Drew Lock knows a perfect game is still out there

The Denver Broncos had quite a start to the 2021 season with a 33-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. After scoring a safety in the first quarter, Denver just kept racking up the lead over Minnesota until the end, play after play.

It would be premature to get excited about what this means for the regular season, considering Minnesota was not employing their first-string players tonight. Many of the Broncos’ starters sat out as well, including Von Miller and Courtland Sutton, but it was a prime showcase for the healthy competition between co-starters Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater.

Lock, who started tonight’s game, spared no effort on the field and it showed. Five of his seven pass attempts were completed, one of which happened to be an eighty-yard touchdown to WR KJ Hamler.

In the end he had two touchdowns and 151 yards.

Teddy Bridgewater’s performance was nothing to scoff at either, considering he completed seven of eight attempted passes for 74 yards, and one touchdown.

Coach Vic Fangio referred to the quarterbacks’ performances as “even steven,” meaning tonight’s game didn’t make it any easier to decide which quarterback should start in the regular season.

Lock, for his part, is focused on their victory and accomplishing another one like this next week. After the game he met with the press and talked about the game.

#3 was inevitably asked about the 80-yard touchdown to KJ Hamler. “I told KJ in the huddle, ‘just do what you do best and run really fast and I’ll put it out there for you to go get it,’” he said, “And it played out just like we thought it would.”

Lock noted that it’s nice playing out on the field where points count, instead of having quick whistles blowing constantly.

In training camp on Thursday, Lock had attempted a similar throw to Hamler but overthrew the pass. Asked about this and whether the plays were similar with different outcomes, he explained that they were two different plays and not the same with one failed and one successful.

“It was actually two different plays, believe it or not. We were kind of looking for the same defense on both of those plays, and we were kind of attacking the same area, but they were actually two separate ones.”

With the uncertainty of which quarterback is going to be starting in the regular season, it’s understandable to wonder whether Lock felt happier or just relieved that he showed up well in competition tonight.

“I would say happier, absolutely happier,” he insisted, “It feels good to be able to put some points up on the board when you’re in there; be able to come in the locker room, high five it up, celebrate a little, especially after the way everybody played.

And going forward, Lock thinks tonight instilled confidence in the entire offense. “I think we did a good job of being able to have some guys walk out with their chest pulled back and feeling good going into this next game or practice whatever it may be.”

“That was the really fun part about playing quarterback today,” he continued, “You got to see a lot of guys smile and have fun and feeling good about playing ball again.

He admitted that he could’ve done more, to make tonight his game. “I incompleted two balls but that’ll always go back, watch those because you’re not always going to be perfect,” he explained, “Perfect game’s still out there.”

Lock said that quarterback coach Mike Shula reminds them that perfect quarterback tests and perfect games are still out there. “We want to try and be perfect and learn from it when we’re not,” he said.