Just about everyone has been putting in their two cents about Drew Lock and the Broncos offense. As they prepare to take on the hated Raiders, it is natural to be frustrated with the way the Broncos have performed this season.
On the MHR Radio Podcast, Ian St. Clair and I talked about what we have seen from Lock and company so far. It’s been a mixed bag, and honestly, probably what can be expected from a young QB with inconsistent experience.
Let me be clear, Lock has not been good enough. He has shown that he has a lot of work to do. Footwork is an issue. He appears to be a one read QB. He has had accuracy issues all season. It’s been frustrating, but mostly because of the promise of the last five games in 2019.
The shift from Rich Scangarello to Pat Shurmur has not been smooth. Add in the patchwork of the offensive line, and the injuries to some of Lock’s best weapons, and it seems to me that what this offense has been all season is about what it should be.
We saw injuries wreak havoc on the offense again in Atlanta. Albert Okwuegbunam was lost for the season with an ACL tear. Demar Dotson left the game, too, exacerbating the issues on the offensive line.
Lloyd Cushenberry looked lost for much of the Atlanta game, and his adjustment to the NFL has been less than smooth. In truth, the best offensive lineman in Denver is Garett Bolles. He seems to have things figured out. While Denver didn’t reward him by picking up his 5th year option, I think Bolles can be a cautionary tale regarding Lock.
We spent most of Bolles’ career actively campaigning for the Broncos to move on. His struggles were killing drives. He was awful. He sometimes didn’t even look like he knew what football was. Now, he might be the best left tackle in the NFL. I like my crow fried.
That has put me firmly in the patience camp in regards to Lock. The world is far from perfect, and every player is having to deal with whatever 2020 throws at them. Lock is struggling. No question about it. But the notion that the Broncos need to move on is premature.
Lock comes alive in the 4th quarter. He has skills that can be built on. He has the right attitude, and work ethic. He has the locker room behind him. He has that awful “p” word that follows around so many young players, potential.
As I have been saying, he seems to be on the Josh Allen trajectory. If that’s the case, it’s going to be a long couple seasons for Broncos Country.
It’s been rough watching this team for the last 5 seasons. Lock and the offense were supposed to lift us out of this offensive purgatory. With the lack of practice to start the season, and the plethora of injuries, we might have to be content with waiting one more season.
Hopefully, they can put enough of a game together to steal a win in Las Vegas. That would keep playoff hopes alive. More importantly, it would help relieve some of our anxiety here in Broncos Country about the direction of the franchise.