The Denver Broncos are in jeopardy of already losing hope for their playoff chances in 2018. After starting the season a sizzling 2-0, the team has lost three straight games. Sitting at a lukewarm 2-3 record, the Broncos are coming off of an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets. One of the reasons for the team’s struggles this season has been the inconsistent play at quarterback. Signed in the off-season to solidify the quarterback position, Case Keenum has done little to prove he can be the man in Denver. Even only one game below .500, the Broncos have not looked like a team that can compete with the NFL’s elites. Many fans and media outlets have already begun wondering if the Case Keenum experiment has already failed for the Broncos.
Is the Case Keenum Experiment Already a Lost Cause in Denver?
Why It’s Been a Failure
Keenum’s stats in 2018 have been lackluster. As he struggles to move the ball effectively, he has completed only 63.5 percent of his passes, while holding a dismal 5:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Broncos offense has looked flat and lifeless through the first five games of the season. Outside of their two star rookie running backs, the Broncos’ offense has had little to celebrate about. Entering Week Six, the Keenum-led Broncos are only ranked 20th in the NFL, averaging 20 points per game. Keenum opened the season by throwing three interceptions against a vulnerable Seattle Seahawks defense. Since, he’s thrown an additional four interceptions, compared to only five touchdowns.
This time last year, the Broncos were more than eager to get away from then-starting quarterback Trevor Siemian. However, when comparing the two quarterbacks, it’s pretty clear that both posted similar statistics in their first five games of the season, as shown below:
Trevor Siemian, Weeks 1-5 of 2017: 108/176 attempts (61.4%), 1,264 passing yards, seven touchdowns, five interceptions, 3-2 record
Case Keenum, Weeks 1-5 of 2018: 122/192 (63.5%), 1365 passing yards, five touchdowns, seven interceptions, 2-3 record
While Keenum does boast a relatively higher stat line, the key difference is that Siemian’s 2017 team salary was less than $1 million. Keenum’s 2018 salary is $18 million. Simply on a statistical level, Keenum has not played to a level that warrants the amount of money the Broncos are paying him. With stats mirroring that of Trevor Siemian, many would take the side of the argument that the Case Keenum experiment has been anything but a success for the Broncos thus far.
Why It Still Has a Chance to Be Successful
Keenum hasn’t exactly gotten off to a hot start. The team does sit below .500, and the offense ranks poorly in most significant categories. However, despite all of this to begin the season, Keenum has shown just enough to give Broncos fans hope that he can turn it around and be the team’s answer at quarterback. While Keenum hasn’t played up to the standard fans would like, he hasn’t exactly received any help, either.
While Keenum has thrown seven interceptions on the year, some of those can be attributed to dropped passes by some of his receivers. Most notable for dropped passes is former Pro Bowl receiver Demaryius Thomas. Thomas has played poorly all season, averaging less than 60 yards per game. His inability to create separation from opposing defenders and his continued dropped passes have been part of the reason for Keenum’s struggles thus far.
Keenum also hasn’t received much help from his offensive line. The Broncos offensive line has continued their usual trend of shaky pass protection. It’s hard to tell if the Case Keenum experiment succeeds or fails when Keenum hasn’t had the proper time to throw the ball. Keenum has been flushed out of the pocket or under duress for numerous pass attempts he has taken this season. Going forward, the Broncos have expressed changes to the offensive line to improve Keenum’s protection.
Why We Can’t Tell Quite Yet
Despite adjusting to a new offense, new receivers, and shaky pass protection, Keenum has still put up decent stats through the first five games of the season. Simply put, it’s too early to tell whether or not Keenum will pan out as the Broncos next great quarterback. Keenum’s teammates still have faith in him as their starter. As long as Keenum can maintain that confidence among his team, he has a chance to turn around his rocky start to the season.
Changes to the offensive linemen, the rise of rookie wide receiver Courtland Sutton, and a more consistent offensive gameplan should help Keenum as the season progresses. Six games on a new team and in a new offensive system is simply too small of a sample size to judge a player’s long-term impact on their team.
Keenum has not played well, and the Broncos are in danger of falling to 2-4. With an upcoming game against the 5-0 Los Angeles Rams, things could turn sour very quickly. The Broncos have a lot of improvements to make as they approach the halfway mark of the season. One of those improvements will need to start with the play of Keenum.
