Midway through the 2020 season, it doesn’t appear the Atlanta Falcons (2-6) or the Denver Broncos (3-4) will be heading to the playoffs. Both teams are coming off of wins in Week 8, and will face off in what should be a competitive matchup on Sunday.
To help us learn a little bit about the Falcons’ upcoming opponent, we’ve gone behind enemy lines with Jon Heath, the managing editor of Broncos Wire.
Drew Lock played well during last week’s comeback win over the Chargers. Overall, how has Lock looked this season, and do you think he can develop into a franchise QB for Denver?
Broncos Wire: To be honest, he didn’t play really well until the fourth quarter of last week’s game. He had a great quarter against the Texans last year, too, but besides that, he’s really yet to have a good full game in the NFL. He’s been up and down this season, which is to be expected from a young quarterback. He also missed some time with an injury. I’m not ready to rule out the possibility of him turning into a franchise QB for the Broncos, but Lock needs to show some consistency before I completely buy in.
Playing in one of the tougher divisions in football, how has the team lived up to preseason expectations thus far?
BW: Well, that probably depends in part on whom you ask. If you ask a realistic fan, being 3-4 with a chance to be .500 midway through the season probably sounds about right for a young team missing a lot of key pieces. If you ask a hopelessly optimistic fan, the team hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. I think it’s somewhere in the middle — they could have a better record right now, but going about 8-8 would sound about right, and they could be on track for that.
It seems like John Elway’s plan over the past two offseasons was to provide Drew Lock with play-makers. Which of the team’s young offensive players have stood out?
BW: So far, WR Jerry Jeudy hasn’t really had a breakout game (maybe that will change against Atlanta’s secondary). He’s explosive but hasn’t really stood out. Same for fellow WR KJ Hamler. TE Noah Fant has emerged as one of the team’s best pass-catchers and TE Albert Okwuegbunam is a bit of a sleeper to keep an eye on as well. RB Phillip Lindsay was in town well before Lock, but he’s a young stud as well.
What is one area where you feel the Broncos could be vulnerable against the Falcons on Sunday?
BW: If CB A.J. Bouye doesn’t clear concussion protocol before Sunday, Denver will be without it’s top cornerback. If DE Shelby Harris isn’t activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Broncos will be without all three of their regular starting defensive linemen. So Matt Ryan might be able to pick on Bouye’s replacement a bit and Atlanta’s running backs might find it easier to run than usual against a makeshift defensive line.
Prediction/Final Score?
BW: I might sound like a homer for this, but I have Denver winning. The Broncos’ offense finally kicked into gear last week and they’ll aim to keep the momentum going against a suspect Falcons secondary in Week 8. Lock and Co. could have a big day in a 28-20 win.
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