Lindsay back in the mix, Lock will return soon and Patrick is a breakout star
Oct 9, 2020, 6:22 AM
The Broncos news cycle is constantly in motion during the regular season. Once the team showed up to training camp, the news has been hot and heavy. It’s an interesting year to say the least, as every sport in the United States has dealt with COVID-19 in different ways.
The NFL was free and clear of postponing games until last week when an outbreak hit the Titans. That carried over to the Broncos upcoming opponent, the Patriots, and now the Broncos game has been moved from Sunday to Monday afternoon.
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio says the team has been preparing for such an instance and he feels good about what his team is doing to stay COVID free.
“I think they all have confidence in each other. We’ve done a good job up to this point, but the key thing is that the message is ‘We can’t get complacent.’ We have to be on our guard at all times when we’re not in this building and around this team. When we’re out in public or at home, we have to assume that the people around us have COVID and act accordingly, which basically means do your social distancing and wear your mask,” Fangio said.
I was out at practice for a couple of days this week. Here are my observations from UC Health Training Center.
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Lindsay Looks Good
I was pleased to see Broncos co-starting running back Phillip Lindsay competing in practice on Tuesday. He was showing good burst with the ball in his hands, and Lindsay was catching the ball cleanly. Lindsay should be back in action this week after dealing with a turf toe injury.
The Broncos have been using Melvin Gordon as their top back exclusively for the last couple of weeks and he is coming off his first 100-yard game with the Broncos from last week against the Jets. Now, Gordon will likely go back to splitting time – almost evenly – with Lindsay.
Good to see Phillip Lindsay out here moving well. Catching cleanly. Can't wait to see his burst and energy back on the field for the #Broncos @1043TheFan
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) October 6, 2020
Lindsay is the team’s best big-play back. He can make a house call anytime he touches the ball. His snaps and touches might not quite be what Gordon gets against the Patriots. However, it would not surprise me if Lindsay outperformed Gordon in terms of yards and touchdowns.
Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur doesn’t mind using two backs in his offense.
“I like it because I think this game is about players. When you put two good players on the field, whether they’re two running backs or two tight ends or wide receivers, I think defenses have to try and defend it. We made some plays and some of the plays we executed with both of them on the field were productive. It’s just a small sample size. There’s a place for it, in my opinion, but there’s also a place for them sharing the load as just the tailback,” Shurmur said.
The split between Gordon and Lindsay is going to be something to monitor on Monday afternoon.
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Patrick Breakout Not a Surprise
The Broncos picked up a talented wide receiver when they added Tim Patrick in 2017. The Ravens first signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Utah, but he did not make it to training camp with the team. Instead, the 49ers had him in training camp that year and they were planning on sneaking him through to their practice squad. The Broncos did not let that happen, signing Patrick away from the 49ers and he’s spent the last few years developing as a reserve player.
Patrick was always a player with upside. In college at Utah, he faced some top-tier corners in the Pac-12 and some of his best games came againt that competition. Health and durability have been problems for Patrick during his college and pro careers. When at full strength, Patrick can make big plays consistently – as we saw in Week 4 against the Jets.
Tim Patrick's breakout not a surprise. Kid has always had talent just needed to stay healthy and get an opportunity. Looking sharp at practice today. We'll see if Belichick chooses to take him away or Jeudy. #Broncos @1043TheFan
— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) October 6, 2020
Patrick is a favorite target of quarterback Brett Rypien. His teammates, like safety Justin Simmons, also love what Patrick can do on the field.
“We were nothing but happy for him. It’s to be expected. Tim is very particular in the way he approaches his work. It was no shocker — at least for us — to see the type of game that he had against New York. I was happy for him. I know we all were happy for him. With injuries, your leaders have to find ways to bring the younger guys along and get the team going with any spark you can do. I’m happy for Tim. Obviously, continued success for him because we’ll need it,” Simmons said.
Simmons is correct. The team saw the breakout from Patrick last week – and that type of performance will have to continue going forward.
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Balance is Key
On Tuesday, Drew Lock was not participating in practice. On Wednesday and Thursday, Lock was a limited participant as he works his way back from the shoulder injury he suffered against the Steelers in Week 2.
Rypien has been working as the starter for more than a week, but he will not be the starter if and when Lock is ready to play. That is getting closer by the day.
In the meantime, the Broncos have been splitting reps between the two.
In non-COVID news, Drew Lock has been progressing well in his shoulder rehab. He has been throwing a football the past two days. Lock doing all he can to get back on field for beat-up Broncos. #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) October 7, 2020
Fangio has been doing his best to work with both quarterbacks.
“You just have to balance it the best way you see fit. Obviously, we’ll monitor Drew as he goes through practice and if he’s looking better and better, we’ll get him some more reps. If he’s looking about the same, then we’ll let Brett get more reps. You’ve just got to handle it by feel and what you’re seeing out there on the practice field leading up to those team periods,” Fangio said.
Even though the game was moved back one day, Rypien should still be the starter against the Patriots. We’ll see if Lock’s performance in practice this week changes that.
