Brock Osweiler: The Forgotten Sun Devil

When talking about former Arizona State Sun Devil Quarterbacks, number 17 Brock Osweiler might not come to mind immediately. Other throwers of the football, such as Danny White, Jake Plummer, and Taylor Kelly, are some players people might think of. However, Osweiler's efforts as a Sun Devil and in the NFL should not be overlooked.

Osweiler played only one season at ASU. In that 13-game span, Osweiler went 6-7. Not a great record, but he had some great performances. He won his first start against UC Davis, throwing two touchdowns.

Arguably, his best game as a Sun Devil was in Week 2 against Missouri. In this game, Osweiler threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns. ASU won this game 37-30 in overtime. The game winner was an 11-yard throw from Osweiler to Wide Receiver Jamal Miles. It was an exciting win for the home team.

Other notable games during this year from Osweiler include a three-touchdown performance in a win against Utah. The most yards he threw for in a game that season was 487 against the U of A Wildcats. ASU lost this game to their Arizona rival, but Osweiler gave it his all.

Osweiler was a true gun slinger of the football. Which, at times, provided some frustrating moments, but also a lot of truly special plays as well. The throw that stood out to me the most was a week 6 game against the Colorado Buffaloes. Osweiler threw an absolute strike to Miles. The ball blasted through the secondary right into Miles's hands.

Osweiler was not a perfect quarterback for ASU, but he provided many memorable moments for the Sun Devils. Just by watching it, it is evident that Osweiler left it all on the field.

Osweiler's journey got interesting, though, once he hit the NFL. He was drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft in round 2 by the Denver Broncos.

Peyton Manning was also entering his first season for the Broncos in 2012, so Osweiler was the backup. Osweiler sat during the 2012, 2013, and 2014 seasons. During that time, the former ASU QB only attempted thirty passes.

Osweiler got his first start in Week 10 of the 2015 Broncos season. This happend due to Manning being injured. There was a lot of pressure on Osweiler when he got his time to shine.

During the Manning era, the Broncos had lost a Super Bowl in 2013 to the Seattle Seahawks and their legendary Legion of Boom defense. Many people believed that 2015 could be Manning's last season. Before Osweiler got his start, the Broncos had only lost one game that season due to their incredible defense.

The Broncos and their fans were counting on Osweiler to get the team into the playoffs. There was a belief that Manning could return in the postseason. Things started bumpy as Osweiler lost his first start to the Kansas City Chiefs. In this game, he only threw for 146 yards.

Osweiler then had an incredible two-game stretch that would define his NFL Career. He beat the Chicago Bears in a close 17- 15 win. Against the Bears, Osweiler was effective as he completed 20 out of 27 passes and threw for two touchdowns. The following week was Osweiler's magnum opus as he beat the New England Patriots in overtime.

The Patriots were at the height of their powers at this point. They had beaten the Seahawks in the Super Bowl the year prior and were 10-0 this season. Well, Osweiler handed them their first loss.

Osweiler was special in this game. This game was played in the snow, making this matchup even more epic. He threw for 270 yards against a Bill Belichick defense in the snow; yeah, that is not easy.

Osweiler had three outstanding plays that occurred on a late game drive. The drive started with the Broncos down by four with two and a half minutes left in the game. On the first play, Osweiler delivered a great deep ball to the late great Demaryius Thomas.

Two plays later, Osweiler completed another deep ball, this time 39 yards to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders with 1:51 left in the game. This throw got the Broncos in the red zone. Osweiler would end the drive with a four-yard touchdown throw to Andre Caldwell.

The Patriots, being the Patriots, would tie the game up at 24 and send it into overtime. Denver would end up winning the game due to a 48-yard rushing touchdown by CJ Anderson. Many people thought that with Peyton Manning out, Brady and the Patriots would win. However, Osweiler proved the doubters wrong.

After this fairy tale type of win, Osweiler would finish the season 3-2. Another notable win came against another great AFC team this season, the Cincinnati Bengals. During this week 16 game, Osweiler threw one touchdown and for 299 yards.

Osweiler went 5-3 in his time as a starter. He helped the Broncos lock up the number one seed. If Osweiler had lost even two more games, the Broncos would have been out of the playoffs. Peyton Manning would return to the postseason as Denver went on to beat Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

It was not just a solo act for the Broncos, as it was their defense, running game, and coaching. However, Osweiler stepped into the shoes of one of the best QBs of all time and helped the Broncos get a Super Bowl Ring.

After this season, Osweiler would be a serviceable QB for a while in the NFL. He was a starter for the Texans in 2016 and was a backup for the Dolphins in 2018, where in both spots he had up and down moments. However, Osweiler stepped up when it mattered most. So when people ask who some of the best Sun Devil Quarterbacks are, think of number 17.

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