Tag: drew lock

Broncos will make a decision on Drew Lock this week

The Broncos are expected to make a decision on rookie quarterback Drew Lock this week.

Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio indicated during his Monday press conference that the team will make a decision on rookie quarterback Drew Lock this week. Fangio did not say what that decision will be.

“As far as this week goes, all options are on the table,” Fangio said. “We’re going to make that decision here in the next few days.”

Fangio went on to say he is “not sure” when the team will name a starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Brandon Allen has played the last three games as a fill-in starter for the injured Joe Flacco. Undrafted rookie Brett Rypien has been serving as the team’s No. 2 quarterback. Allen is 1-2 as a starter.

Lock (6-4, 228 pounds) was selected by Denver in the second round of April’s draft after four seasons playing for Missouri. He completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 254 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception in preseason before injuring his thumb.

The Broncos placed Lock on injured reserve in late August and he did not practice for nearly three months. Lock returned to practice two weeks ago, triggering a three-week window for Denver to make a decision about his season.

Once a player on IR begins practicing, teams have 21 days to decide if that player will be activated to the 53-man roster or spend the rest of the year on reserve. The Broncos might activate Lock this week.

During his final two years with the Tigers, Lock threw for 7,462 yards with 72 touchdown passes against 21 interceptions. He is 23 years old.

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Report: Broncos ‘really pleased’ with progress Drew Lock has shown

The Broncos have been pleased with Drew Lock at practice, according to NFL Network.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) is still on injured reserve but that might change soon. The team’s second-round draft choice has been practicing the last two weeks and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him activated to the 53-man roster this week.

Brandon Allen has been serving as a fill-in starter for the injured Joe Flacco (neck), leading Denver to a 1-2 record over the last three games. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported this weekend that the team’s staff has been impressed with the progress Lock has shown in practice.

“They’re really pleased with his progress behind the scenes,” Garafolo said during an appearance on Good Morning Football. “He’s gotten the ability to see how a quarterback prepares — Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen. Allen [has done] a good job of preparing during the week.

“So they’re happy with that part of his development. One of the things that they also like, he talks to everybody. He talks to the veterans, he talks to the defensive guys — so they feel like they have themselves a budding leader there . . . . so you could see Drew Lock down the stretch here.”

Denver will host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 before going on the road to face the Houston Texans in Week 14 and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lock start the Broncos’ final two games of the year, at home against the Detriot Lions (Week 16) and Oakland Raiders (Week 17).

Lock has not played since injuring his thumb in August.

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Broncos should start playing Drew Lock now

Following an absolutely dismal performance from Brandon Allen, it’s time for the Denver Broncos to put Drew Lock on the field.

To the Denver Broncos’ front office, coaching staff and anyone else who wants to listen: we have seen quite enough.

We have seen enough of these veteran retreads at the quarterback position and we have seen enough of Brandon Allen, though he gave quite an effort in the games he has started.

However, against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, as Allen was completing just 10 of 25 passes for 82 yards during another rough loss, fans had to be watching the game and asking themselves, “how much longer is the team going to try and win games this way?”

Aside from a great four years from Peyton Manning, the Broncos haven’t had good quarterback play for what seems like forever. The team has been trying to win with Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum. Flacco and Allen.

None of it has even come close to working and now unless the Broncos win each of their final five games they will have a losing season for the third year in a row.

How did this happen?

This happened because the team has failed to develop a quarterback and has hoped that another team’s castoff will pan out in Denver.

The team did draft Drew Lock in the second round back in April but has decided not to activate him off of injured reserve, going with Allen instead.

As soon as possible, Lock needs to come off injured reserve. It will serve him and the team in no way to keep him off the field this season. The Broncos need to know what they have in Lock, his strengths and weaknesses and whether or not he is worth pursuing even past this year.

Why rush? Many people may be asking themselves that. The simple answer is because unless a team finds competent quarterback play, it is not going to win. And until the Broncos get a player they can grow from the ground up in their system, these losing ways are likely to continue.

“This team is close” and “this team is much better than its record.” These are things that fans and even the analysts on TV have said all season. But even if those things are true, it is in spite of the play at quarterback, just as it was with all of those names mentioned above.

Here’s what head coach Vic Fangio had to say about the idea of Lock playing:

It seems like Fangio hasn’t thought of a lot of things. But here’s what I have thought of.

A quarterback who only throws for 82 yards and completes about 40 percent of his throws while making costly turnovers is one that is going to cost you basically every single game. Is Lock not at least that good? There is absolutely no excuse not to have him on the field against the Los Angeles Chargers next week. None.

