Drew Lock has the potential to follow the Josh Allen trajectory at QB
Oct 7, 2020, 6:43 AM
If you’re a Broncos fan, it would be easy to forget, or at the least overlook, Drew Lock right now. The signing of Blake Bortles, the tantalizing talk of “Tanking for Trevor” and the curiosity over Brett Rypien’s first start certainly kept you distracted.
But, now it’s time to get you re-focused.
Do not forget about Lock. Do not minimize Lock. His return to health and subsequent performance remains the key to this Broncos season. Yes, I know there is still talk of getting back to .500 with a potential Cam-less Patriots and Dolphins matchups looming. However, any talk of what this season could amount to needs to be pushed to the back burner.
I get the fascination with Rypien. It’s a great story. Unfortunately, we here in Broncos Country have been blindsided by too many possible Cinderella QB stories.
From Trevor Siemian to Kyle Sloter to Chad Kelly to Brandon Allen to Rypien, Denver football fans have bought into the idea that maybe, just maybe, this former late-round or undrafted QB is going to be that magical hidden gem. We’ve become the patron saints of miracle QBs. That’s what happens when you go through nine starting quarterbacks in just five years; you lower your standards and get caught up in what could be rather than what likely is.
Brett Rypien is not the Broncos answer at QB. He would make a fine backup and future offensive coordinator.
Lock is the potential savior. His development this season remains the priority. Funny thing is, I believe Rypien right now is a better pocket QB than Lock.
Drew has a lot to learn about that 70-30 ratio of playing quarterback. Thirty percent of the time, you need to be able to make something out of nothing. Make a play with your feet. Throw on the run. That sort of thing. Seventy percent of the time, a QB needs to operate in the pocket. Move around in the pocket. Make the right reads. Exhibit good throwing mechanics. Dissect matchups and deliver big boy throws.
Lock has the 30 down. The remaining 70 is a ways away.
The good news is if he can master that remaining 70 percent, look out! The Broncos will have a stud. But Lock needs to get healthy and just play.
It’s funny how many revisionist history majors are coming out of the woodwork claiming the Broncos made a mistake not drafting Buffalo’s Josh Allen. First of all, I was on the air during that pre-draft buildup. No one was really banging the drum for Allen. It was much more Sam Darnold or even, GASP!, Josh Rosen.
So let’s dispel that myth. But for the Allen fans out there, fine. Let’s look at his career progression. Keep in mind, Lock has played in six full games. I won’t count the Steelers game he got hurt in because that happened early.
In Allen’s first six games, he was completing 52 percent of his passes and threw just two touchdown passes to five interceptions. He had games with stat lines that included 6-of-15 for 74 yards, 10-of-19 for 82 yards and 10-of-17 for 84 yards. Those last two stat lines were his fifth and sixth starts, the same number as Lock.
Allen is playing very well right now. He deservedly is on the short list of MVP candidates through the first quarter of this season. Allen is in his third season. He has started 32 games. Something tells me when Lock has started 32 games, we’ll be watching a very good quarterback.
That’s why Lock needs to come back soon. That’s why Broncos Country should be thinking of nothing else.
