The online betting community received a bit of a surprise Thursday when Trevor Siemian stepped onto the gridiron for the Denver Bronco’s 2016 debut. Even with his first step Siemian set an NFL record by becoming the first quarterback whose first career start was for the reigning Super Bowl Champions. Trying to fill the shoes left by future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is an impossible task, but nonetheless Siemian did an adequate job of quarterbacking the defending champs.
Siemian finished the day going 18/26 for 178 yards with 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Overall, the starter finished with a 69.1 quarterback rating. On paper that doesn’t seem promising, but Broncos fans who tuned into the game know there’s plenty to get excited about. The Broncos came out of the gate by passing the ball and Siemian remained cool in the face of the NFC Champions’ defense. He was confident, knew the offense, and was even able to convert on crucial third downs. But still Siemian threw 2 picks, one pass was intended for a receiver that was open, but Carolina’s pressure forced the throw and Siemian couldn’t get enough air under it. The other was a screen pass that was picked off due to the incredible athleticism the Panther’s defense sports. But those are the trademarks of inexperience, and the rest of #13’s performance inspired confidence in Denver’s fans. At the end of the day Denver proved they are capable of being online betting favorites and winning, even without #18.
Siemian performed well against one of last year’s best defenses, but there’s no beating around the bush. At the end of the day it was the Broncos’ defense that allowed them to win the game with such an inexperienced quarterback. Denver held Cam Newton – last year’s MVP – to a mere 194 yard performance with a quarterback rating of 69.5, which was barely higher than Siemian, a seventh round draft pick. Newton did his best the entire game and even put the Panthers in a situation where they could’ve won the game. But a perfectly called timeout iced Graham Gano, the Panthers kicker. After the game the conversation was not about the missed field goal, instead it was about the lack of care shown by the NFL, the Panthers organization, and the referees themselves for Newton’s health.
There were several penalties that should’ve been called against the Broncos but weren’t, but that’s nothing new for Cam Newton. Newton’s size and approach to the games paints him as one of the toughest quarterbacks in the game, and therefore officials sometimes hesitate to throw flags that would be second nature for another quarterback. But there was one particular hit that left Newton on the ground for far too long and there’s no question he should have come out of the game. The fact that he didn’t reflects poorly on his teammates, the officials, and the entire NFL.
But either way the Broncos can put this game behind them and prepare for their next opponent, the Indianapolis Colts. Let’s check the online betting odds to see how the Broncos measure up in this contest.
Week 2 Sunday September 18th
Broncos +6 (-110) 45 (-110)
Colts -6 (-110) 45 (-110)
This will be the second game Denver plays at home and Siemian can look forward to gaining some much needed experience. The Denver defense will still be there to have his back but the question for those who bet on sports will be: if the Panthers couldn’t do much against Denver, what chance do the Colts have?
