Tag: quarterback

Drew Lock badly wants to play but he’s trusting Broncos’ coaching staff

“I want to play badly, but again, I’ve said it before, I trust the coaches,” Broncos quarterback Drew Lock said.

After injuring his thumb in a preseason game, Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock was sidelined for nearly three months before finally returning to practice Tuesday. Lock is still on injured reserve and his return to practice trigged a 21-day window for Denver to make a decision about his season.

The Broncos have three weeks to decide if Lock will be activated to the 53-man roster or spend the rest of the season on reserve. Lock’s not worrying about that at the moment, he’s just happy to be back on the field.

“It had been a long time [since I last practiced],” Lock said Wednesday. “It was like a dream come true coming back out here. It’s like I’m starting my journey back in the NFL all over again. It feels good to be finally back out there with the guys.

“It’s different because you’re involved with the team when you’re not practicing, but it doesn’t feel the same when you’re not actually out there doing it with them. To finally be able to be out there and be around the guys and toss the ball around a little bit, it felt really good.”

It wouldn’t be surprising to see Denver keep Lock on reserve for the next two games (on the road against the Vikings and another road game against the Bills) before activating him to be Brandon Allen‘s backup. By season’s end, Lock will probably be starting.

The QB may still be a few weeks away from even being a backup, though.

“Any guy that is a competitor is going to want to play today,” Lock said. “I want to play badly, but again, I’ve said it before, I trust the coaches. I trust their plan for me.

“If their plan is three weeks, their plan is three weeks. If their plan is two, whatever — whatever their plan is, I’ll be here and ready for them.”

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Texans’ Deshaun Watson thinks it is ‘cool’ to lead the next generation of QBs

Houston Texans third-year quarterback Deshaun Watson is leading the next generation of quarterbacks, which includes Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.

Quarterbacks aren’t what they used to be. No longer are pocket passers dominating the NFL. Corresponding with a league-wide uptick in passing efficiency is a Big Bang effect of scrambling, dual-threat quarterbacks.

Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson, along with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, and the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray and others, are ushering in the new generation of quarterbacks bound to take over the NFL, with each more of a two-way threat than the previous kings of the hill.

Watson, who is at the forefront of the MVP debate, sees that as only a positive. There are no guarantees in football, the leaders of the early 2010s are fading out, while the pioneers of the 2020s are pouring in.

“It’s good to have the generation that’s behind legendary Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks like Tom (Brady), (Drew) Brees, Aaron (Rogers), Ben (Roethlisberger), (Philip) Rivers, all of those guys. Who knows how long they’re going to continue to play and continue to be around. ”

On Sunday, Watson, 24, will face Jackson, 22, in an AFC showdown highlighting their MVP resumés. It will be the first of a potentially budding professional — previously, the two thrilled in a 42-36 Clemson over Lousiville win in 2016.

Watson — in his third year in the NFL — has the Texans at 6-3 and in the thick of the hunt for a first-round bye. He has passed for 2,432 yards, 18 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 70.2% completion rate, culminating in a 107.1 passer rating. With his legs, he has fought for 279 yards and five touchdowns.

Jackson — now a professional sophomore — has Baltimore at 7-2 and in possession of a first-round bye. With his arm, Jackson has 2,039 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions on a 65.9% completion rate, worth a 101.7 passer rating. He leads the Ravens in rushing with 702 yards and six scores.

“So, you want that next generation to continue to have this league and have the NFL very exciting and have a lot of good teams and a lot of points being scored. It’s encouraging,” concluded Watson. “It’s very cool to be a part of that.”

Like Mahomes vs. Watson in Week 6, Jackson vs. Watson isn’t just a matchup between two of the NFL’s best. It’s an ushering in of the new NFL.

Broncos QBs Brandon Allen and Drew Lock recall facing each other in college

I still tell him about it,” Broncos quarterback Brandon Allen said of beating Drew Lock in college.

Denver Broncos quarterbacks Brandon Allen and Drew Lock faced off as the starters for Arkansas and Missouri during the 2015 college football season. Allen was a senior and Lock was a freshman.

“It was freezing,” Allen said Wednesday. “I remember that. It was a sleet game at home. I think it was the only time I played him, and I think we beat him. That was good. I still tell him about it.”

Wait, he thinks he beat him?

“No, we definitely beat them,” Allen said with a smile.

The Razorbacks defeated the Tigers 28-3.

Neither QB played particularly well in the game — they both threw an interception and neither scored a touchdown — but Allen got the win and therefore has the bragging rights.

“He does,” Lock admitted. “They did beat us when I was a young 18-year-old. I think he was a fifth-year guy so what 22 maybe, 23? I was very young, but then I think we took care of business the next couple of years.”

Brandon’s younger brother, Austin, took over as Arkansas’ starter in 2016. Lock got the best of Austin in 2016 and 2017, winning 28-24 and 48-45.

“I kind of claimed [bragging rights] back from him and it was against his brother,” Lock said. “I think I got the family outright. He just might have me.”

