Win Probability Added: +15.44
NEP: +6.63
Like Matt Saracen in TV’s Friday Night Lights, Trevor Siemian has played from backup obscurity to become the starter for a big-time team like the Denver Broncos. Like Saracen, Siemian has limited tools at his disposal, but he makes the most of them in his play on the field. Like Saracen, Siemian has the weight of the Super Bowl defending champions on his shoulders, and he handled that responsibility very tactfully in Week 12. He had not one, but two big touchdown plays last week, both coming in the fourth quarter, as he kept his Broncos in it until the bitter end.
On this particular play, third-and-two with three minutes left and a slim one-point lead, Siemian took the snap and saw wide receiver Bennie Fowler beating his coverage immediately off the line of scrimmage. Siemian didn’t even finish his drop, lofting the ball right over cornerback Phillip Gaines to Fowler’s waiting hands. From there, he simply cruised over the goal line to put Denver up eight in the waning minutes of the game.