The Denver Broncos’ competition for the backup quarterback job has reached the final week of preseason, and there’s no obvious front runner.
Josh Johnson started the team’s first two preseason games, but Brett Rypien will start the team’s preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, and the team’s staff has said the competition is still open.
Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett has seen moments of strong play from each QB this summer, but both QBs have also made some mistakes. Hackett said Thursday that he wants to see consistency from the QBs against Minnesota.
“Consistency is the big one,” Hackett said. “You want to be sure that they’re going out there, executing the plan, understanding when we want to change plays or keep the same play on, understanding the progressions and all those things, and making good decisions.
“To this point, they have made some pretty good decisions, so we want them to continually take care of the ball, also.”
Johnson has played the first halves of Denver’s first two preseason games. He’s completed 61.5% of his passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Rypien played in the second half of games, completing 68.2% of his throws for 304 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers.
Saturday night will be their last chance to win the job.
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