Austin signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and failed to make their 53-man roster. He then went on to spend time with the Memphis Express and Salt Lake Stallions in the now-folded AAF.

Lock went on to be selected by Denver in the second round of April’s draft. He is below Allen on the depth chart at the moment but that might change by the end of the season.

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How much of a fit would Colin Kaepernick be for the Texans?

Free agent QB Colin Kaepernick is having a tryout open to all 32 NFL teams. How much of a fit would he be for the Houston Texans?

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is having a workout Saturday for all 32 NFL teams.

USA TODAY’s Nate Davis power ranked all 32 teams and their likelihood that they would be interested in Kaepernick. Davis has the Texans at No. 8.

Would you rather have Kaepernick and his skill set behind Deshaun Watson or roll with AJ McCarron? From an organizational standpoint, this would have been unthinkable a year ago, but the acquisition of [Kenny] Stills says a lot about the current top-down mind-set.

One advocate Kaepernick would have in the Texans locker room is All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who wore a Kaepernick jersey upon arriving to NRG Stadium for a Texans game on Dec. 2, 2018. Hopkins also said in a recent GQ interview that he was upset with the organization for not giving Kaepernick a workout when sensational rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson went down with a torn ACL on Nov. 2, 2017.

Coach Bill O’Brien wouldn’t get into whether or not the club was going to send a representative to Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta.

“I’ll tell you right now, I’m very focused on Baltimore and I would never talk about anything that’s relating to scouting or personnel, anything like that,” O’Brien told reporters Wednesday. “So, I’ll just tell you, I’m very — like I said to you the other day, if you put the Baltimore film on, we’ve got a lot to work on. We have a challenging game, so we’re very focused on Baltimore.”

Kaepernick has not played a down of football since Jan. 1, 2017, when he started for the 49ers in a Week 17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Kaepernick completed 17-of-22 passing for 215 yards and a touchdown while taking five sacks. The loss sealed Kaepernick’s record as 1-10 for 2016 and left his career record at 28-30 and a career playoff record of 4-2.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson nominated for 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson is a nominee for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

The NFL announced their nominees for the 2019 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and quarterback Deshaun Watson was the representative for the Houston Texans.

A panel of former NFL players including Warrick Dunn, Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler will select four finalists per conference, and the finalists will be on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category when players vote on Dec. 13.

A team cannot vote for its own player; therefore, if Watson were to win it, the votes would come from the other 31 NFL teams’ players.

The NFL created the award in 2014 in honor of Pittsburgh Steelers founding owner Art Rooney, who was also inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The award goes to the NFL player who, “best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition,” according to a league statement.

WR Larry Fitzgerald (2014), CB Charles Woodson (2015), RB Frank Gore (2016), LB Luke Kuechly (2017), and QB Drew Brees (2018) have been past recipients.

Other quarterbacks nominated for 2019 include Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Carson Wentz.

Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson more than game-changing QBs

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson aren’t just game-changers in the NFL.

Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott share one similarity. They are franchise quarterbacks for their respective teams.

Each is African American. They are, in 2019, pioneers of their position group, a position group that, historically, has been white.

They are the faces of multi-billion dollar organizations which don’t hope to win, but expect to win.

On Sunday, the NFL will get the joy of seeing two of the aforementioned play: Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson vs. Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson.

Watson and Jackson enter Sunday as bonafide MVP candidates. Watson with his 23 total touchdowns, 6-3 record and 107.1 passer rating; Jackson with his 21 total touchdowns, 7-2 record and 101.7 passer rating.

The two aren’t just talk of B’more and H-town, they are the talk of the nation — in doing so, breaking barriers.

Watson takes pride in that.

“It’s awesome to be a part of it and be one of those guys,” said Watson on Wednesday. “It’s something that we take pride in and continue to change that narrative and just continue to do it the right way.”

Watson can attest to a specific message: it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is, if you can play, you can play.

Watson and Jackson can play.

“It really doesn’t matter what race you are, what color you are. If you can go play football, you can play football,” Watson said. “If you’re smart, you’re smart, and if you have the right coaching you can go out there and perform, especially playing quarterback.”

Sunday’s matchup between Watson and Jackson could contain never-ending thrills. Watson shines with his escapability, decisiveness and an ability to make the improbable probable; Jackson dazzles with his electricity, ankle-breaking footwork and his pursuit of greatness.

This anticipated showdown is a reminder of one grand truth: football is for everyone.

Texans QB Deshaun Watson not concerned with MVP talk

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson’s ultimate goal is to win games, not concern himself with his placement in the MVP discussion.

Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has the fourth-highest passer rating int he NFL at 107.1 and has led his club to a 6-3 mark. With a team that saw a defensive playmaker in Jadeveon Clowney go to Seattle, and J.J. Watt lost for the season, the Texans’ star power has come from under center.

As a result, the former 2017 first-round pick from Clemson is finding himself in the middle of the discussion for most valuable player.

“It’s cool, I guess,” Watson told reporters Wednesday. “The only thing I can really control is performing on the field and then everything else is to the voters and whoever decides on that decision. I don’t get too much caught up in that.”

