QB Keenum trying to get on same page as receivers
Play-making has been in short supply in the last three weeks for quarterback Case Keenum and the Denver Broncos.
Keenum threw for three touchdowns in Denver’s season-opening 27-24 win over Seattle but he hasn’t throw any since then, a span during which the Broncos have gone 1-2. They’re going to need more consistency from Keenum and the rest of their offense if they hope to turn it around Sunday at the New York Jets.
Broncos head coach Vance Joseph said he’s not concerned about the lack of scoring passes from Keenum in the last few weeks.
“Our concern is winning football games,” Joseph said. “How we score touchdowns is my concern — running or throwing — but Case is going to get better and better with time. We’re figuring out who we are as an offense. It’s been a month into the season. I’ve been proud of how Case has played. Our O-line is playing well, so we’ll see. He’s going to get better and better with time.”
In last Monday night’s 27-23 loss to Kansas City, the Broncos struggled to sustain drives, settling for field goals three times. And the most talked about pass from Keenum was his second to last when he slightly overthrew an open Demaryius Thomas in the final seconds. If the two had been able to connect, Thomas had an open path to the end zone for what could have been a go-ahead score in the final moments. Instead, Keenum threw one more incompletion on Denver’s final offensive play, and the Broncos turned the ball over on downs to the Chiefs, who ran off the final few seconds to seal Denver’s most recent loss. In the long run, though, Keenum anticipates the two will have more hits on passes than misses.
“It was a great play call by (offensive coordinator) Bill (Musgrave) trying to take a shot at the end zone,” Keenum said. “They played two high safeties, I threw it where I wanted to, just a little high. It was just a little bit off, and that’s the game, it’s a game of inches.
“Would I like to have that one back? Heck yeah! But I know we’re going to make a lot more of those than we don’t. I gave it my best shot, and I can’t lose any more sleep over it. We’ve got more games to play and we have a tough test this week. So, I’ve squashed it, I’ve learned from it and I’ve moved on.”
Overall, Keenum has thrown twice as many interceptions (6) as touchdown passes (3).
It will be important as the Broncos gear up to play the Jets on Sunday that Keenum focuses on getting wideouts Emmanuel Sanders and Thomas and youngsters like rookie wideout Courtland Sutton more involved in the passing game in hopes of stretching or testing opposing secondaries.
At the same time, Keenum said he’ll be happy no matter how the Broncos score touchdowns as long as they’re scoring more than they have in the last three weeks.
Denver has averaged 19 points in the last three games while the opposition has averaged nearly 25 points in that same span.
“I don’t care how we get into the end zone,” Keenum said. “Obviously, I like throwing touchdowns. I like when those guys are running them in, too. We have two great backs; they’re doing a great job, but we’ve got a bunch of targets. I think receivers and tight ends, they want to get in the end zone, too. Whatever it takes-I know that the whole team is that way. Whatever it takes to score more points than the other team. Whether it’s run or pass. But yeah, we’d love to get more passes going.”
SERIES HISTORY: 36th regular-season meeting. Broncos lead series, 19-15-1, including an 8-7-1 mark on the road.