This is not to say that Lock is the answer. But it is to say that Flacco and Allen definitely are not. In other words, the “quarterback of the future” may not be on the roster.

Unless he is.

The only guy the Broncos currently have who could possibly be that future guy is Lock. So there should be no more waiting. This season, in terms of being a playoff team, is over. It is time to look toward the future and make some real, tough assessments to see where change is needed.

Because change is needed, in multiple areas. But just as it starts at starting pitcher in the major leagues or point guard on a basketball team, it starts at quarterback in the NFL.

That is not likely to ever change.

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Broncos lose to Bills 20-3, fall to 3-8

The Bills defeated the Broncos at home in Week 12 of the NFL season.

The Denver Broncos were defeated by the Buffalo Bills 20-3 on the road in Week 12, dropping to 3-8 on the year. Buffalo improved to 8-3.

The Broncos’ defense had a respectable performance — holding the Bills to two field goals and two touchdowns — but Denver’s offense was unable to get anything going. Quarterback Brandon Allen threw no touchdown passes and one interception, finishing the game with a 32.4 passer rating.

With the Broncos’ offense struggling to score points, many fans in Denver will probably begin calling for second-year quarterback Drew Lock. The rookie has recovered from a thumb injury and is eligible to play again but he is yet to be activated from injured reserve.

Up next for the Broncos is a home game against the Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) in Week 13. Denver defeated L.A. 20-13 last month.

Broncos linebacker Josey Jewell left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and cornerback Duke Dawson left the contest with a concussion. Denver will release an updated injury report on Wednesday.

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Are the Broncos going to play QB Drew Lock at all in 2019?

Are the Broncos ever going to play rookie quarterback Drew Lock this season?

Two weeks ago, KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis reported that rookie quarterback Drew Lock is expected to start the Broncos’ final two games of the season. Denver will likely have a high selection in next year’s draft so taking a look at Lock this year would make sense.

Broncos general manager John Elway will want to know if he needs to draft another QB in 2020, which makes it important for Lock to see the field this season. Or is it important? Denver coach Vic Fangio doesn’t seem to have any sense or urgency.

“I don’t think it’s vitally important,” Fangio said Wednesday.

The coach then went on to talk about a former Saints quarterback who had a remarkable three-game run in the 1980s before going on to have a forgettable career. Fangio’s point was that the team’s front office can’t determine what the future holds for Lock based on just a handful of games.

“I think with a young guy in limited reps it can [look] good,” Fangio said. “You can get a false positive. You can get a false negative. You need a whole body of work to — and that body of work includes offseason and training camp buildup. I’m not putting any limits on him if he does get in there, but I would be reluctant to make final conclusions.”

Sitting and learning for a few more weeks might be good for Lock. Sitting for three years seemed to work out for current starter Brandon Allen.

“The amount of football I learned in the four years I was out and being able to sit back and watch how guys prepare and how a lot of defenses do certain things versus different quarterbacks — I think it definitely helped to be able to learn more before just getting thrown in there early on,” Allen said.

Will the rookie sit out the entire 2019 season? That’s still to be determined.

Lock has recovered from his thumb injury but he is not expected to be activated to the 53-man roster this week. Perhaps next week.

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Broncos GM John Elway will scout Penn State-Ohio State game

Broncos general manager John Elway will scout Saturday’s game between Penn State and Ohio State.

Before traveling to New York for the Broncos’ game against the Bills on Sunday, general manager John Elway will make a stop in Ohio to watch Penn State take on Ohio State in a college football showdown with possible Playoff implications.

Elway confirmed during his interview with the team’s official website this week that he will be scouting the game.

Elway attended Missouri vs. Arkansas last year, a game that featured four touchdowns from quarterback Drew Lock. Five months after that game, Elway selected Lock in the second round of the NFL draft.

Notable Buckeyes playing in Saturday’s game include defensive end Chase Young, running back J.K. Dobbins, linebacker Malik Harrison, safety Jordan Fuller and wide receiver K.J. Hill. Young is a candidate to be one of the top players selected in next year’s draft.

The list of Nittany Lions who may interest the Broncos includes offensive lineman Steven Gonzalez and wide receiver/returner KJ Hamler.

The PSU-Ohio State game will air on Fox at 10:00 a.m. MT on Nov. 23. Next year’s draft will take place from April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

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8 things to know about the Bills’ Week 12 opponent, the Broncos

Eight things to know about the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills’ Week 12 opponent.

The Bills (7-3) host the Denver Broncos in their Week 12 matchup at New Era Field.

