Stokley and Zach were a bit off on their post-Manning QB rankings
Feb 24, 2021, 12:44 PM
On Monday’s edition of “Stokley and Zach,” the two hosts broke down the nine quarterbacks (not counting Kendall Hinton) who have started a game for the Broncos since Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset after Super Bowl 50. Both Brandon Stokley and Zach Bye provide their power rankings of the potential heir apparent QBs; it was a depressing process.
They both had (From worst to best):
9. Paxton Lynch
8. Jeff Driskel
7. Joe Flacco
6. Brock Osweiler
5. Brandon Allen
4. Brett Rypien
3. Drew Lock
2. Case Keenum
1. Trevor Siemian
At first glance, the order makes sense. And given that all of these quarterbacks struggled at times or were major disappointments, few will come to their defense.
But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t. After all, there are some egregious errors with this list.
Let’s start at the top, so to speak. Putting Paxton Lynch as the worst starting QB in Denver since Manning is just ridiculous.
Granted, he might be the most-disappointing. After all, he was selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft; expectations were sky high for the signal caller from Memphis, but he never came close to living up to them.
To say that he was worse than Driskel, however, is just unfair. During Lynch’s two seasons in Denver, he posted a 1-3 record in four starts, throwing for 792 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions in the process. Those aren’t good numbers, by any means, but they run circles around Driskell.
In 2020, his only season with the Broncos, Driskel was 0-1 in one start. He was barely more effective than Hinton, who hadn’t played QB since college. In his lone start, a 28-10 loss to Tampa Bay, the veteran was 17-of-30 for 176 yards with one touchdown and one pick.
Both had decent debuts in orange and blue, coming in to relieve injured quarterbacks. Lynch looked good against the Buccaneers as a rookie when he replaced Trevor Siemian. Driskel looked fine against the Steelers this past season when he filled in for Drew Lock. Neither could build upon those promising starts, however.
If Lynch is getting downgraded due to expectations, then the same standard should be applied to everyone on the list. That being the case, Joe Flacco should be ranked No. 9.
He came into Denver as a former Super Bowl MVP, a player who John Elway said was still “in his prime.” He wasn’t.
Flacco was a disaster in a Broncos uniform. In eight starts, he was 2-6, throwing for a paltry 1,822 yards and six touchdowns, while also tossing five interceptions. He was also sacked 26 times, a sign of how immobile he was at the age of 34.
Boring and uninspiring, Flacco was a total letdown in Denver. And at $18 million per season, he was the biggest ripoff, as well.
The other problem with Stokley and Zach’s power rankings comes at the other end of the list. Have they forgotten how painful it was to watch Siemian play? Do they not remember how underwhelming Keenum was as a high-priced free agent.
Drew Lock should be No. 1 on this list. Yes, the quarterback hasn’t been great during his two seasons in Denver, but he’s head and shoulders above those two Captain Checkdowns.
Here are the numbers for each:
Siemian
Record = 13-11
Yards = 5,686
Touchdowns = 30
Interceptions = 24
Keenum
Record = 6-10
Yards = 3,890
Touchdowns = 18
Interceptions = 15
Lock
Record = 8-10
Yards = 3,953
Touchdowns = 23
Interceptions = 18
The numbers alone put Lock over Keenum. The eye test does, as well. Watch the QBs play and it’s clear who has some pizzazz and who is the cure for insomnia.
Siemian is a little trickier. His numbers are actually pretty decent in Denver. But there’s a huge caveat with those stats.
Siemian has a winning record, that’s true. But he played with the defending Super Bowl champions; that 2016 roster was leaps and bounds what Lock has had to work with during his two seasons.
In addition, Siemian had a much better coaching staff. He played for Gary Kubiak. Lock has been saddled with Vic Fangio.
All of that said, here’s how the power rankings should’ve looked:
9. Joe Flacco
8. Jeff Driskel
7. Brandon Allen
6. Brett Rypien
5. Paxton Lynch
4. Brock Osweiler
3. Case Keenum
2. Trevor Siemian
1. Drew Lock
If you had to win one game and could only use a quarterback from his time with the Broncos, that’d be the draft order. And with each pick, there’d be cringing and a bit of regret.
