeks. Siemian posted a 64.1 passer rating in three games against the Giants, Chargers, and Chiefs, completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 781 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions.
The Broncos' decision to switch to Osweiler also reflects poorly on second-year QB Paxton Lynch, who just came off the injury report with a shoulder injury before being passed over.
Osweiler is 1-1 in two career games as the starting QB against the Patriots. Last season with the Texans, he threw for 196 yards with no touchdowns and an interception in their 27-0 loss to the Jacoby Brissett-led Patriots. In 2015 with the Broncos, he went 23-for-42 for 270 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in Denver's 30-24 overtime win. He also played poorly for the Texans in last season's AFC Divisional Playoff in Foxboro, throwing for just 197 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions and finishing with an abysmal 47.6 passer rating.
Brady is still just 3-7 in his career playing on the road at Denver, including 0-3 in the playoffs. The Broncos defense, meanwhile, is allowing just 188.1 passing yards per game, the sixth-fewest in the NFL, despite being just 14th in opposing passer rating (87.4). But Denver's three-game losing has been more a product of their struggling offense, and even with their defense playing well, Osweiler has quite the tall task facing him in two weeks.