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Pat Shurmur Shares Philosophical Outlook on Brett Rypien's Coming Start in Week 4

How will the Broncos adjust to having a new quarterback under center in Week 4? Pat Shurmur dished on some philosophical points that might hint at what's in store for Brett Rypien.
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The decision is in. Brett Rypien will start at quarterback for the Denver Broncos this week against the New York Jets. Head coach Vic Fangio, with the input of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and QBs coach Mike Shula, vacillated an extra day on the decision but ultimately arrived at Rypien

It was the right decision. 

The Broncos are a team badly in need of a spark. Rypien entered the team's Week 3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the Broncos final offensive possession and took what had been a stagnant unit stuck in neutral and helped it move the ball. 

It was garbage time, sure. And after completing all of his first eight throws — to six different receivers — the drive ended with an interception. But Rypien showed competency and that high football IQ, making protection checks at the line of scrimmage pre-snap and getting the Broncos out of some tough situations. 

It was a spark. It provided a modicum of momentum. And after starting 0-3 and losing a laundry list of star players to injured reserve, the Broncos need any measure of momentum they can get. 

Week 4's road bout at MetLife Stadium, in which the former undrafted quarterback will be going up against Sam Darnold, a former No. 3 overall draft pick, will be Rypien's first career start. As momentous as it might be, Rypien is focused on one thing: winning. 

“No matter who we’re playing, right now, we definitely need a win," Rypien said on Tuesday after it was announced he'd start this week. "That’s the main focus. The focus for me this week is trying to get better these next two days because we’re not going to be able to get a lot of reps at full speed with the guys.”

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Rypien is not in a fortuitous position, considering his relative lack of reps as the No. 3 QB on the depth chart all year, which was followed with one week as the backup to Jeff Driskel. But that's where Rypien's football IQ is going to have to bridge the gap and allow him to operate the Broncos offense and lead the unit. 

Rypien is not a rah-rah guy. But anyone who's spoken with him in-person can tell you that he has a quiet confidence. Let's face it; there's a reason he went undrafted. Rypien doesn't have the same measurables toolbox as a Drew Lock. 

But Rypien makes up for whatever tools he might lack with his intellect and knowledge of the game. Lacking actual practice reps on a short week that requires the Broncos to traverse the continent, he'll have to make the most of his mental reps. 

“Just taking those mental reps and really taking them seriously," Rypien said in regards to how he'll attack his preparation for Week 4. "Just making sure in walk-throughs that I’m seeing what they’re doing on the back end and in protections. I’m going through my progressions, so that way, I can go out there on Thursday and make quick decisions and not hesitate.”

That was one of the most impressive aspects of his late-game performance vs. Tampa Bay. After watching Driskel fail to miss obvious blitz signals from the Bucs pre-snap, Rypien stepped in under center and helped direct a beleaguered Broncos offensive line that up to that point had surrendered five sacks and multiple QB hits, by making protection checks at the line. 

Throw into that Rypien's ability to read the field, go through his progressions, and make quicker decisions with the ball, and it takes a lot of the onus off the O-line. You know, like even a semi-competent QB is supposed to. 

“With regards to Brett, he executes well, he’s quick-minded and he gets the ball out quickly, which I think is important," Coach Shurmur said on Tuesday. "He went in and did some good things.”

What Rypien might lack in arm strength or raw athleticism, he can make up for with anticipation and accuracy. Knowing the playbook, understanding the opponent, and mastering the game-plan will give him a leg up on the road vs. the Jets. 

"With regard to why Brett gets the ball out quickly—that’s just his nature," Shurmur said. "He has a pretty good idea of what we want to get done. He knows what he’s looking for, he knows when he sees it and he’s willing to pull the trigger.”

If the Broncos can inject a solid running game into the equation on Thursday night, it'll only help Rypien more. It's a copy cat league, and after seeing Denver's last two opponents blitz on more than 60% of their passing snaps, Shurmur and Rypien will have to anticipate the Jets following suit. 

Until the Broncos can make opponents pay for selling out to blitz, the pressure is going to only continue to mount. Establishing even a modest ground attack, which then makes play-action fakes more believable, and thus, creates bigger throwing windows and lanes, will only help dissuade New York from sending the house... every... single... time. 

“I think the run game is important, and when we run the ball early, we have to get more out of the runs early in the game," Shurmur said. "We have to use the runs to help us get in the end zone. We have to do a better job of running the ball throughout the game, especially early in the game in my opinion."

It's going to be fun to see how it all shakes out. The Broncos opened the week as 2-point favorites in New York but in the wake of the news of Rypien receiving the starting mantle, SportsBetting.com reduced the betting line to -1. 

It's a mammoth opportunity for the 24-year-old Rypien. Here's to hoping that some of that Super Bowl MVP juju from his uncle Mark Rypien will rub off on the second-year QB when makes his first NFL start. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.