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No longer do they fill the airwaves and social media posts with debates about how Denver's 2016 first-round draft pick should be learning on the job even though he hasn't earned the Broncos' starting quarterback job.

They're wearing Case Keenum No. 4 jerseys now 49ers Jeff Locke Jersey , ready to move on from the crisp No. 12s that have gotten about as much wear and tear as Lynch's own game-day jersey.

Two men who aren't quite ready to label Lynch a blunder are general manager John Elway and coach Vance Joseph.

While that might seem predictable, both men are adamant that the ex-Memphis QB is just a late bloomer, not a bust.

Even after signing Keenum in free agency to a two-year deal and declaring the sixth-year veteran the team's starter, Elway has stuck by Lynch.

To the surprise of many, he bypassed a bevy of quarterback prospects in the NFL draft. After using all 10 of his picks on other positions, he declared that Lynch is still young and hasn't run out of chances in Denver.

"We are not kicking him to the curb," Elway said. "He can still develop. When we drafted him two years ago, we knew it was going to take some time."

Elway added this caveat, however: Lynch will compete with Chad Kelly , "Mr. Irrelevant" as the final selection of the 2017 NFL draft out of Ole Miss, for the backup job this summer.

The buzz around Broncos headquarters is that Lynch is a more dedicated pro this year. His performances on the field, at least those open to the media, have looked a lot like his first two years: flashes of jaw-dropping brilliance but still some head-scratching poor plays and bad decisions.

Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave saluted Lynch's red zone play Wednesday and said, "We want those decisions, those habits, to become part of his fabric so they can become natural Von Miller Jersey , reactive."

Joseph praised Lynch in an interview with The Associated Press, saying, "I think Paxton is really motivated to show everyone that he can be a No. 1 quarterback in this league and watching him work this entire offseason he is different because I've seen him a lot more up in the halls here.

"And that takes time to find your comfort zone with coaches, with your organization."

Joseph noted that Lynch has had three offensive coordinators in Denver so far, something that reminds him of another QB he worked with early in his career.

"I was with Alex Smith his first three or four years and it kind of looked like Paxton because Alex had four coordinators in his first four years in the league,'" Joseph said. "How can a guy comfortably get better as a quarterback in a system that is brand new every year, right?

"These guys need time to develop as quarterbacks. We want them to walk in and play. Now some guys do. Russell Wilson walked in and did it. But most guys don't do it."

What Lynch needs, Joseph said, is "time to be in a system for a two-year period and you will see real growth."

Joseph said he saw improvement last year even though Lynch was hurt most of the season and only started twice.

Like Elway, Joseph was impressed with Lynch's performance in the season finale, when he went 21 for 31 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 27-24 loss to Kansas City.

"He played that position very, very naturally in that game," Joseph said. "Now, from that point to now, he's a different guy. He's 10 percent better. Now, when it comes time for him to play for us this year and win a football game Authentic Leon Draisaitl Jersey , he's going to be 20 percent better because he's been with Billy for a year and a-half now in the same system. That makes a difference."

First things first, Joseph insisted that Lynch still has to beat out Kelly in training camp to win the backup spot.

Yet, Joseph's effusive praise of Lynch reveals the degree to which the Broncos' brain trust still believes it didn't whiff by moving up to select him with the 26th overall pick two years ago.

Joseph said Lynch deserves such patience "because he does have rare talent."

"Who wants to throw out rare talent before you give him a chance to develop?" Joseph asked. "I don't want to. John doesn't want to."

Notes: DeMarcus Ware, who retired last year, has been brought back to Denver as a part-time pass-rushing consultant. He'll visit the team a few times every month and work a selection of home games, Joseph said.

The postgame was weird.

At least Game 1 of what was supposed to be a lopsided NBA Finals was anything but boring. It had a little of everything: A player stumbled and buckled Klay Thompson’s knee to send the Warriors’ sharp-shooter limping to the locker room in the opening minutes; let Stephen Curry get loose for a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer; grabbed a rebound in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied and inexplicably ran toward midcourt as if he thought the game was over.

And all that was just J.R. Smith.

The opener of this Cleveland-Golden State series should have been memorable for other reasons – LeBron James scoring a playoff career-high 51 points, the Warriors having three players score at least 24 and Draymond Green nearly getting a triple-double. Instead, this game’s legacy is an overturned charge call late in regulation, Smith’s gaffes, contradictory explanations from Cleveland and hot tempers in the final seconds.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s assessment? ”Lucky.”

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue’s assessment? ”Robbed.”

Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114, overtime. That’s what the box score says and will forever say, and the defending champions are now one step closer to winning their third title in four years. Golden State left Oracle Arena relieved. Cleveland left angered. Those emotions will likely remain in place all the way until Game 2 tips off on Sunday night.

James wants the Cavs to put it behind them.

”We’ve got to move on,” James said. ”This game is over and done with.”

Easier said than done, particularly with two full off days to now deal with, two full off days to replay everything over and over and over and over and over again.

Let’s be clear: The Warriors aren’t here because of luck. They have a coach who has won 80 percent of his career games. They have four All-Stars in the same lineup. They have two NBA MVPs.

But they got every break in Game 1. Every break.

Start in the beginning http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-paul-worrilow-jersey , when Smith slipped and stumbled into Thompson’s knee. It had all the makings of some sort of knee structural disaster – the hit came from the side, Thompson twisted awkwardly, went down in a heap and was obviously in immediate, intense pain. Thompson limped away to the Warriors’ locker room for evaluation.

He was back in a few minutes. Big break No. 1.

”I’m happy it’s just a muscle that got strained,” Thompson said.

Then came the final seconds of the first half, when Smith went for a steal and wound up leaving Curry wide open. Curry turned, coolly buried a 35-footer as Smith slumped over with his hands on his knees and the teams went into intermission tied. Big break No. 2.

”The Finals, man, anything is liable to happen,” Curry said.

From his perspective, good things.

From Cleveland’s perspective, bad things.

Cleveland led by two in the final minute, poised to steal Game 1, when James stepped up and tried to take a charge against Kevin Durant. Referee Ken Mauer called an offensive foul, but it was overturned after replay review.

”We had doubt as to whether or not James was in the restricted area,” Mauer said.

James was well outside the area Zach Miller Jersey , and the Cavs didn’t buy the explanation.

”I read that play just as well as I’ve read any play in my career, maybe in my life,” James said.

Durant tied the game with a couple of free throws awarded on the call reversal. Big break No. 3.

And with about 4 seconds left in the fourth, George Hill went to the line with Cleveland down by one for two shots. Made the first. Missed the second. Smith got the rebound, and ran away from the basket. Overtime. Big break No. 4.

”He thought we were up one,” Lue said.

”I knew it was tied,” Smith insisted.

The extra session was all Golden State. The home team left happy. The fans that packed Oracle Arena went home happy. James went back to his hotel to deal with blurred vision (courtesy of what appeared to be an unintentional first-half eye poke by Green), and the Cavaliers were further angered by Shaun Livingston following Golden State policy by taking a shot in the final seconds of a decided game instead of just getting charged with a shot-clock turnover.

”Tonight we played as well as we’ve played all postseason, and we gave ourselves a chance possession after possession after possession,” James said. ”There were just some plays that were kind of taken away from us. Simple as that.”

Many onlookers thought this series would be a rout, a Golden State coronation.

If the Warriors keep getting every break, they’ll certainly be right.

—

Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at treynolds(at)ap.org