Here are eight things to know about their upcoming opponent:

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

A true No. 1

The Bills found themselves a true top-wideout in John Brown. Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton is neck-and-neck with Brown this year. Brown has 56 catches for 817 yards, that’s good for the ninth-most yards of any receiver in the NFL and most for any in the AFC. Sutton is right behind him, but has less catches so he’s a big more of a deep-threat guy. Sutton has 39 grabs for 805 yards. Both players have four touchdowns this year.

But in Sutton, he leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. While you consider Brown better perhaps because of your fandom for the Bills, consider this: If you also think Josh Allen is a good quarterback, you can admit Sutton’s thriving with much worse QB play this season with Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen. The bad taste comes from his draft status. He was the Broncos No. 40 pick in the second-round of 2018. Perhaps the Bills could’ve waited a year and not taken Zay Jones at No. 37 in 2017?

Pro Football Focus also ranks him as the seventh-best wideout in the NFL current (86.4).

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Broncos unlikely to activate QB Drew Lock this week

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock is not expected to be activated from injured reserve to the 53-man roster this week.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) has returned to practice and he is eligible to play but the team is in no rush to activate him from injured reserve to the 53-man roster.

Denver created an opening on the roster Tuesday when fullback Andy Janovich (elbow) was placed on injured reserve. Instead of filling Janovich’s roster spot by activating Lock, the Broncos instead signed tight end/fullback Orson Charles.

That wasn’t a surprising decision because with Andrew Beck playing fullback, Noah Fant and Troy Fumagalli were the only healthy tight ends on the roster before the team adding Charles. Even so, it appears that Denver might wait another week to bring back Lock.

“We’ll continue what we did last week, get him reps both on the scout team and get him some reps with the offense and see how he’s progressing,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said of Lock on Monday.

Fangio was then asked if Lock will serve as the backup QB for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. That’s “unlikely, but possible,” the coach said. Undrafted rookie Brett Rypien has served as Brandon Allen‘s backup for the last two games.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Denver activate Lock next week. The second-round draft choice will probably be starting by season’s end.

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Von Miller on Broncos QB Drew Lock: ‘He’s going to kill it’

“You saw it with Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers and all these guys and then they just blow up,” Von Miller said of rookie QB Drew Lock.

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) returned to practice this week but he’s still on injured reserve. Denver has two more weeks to decide if the QB will be activated to the 53-man roster or spend the rest of the year on reserve.

The Broncos might drag out the decision but the rookie QB is expected to be activated before the deadline (he’ll probably start Denver’s final games of the season, too). When the second-round draft choice does get his chance to play, outside linebacker Von Miller believes Lock will shine.

“I just want to be here when he gets famous,” Miller said Thursday. “He’s going to kill it. He’s going to kill it. He’s got everything you need. The other day he ran out and did like a little bootleg and he kind of threw it. It was an incomplete pass, but I’ve seen a lot of good ones play and that was probably the best incomplete pass that I’ve seen thrown. He has a little flip-up. He’s just a star in the making.”

Miller then went on to compare Lock to a pair of notable QBs.

“You saw it with Tony Romo and Aaron Rodgers and all these guys and then they just blow up,” Miller said. “I see the same stuff for Drew. All he has to do is just keep doing what he’s doing and good karma and the type of guy he is it’s all going to come back to him.”

Lock completed 60.8 percent of his passes in preseason for 254 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. He also rushed six times for 28 yards before suffering a thumb injury in late August.

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An incomplete pass has Von Miller convinced that Drew Lock is a ‘star in the making’

Sounds about right.

It’s been a rough few years with Denver quarterbacks ever since Peyton Manning retired in 2016. In those three years, the Broncos have trotted out the likes of Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen while unsurprisingly yielding dreadful results from that position.

So, we’ll have to give Von Miller a pass here for getting super excited about rookie quarterback Drew Lock.

The second-round pick from Missouri made his return to practice off injured reserve this week, and he wowed his Broncos teammate. Lock didn’t even need to complete a pass to have Miller comparing the rookie to Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo.

Miller said:

“I just want to be here when he gets famous. He’s gonna kill it. He’s gonna kill it. He’s got everything you need. The other day, he ran out and did a little bootleg, and he threw it — it was an incomplete pass. But I’ve seen a lot of good ones play, and that was probably the best incomplete pass that I’ve seen thrown. He has a little flip up. He’s just a star in the making.”

Considering the number of incomplete passes Broncos quarterbacks have accumulated over the past three years, that’s pretty high praise from Miller. Who knows? Maybe he’ll complete a few passes eventually.

Though Lock made his return to practice on Monday, the Broncos haven’t announced any plans for Lock’s potential debut at quarterback. Flacco was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending herniated disk in his neck.

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