Denver’s offensive coordinator did not hold back on the subject of Quinn Meinerz.
In the Denver Broncos’ home-opener on Sunday, starting left guard Dalton Risner went down with a foot injury. His exit opened the way for rookie third-round pick Quinn Meinerz to enter the fray at left guard.
Suffice to say, the rookie’s impact on the offense was palpable. Suddenly, the holes opened up in the running game and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater wasn’t being so incessantly hounded from the inside by New York Jets’ defensive linemen like Quinnen Williams.
Although Meinerz only saw 25 snaps, he made his presence felt upfront. The rookie’s raw strength, power, and bully mentality were on full display, even if analytics sites like Pro Football Focus wouldn’t give Meinerz his just dessert.
His offensive coordinator, however, was impressed. Pat Shurmur waxed poetic on Thursday when discussing Meinerz’s debut and even waded into the prognostication game.
“He was great. He was thrilled that he got a chance to go in and go in at left guard,” Shurmur said from UCHealth Training Center. “He was very comfortable there. He was rattling around and making some good blocks. I kind of like his personality. He’s kind of a tough guy. He runs around and hits people. I thought he had some really good plays the other night. I anticipate that he’ll build off that if he’s forced to play this week.”
Considering that Risner has yet to participate in practice this week, it’s a safe bet to assume Meinerz is on track to get his first NFL start at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Shurmur’s hunch that Meinerz will continue to shine and “build off” his debut is one shared by Mile High Huddle.
Our Erick Trickel broke down Meinerz’s performance and came away thoroughly impressed — especially considering the rookie’s relative non-impact in training camp and preseason action. However, as Trickel points out, the Broncos had Meinerz playing at center for the summer which likely colored the complexion of his body of work.
Meinerz might have come from Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater but he was a career left guard in college. Being able to return to his comfy, trusty position obviously helped boost the rookie in his NFL debut.
Although he was a little more reserved, head coach Vic Fangio — who is quite stingy with any praise for players, let alone rookies — was surprisingly complimentary of Meinerz on Thursday, too.
“I thought he did well for getting thrown in there,” Fangio said. “Backups don’t get a lot of reps during the week, and I thought he did fine. Sometimes that’s the best way to go get your first action—cold turkey. Now he knows there’s a possibility he might have to play this week. Hopefully, he’s not getting overwhelmed.”
Based on what we saw in Week 3, I doubt Meinerz is feeling like he’s bitten off more than he can chew. With starting right guard Graham Glasgow also nursing an injury and having yet to practice this week, there’s a chance the Broncos could take on the Ravens with a rookie at left guard and a second-year player in Netane Muti at right.
The Ravens are adept at stopping the run — it’s their one defensive calling card thus far in 2021. But with Meinerz and Muti on deck to bridge the gap inside for the Broncos, I’d expect Baltimore to receive its stiffest and most physical test of the year thus far.
If Meinerz starts and continues to play that high a level, what it’d mean for Risner’s place as a starter is anyone’s guess. While Risner is a great leader and an emotional firebrand out on the grass, he’s not only failed to show progress in Year 3, but he’s displayed downright regression.
Considering the NFL is a production-based business, perhaps the answer is more obvious than it seems, as inconvenient as it may be for Risner.
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