Through the mob of defensive players yelling his name, rubbing his head and cheering him, Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian emerged from the crowd wearing a wide, toothy smile to receive the game ball from coach Gary Kubiak.

The totality of Siemian’s performance Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals in his first road game left his coaches and teammates impressed and proud of their young quarterback, but not surprised. They had seen the poise, command and potential overflowing all summer, but Sunday they saw him at his best in a hostile environment, lifting the offense on his back when it needed it the most.

It was an awakening for many in the national audience.

What the Broncos saw, however, through specific plays, sequences and the game as a whole reaffirmed their belief that Siemian could help lead them to another Super Bowl. Siemian finished 23-of-35 passing for 312 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Denver beat the Bengals 29-17 and improved to 3-0.

For Kubiak, what said it all was a third-and-3 play in the first quarter when Siemian felt pressure, didn’t panic, kept his eyes up while running, used a couple of hop steps then dived for a 5-yard gain and a first down.

“You see a lot of good quarterbacks that may not be 4.6, 4.7 quarterbacks (in the 40-yard dash) speed-wise, but they’re really good because when they move they keep making plays. Their eyes stay up,” Kubiak said. “And you’ll see some real good athletes that can move, but once they do move you can go get them because their eyes don’t stay (looking downfield). It’s something that you do naturally. He seems to have a knack for it. Hopefully he’ll hang on to it.”

What most impressed offensive tackle Russell Okung was Denver’s final touchdown drive Sunday that started with the team up by five points and Siemian hoping to put the Bengals away. Siemian was aggressive, throwing a 29-yard completion to tight end Jeff Heuerman. Then, on third-and-11, he threw the “go for the gusto” pass down the left sideline to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas for a 55-yard touchdown play. Okung has seen enough from Siemian through three games to compare him to the quarterback he played with in Seattle, Russell Wilson.

“He’s cold as ice,” Okung said of Siemian. “Those are the biggest similarities I see in the two. That showed a lot of fortitude on his part. He could have easily went for the first down, but instead he wanted to go for the big play.”

What stood out to running back C.J. Anderson was a play early in the fourth quarter with the Broncos deep in their territory and trailing by one point. Siemian was looking for Thomas on a screen pass, a play similar to one that he had been intercepted on twice this season. Siemian gave two pump fakes to Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap, then scrambled for a 1-yard gain.

“You can tell that he’s learning from his mistakes. That’s the most impressive thing,” Anderson said.

Siemian easily had the best performance of his young career, finishing Sunday’s game with a terrific 132.1 passer rating. He put on his best show when it mattered the most — the fourth quarter, going 9-of-10 for 149 yards and two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. The fourth quarter has been Siemian’s time to shine. He has a 146.9 passer rating in the fourth quarter of the first three games, easily the best in the NFL.

“Just the way he looks at pressure and how he responds in critical situations, he doesn’t look really frantic,” Okung said. “He has somewhat of a quiet confidence. He brings calmness to his teammates in a high-pressure situation. We know our quarterback is ready to make the big play.” Related Articles September 26, 2016 Broncos’ post-game celebration for Trevor Siemian “electric”

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Siemian’s success in the clutch hasn’t been limited to the fourth quarter. The Broncos were 6-of-12 on third-down conversion attempts Sunday, including many of the game’s biggest plays — the touchdown by Thomas, Siemian’s 41-yard touchdown throw to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the second quarter and the aforementioned first-quarter rush for 5 yards. The Broncos rank fifth in the NFL in third-down conversions, at 48.5-percent. A year ago they were at 37.5 percent.

The Bengals emphasized stopping Denver’s running game, and they succeeded. That left it up to Siemian to pass Denver to victory.

“Your confidence continues to grow and I’m not just talking about myself, I’m talking about all of us. As coaches, we see how he can handle things,” Kubiak said. “We’re getting a lot of comfort watching him keep up and handle the team. With that, there’s growth coming. And obviously, turning him loose in situations, I’m feeling better about his decision-making process.”

Passers-by

NFL fourth-quarter passing leaders this season going into Monday night’s Atlanta-New Orleans game: Quarterback Team G Att. Comp. Pct. Yards Y/A TD TD% Int. Int% Long Sack QB rating Trevor Siemian DEN 3 20 14 70 225 11.25 3 15 0 0 55 2 146.9 Matt Ryan ATL 2 22 15 68.2 195 8.86 1 4.5 0 0 48 1 111 Drew Brees N.O. 2 24 14 58.3 186 7.75 2 8.3 0 0 43 0 110.8 Andrew Luck IND 3 48 31 64.6 355 7.4 4 8.3 1 2.1 63 3 105.8 Matthew Stafford DET 3 32 22 68.8 283 8.84 2 6.3 1 3.1 35 5 104

A quarter-by-quarter look at Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian this season: Quarter Att. Comp. Pct. Yards Y/A TD TD% Int. Int% Long Sacks QB rating First 31 18 58.1 225 7.26 0 0 1 3.2 44 2 67.3 Second 30 20 66.7 226 7.53 2 6.7 1 3.3 41 0 97.4 Third 13 11 84.6 80 6.15 0 0 1 7.7 23 1 60.3 Fourth 20 14 70 225 11.25 3 15 0 0 55 2 146.9

Cameron Wolfe, The Denver Post

Source: Statspass

