John Elway was the on-field solution the last time Denver faced such a bleak quarterbacking situation.

A quarter-century later, Elway must now prove he isn't part of the problem.

Elway adroitly did this in 2012 entering his second year as Broncos general manager. He helped the club move beyond the über-popular Tim Tebow, whose ragtag style of play wasn’t conducive for long-term success despite his penchant for improbable comebacks, by enticing Peyton Manning to sign as a free agent.

The result was one Super Bowl victory, another appearance, four straight AFC West titles and 50 regular-season wins.

Such success also is a far cry to what has transpired less than two years later.

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The Broncos are heading toward the midway point of the season at 3-4 and with a quarterback crisis following Trevor Siemian’s meltdown in Monday night’s 29-19 loss at Kansas City.

Siemian was never going to become the second coming of Manning or Elway. No one expected him to perform like a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, either. Siemian’s strength, as displayed during last year’s 8-6 stretch as a first-year starter, was methodically executing the offense and avoiding the big mistake.

Those game-manager qualities were not on display at Arrowhead Stadium.

Maybe it’s because of the heat Siemian is feeling from Broncos fans who want him benched, or the personal belief that he must make big plays in the passing game to compensate for a tepid rushing attack. But what he delivered against the Chiefs — three interceptions, poor decision-making and scattershot throws largely resulting from poor mechanics — combined with middling performances and too many other turnovers over the past month has caused first-year coach Vance Joseph to waffle on his earlier commitment that Siemian would remain his starter for the entire 2017 campaign.

"It's tough when you’re playing two teams," said Siemian, who admitted after the game that he was pressing. “You can’t play the Denver Broncos and you can’t play another team. Too many mistakes by me."

But the bigger gaffes were made by Elway in his handling of the position once Manning retired.

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The hope was for Brock Osweiler, the 2012 second-round draft pick groomed as Manning’s heir apparent, to re-sign and assume the first-string spot. That unraveled because of Osweiler's bitterness about being benched once Manning returned from injury during the 2015 season. Houston then swooped in with a ridiculously high contract offer that Denver refused to match.

Plan B (trade for Mark Sanchez) has subsequently become Plan C (unsuccessfully court Colin Kaepernick), Plan D (make Paxton Lynch a 2016 first-round pick), Plan E (start Siemian in 2016 after Sanchez flopped and Lynch wasn’t ready) and Plan F (stick with Siemian entering this season when Lynch again showed little). Plan G might be reverting to Osweiler, who returned during the preseason after bombing in Houston and Cleveland, or letting Lynch sink-or-swim in his second NFL season.

At this rate, the Broncos will soon run out of alphabet.

Denver becoming a middle-of-the-pack team isn't all because of issues under center. The Broncos continue to struggle fielding a strong offensive line with Donald Stephenson a human turnstile at right tackle, plus a left guard rotation because neither Max Garcia nor Allen Barbre can win the starting job outright.

There isn't a bell-cow running back. There’s receiving talent, but the pass-catchers don't look nearly as good as they did when Manning was running the show. Kicker Brandon McManus isn't helping matters by having missed five of his 15 field-goal attempts.

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But ultimately, solid quarterbacking can help cover those warts. Denver isn't getting it. And in the process, the Broncos are wasting the prime years of the championship-caliber defense Elway and his front office staff have assembled.

Unless someone unexpectedly steps up and begins shining in coordinator Mike McCoy’s time-proven system, the Broncos will be back in the QB market during the 2018 offseason.

And for the sake of the franchise he loves, Elway must get it right this time.

Alex Marvez can be heard from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET Tuesday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET Wednesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.