What has helped Watson’s case is his head-to-head performance against other MVP candidates such as the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. In two of the next three games, Watson will have a chance to add more wins against big names with Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson in Week 11 and New England’s Tom Brady in Week 13 on a Sunday night with all the world watching.

“My ultimate goal is trying to win as many games as I can to get to that ultimate goal,” said Watson. “That MVP stuff is going to take care of itself. If it’s deserving for me, then I’ll do it, but if not, then best to whoever wins that award.”

While there are various and sundry most valuable player awards out there from the Pro Football Writers of America to Sporting News, the officially recognized MVP award is the Associated Press. If Watson were to win it, he would be the first Houston NFL player since running back Earl Campbell to take home the honor. Furthermore, a win for Watson would elevate the Texans out of the collection of eight franchises that have yet to produce an MVP (Ravens, Jets, Texans, Eagles, Saints, Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Jaguars).

Broncos will send a scout to Colin Kaepernick’s workout

The Broncos will send a scout to free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta.

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The NFL announced Tuesday that the league is hosting a workout and interview session for free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Saturday. The workout and interview will take place in Atlanta.

All of the league’s 32 teams have been invited to the event and the Denver Broncos will be represented by a scout, general manager John Elway told KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis on Wednesday. Klis’ report was confirmed by The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala.

The news is a little surprising given Elway’s tone on Kaepernick when he was asked about the QB last year.

“I said this a while ago: Colin had his chance to be here,” Elway said during a training camp press conference in August 2018. “We offered him a contract [and] he didn’t take it.”

Elway was referencing the 2016 offseason when Denver tried to trade for Kaepernick when he was still a member of the San Francisco 49ers. As part of the deal, the Broncos wanted the QB to take a significant pay cut. Kaepernick opted not to take a reduced salary.

“He had his chance to be here,” Elway said last August. “He passed [on] it.”

After missing out on Kaepernick, Denver selected Paxton Lynch in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. Lynch, Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flaco and Brandon Allen have all started games for the Broncos since then and Drew Lock might be added to the list later this year.

Kaepernick tried to prove that NFL owners colluded not to sign him in part because of his national anthem protests during the 2016 season and Elway was among league executives who were deposed in the lawsuit. The NFL reached a settlement with Kaepernick earlier this year.

Denver has been unable to find a good QB in the post-Peyton Manning era so taking a look at Kaepernick makes sense. The 32-year-old QB threw 16 touchdown passes and four interceptions in 12 games in 2016, the last year he played in the NFL. He has remained a free agent since 2017.

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Broncos QB Drew Lock posts funny tweet after returning to practice

After returning to practice Tuesday, Broncos quarterback Drew Lock joked that he had almost forgotten how to put on a helmet.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock injured his thumb in a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 19 and was placed on injured reserve. He hadn’t practiced for nearly three months before finally returning to the field on Tuesday.

After completing his first practice of the regular season, Lock jokingly tweeted that he had almost forgotten how to put on his helmet.

Broncos fans seemed to appreciate Lock’s sense of humor and voiced their support for the QB to get playing time as soon as possible.

Lock is still on injured reserve so he is not yet eligible to play. Denver has three weeks to decide if he will be activated to the 53-man roster or spend the rest of the season on reserve.

When starting quarterback Joe Flacco went down with a neck injury two weeks ago, Brandon Allen was named the new starter. Allen will start again against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday and Allen will likely start against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13.

Lock might have to wait until December to get a chance to start.

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Broncos QB Drew Lock not guaranteed to return from IR

“[He’s] one of the two that we can bring off IR,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said. “That doesn’t [necessarily] mean that he’ll be activated.”

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) is still on injured reserve but the rookie quarterback returned to practice Tuesday, a positive sign in his recovery. During his media availability Monday, coach Vic Fangio was asked about how many reps Lock will get this week.

“We’ll try to get him as many as we can,” Fangio said. “Some of that will be scout team, too. You’ve got to remember this guy hasn’t taken a snap or been in the huddle since the middle of August.”

Lock injured his thumb during a preseason game on Aug. 19 and hasn’t practiced since then. When he returned to practice Tuesday, Lock triggered a 21-day window for the Broncos to make a decision about his season. Denver has three weeks to decide if the QB will return to the active roster or spend the rest of the season on reserve.

Fangio was asked Monday if there’s a mapped-out plan for Lock’s transition from injured reserve to the 53-man roster and the coach was non-committal about Lock’s potential return.

“No, it’s not mapped because it’s going to be determined by how he looks and what we think,” Fangio said.

The coach was then asked directly if Lock will be activated this year.

“[He’s] one of the two that we can bring off IR,” Fangio said. “That doesn’t [necessarily] mean that he’ll be activated.”

NFL teams are allowed to bring back two players from IR per season. Wide receiver Tim Patrick is expected to be brought back this week — Lock might be the second player brought back.

Asked what will need to happen for Lock to be activated, Fangio said he needs to see “good quarterback play” and for the rookie QB to show that he belongs. So it’s up to Lock to perform well in practice.

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