Adamo Marinelli
Nov. 30, 2020
Denver Broncos’ backup QB Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID-19 early in the week before the game against the New Orleans Saints.
Drew Lock, Blake Bortles, and Brett Rypien were all in close proximity with Driskel - on November 24 while reviewing game film - after Driskel had tested positive.
As a result, the NFL ruled out all four Denver Broncos QBs for their week 12 game against the red-hot New Orleans Saints who had won seven consecutive games coming into Denver.
After the NFL denied the Broncos from starting their offensive quality control coach Rob Calabrese at QB, they turned to undrafted rookie Kendall Hinton, a wide receiver on the Broncos’ practice squad. He played three seasons at QB at Wake Forest before converting to a wide receiver after several injuries cost him the starting role in college.
The Broncos struggled in their 31-3 loss against the Saints. At QB, Hinton completed 1-9 passes for 13 yards and two INTs.
The Broncos were the first team since the 1998 San Diego Chargers to have more interceptions than completions in a game.
Considering Hinton learned he would be starting against the Saints less than 24 hours before the game, had no practice time, and hadn’t thrown a meaningful pass in nearly three years, the expectations were not high coming into the game.
However, Hinton deserves credit. He came in and tried his best against an elite Saints’ defense.
The real issue here is that Lock, Bortles, and Rypien, knowing Driskel tested positive for COVID-19 did not wear a face mask when in close proximity to him.
The NFL put these protocols in place to limit outbreaks. The Broncos’ QBs were negligent and choose not to obey the protocols. It is the team’s responsibility to ensure all players follow protocol - it is not the NFL’s.
“I was disappointed on a couple of levels, that our quarterbacks put us in this position, that our quarterbacks put the league in this position, we count on them to be the leaders of this team, so that's disappointing,” HC Vic Fangio said after the loss.
“They got lax with their masks, I guess, and they got lax with their distancing, I guess,” Fangio added.
“I haven't done a good enough job of selling the protocols to them when they're on their own,” Fangio admitted. “That’s on me.”
The Broncos brought this upon themselves. The NFL had the right to not postpone this game.
There were some frustrations from Broncos players about how the game should not have been played yesterday.
Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson tweeted: “At this point, I don’t think you can deny there is a clear double standard for game postponements…”
He is likely referencing when the Broncos lost their bye week after their game against the New England Patriots game got pushed back from week five to week six because Patriots’ QB Cam Newton and CB Stephon Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19. Newton and Gilmore tested positive so the Denver-New England game got pushed back, but when the Broncos get an outbreak, their game against the Saints was not pushed back.
I understand the frustration, but Newton did not do anything irresponsible to catch COVID-19. The Broncos knew the protocols in place, but all the four QBs decided to not follow it by not wearing a mask to protect themselves.
The NFL made an example of the Broncos.
