When should Broncos put Drew Lock on the field?

The big question after Joe Flacco was placed on injured reserve was “when will we see Drew Lock?”

Lock, who was eligible to come off injured reserve after hurting his thumb in preseason, was not activated while backup Brandon Allen took the helm and another rookie QB, Brett Rypien, became the backup in favor of Lock.

Allen’s NFL debut helped produce a Broncos win over a sub-par Browns team - but it was nevertheless a win. And it was a pretty fun one too. Allen’s stats were nothing flashy, but they also weren’t a disaster. And compared to his predecessor the previous eight weeks, they were darnright refreshing - 12 of 20 for 193 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

With some real creativity from Rich Scangarello, Allen was easily the most exciting Denver quarterback to watch in at least two years.

So now with the Broncos sitting at 3-6 but showing some life, the question becomes in earnest - When do/should we see Drew Lock?

In a Twitter debate I had with Andrew Mason regarding tanking (don’t bother looking it up, I won, I’m sure), the issue of when to see Drew Lock came up.

Prior to the season opener (and Lock’s injury), I had been adamant that Flacco should be the unequivocal starter all season, that Lock should sit and learn and only be called in if an injury to the starters forced the issue.

Injuries have now forced the issue, but the Broncos have a bit of a dilemma - Allen looked pretty good in his first start, so what if the Broncos can go on a winning streak? Can they make a run with Allen? When is the right time to test out the rookie second-rounder?

So for the record - in case it’s not clear - I always want to see wins and believe you always coach/play to win.

But like so many in Broncos Country, I want to get off the wheel of mediocrity - the wheel of winning just enough to keep a tiny spark of hope alive but not enough to be even considered a contender. So I do want the Broncos to figure out the QB situation - and be able to decide before the 2020 draft if they should make a real push to trade up for one of the top QBs.

The problem is - last week was interesting and it will be fun to see if Allen and Scangarello can be “interesting” enough to pull out a couple of unlikely wins.

For me, if the Broncos go 2-0 against the Vikings and Bills on the road - two very tough assignments - then it’s “Ride with Allen” until that’s no longer productive.

But if the Broncos go 0-2 or 1-1 the next two weeks, or even just win in spite of Allen’s play, then I would definitely consider Lock for the Chargers’ game at home Dec. 1 - which is the first time Lock would have been back at practice long enough to go into a game.

And then it’s ride or die with Lock through the end of the season.

So what do you think, Broncos Country?

Bonus listen: the guys on Broncos Country Tonight took the case of when Drew Lock should start “to court” as they debated the topic on their show last night. Check it out below!

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