Mile High Monday: Defending Lock, praise from CHJ and more
Aug 5, 2019, 7:26 AM
The Broncos kicked off the preseason the right way with a 14-10 victory over the Falcons in the 2019 Hall of Fame Game on Thursday.
I like the way the team performed in their preseason opener. It wasn’t a completely smooth game, but I’ve seen preseason openers that were much worse.
I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep TJ. The following is a result of those trips during the week.
Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.
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Not Apologizing for Lock
It’s time to panic according to some in Broncos Country. There are seemingly a million “hot takes” out there now about Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock, and they are mostly wrong. In the first preseason game, Lock turned in a “ho-hum” performance with 7-of-11 passing for 34 yards and no touchdowns. This had led many out there in the social media universe to declare that Lock is some sort of bust.
It’s a ridiculous take to have after one exhibition game. Nobody should be expecting him to be close to a finished product, especially with the inconsistency that he’s shown (and I’ve chronicled on our website here for the Fan) at training camp.
The truth is that Lock was not impressive in his debut, but there were some positive aspects to take away that he needs to build on for the next time he steps onto the field for the Broncos.
First, Lock made full-field reads most of the time. When he distributed the football, it was to the correct spot on the field. Even on the passes that he overthrew, like the one that would’ve been a big play or a long touchdown to Khalfani Muhammad on the right sideline, Lock made a good decision on where to go with the ball.
Second, Lock had two of his four incompletions get dropped by would-be receivers. Those passes would have padded his stats and perhaps would’ve softened some of the opinions that are floating around about the young passer.
Finally, Lock had better footwork on some of his simple throws. Lock is the type of quarterback who will throw off his back foot regularly because he has the arm strength to zip it 70 yards on a line. That’s a great skill to have, but lazy mechanics can impact a quarterback greatly when targeting receivers on simple routes close to the line of scrimmage. I’ve come to the conclusion that Lock will always throw off his back foot at times on deep passes when he shouldn’t or doesn’t need to. What we need to see more of is what he did on Thursday night and have better footwork on short-to-intermediate throws.
I am not apologizing for Lock, but some may see it as that. I am merely telling the truth about the rookie quarterback – he’s not ready and still has plenty to work on. No, Brett Rypien is not better than Lock (another ridiculous take) and Lock is not a bust after one game. He’s a rookie quarterback getting used to a system he’s never ran, and there will be struggles associated with that.
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Jonesing for Jones
During training camp, we don’t get to see live tackling and the quarterback cannot be hit, so there are some players we just have to wait on to see how their game translates to the pro level. Rookie defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones is one of those players who is going to see his best action in games.
We certainly saw that on Thursday night against the Falcons.
Jones was one of the most disruptive players in the game, finishing with three quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and three tackles. It was clear to see how his strength and quickness off the line of scrimmage can make an impact at the pro level.
We couldn’t see Jones be his best in practice, but the best came out for Jones in the game. What’s most exciting is that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Jones has much more to give and should be working his way up the depth chart as we get through the preseason and closer to the regular season.
I, for one, am jonesing to see more Jones.
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Swat Team Never Sleeps
I believe one of the biggest differences Broncos fans will notice about this defense in 2019 is the likely increase in turnovers. Getting the ball from the offense is a hallmark of the Fangio system no matter where he’s been in the pros. On most days at training camp, we see guys like Justin Simmons or Isaac Yiadom making field-flipping plays on interceptions. Even if they don’t get their hands on the ball, this secondary has done a great job of swatting passes away with great regularity.
Chris Harris Jr. intercepted a pass on Sunday in practice and this is something that has been a regular occurrence with Fangio and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell emphasizing turnovers.
“(Ed Donatell) has everything – man, zone, a lot of blitzes. It allows us to do everything. Like today, I was able to fall off my man and jump another ball to go get a pick.” Harris said.
“It’s just that freedom. I’m going to continue to get better and better with it as long as I continue to learn the ins and outs,” Harris continued, “Me, I pride myself in knowing everybody’s position on the defense because I have to be a coach out there on that field. I am not there yet to where I need to be, but I am getting there.”
Like Harris, everyone on defense is getting better each day. This defense is going to be elite in 2019, and they could lead the league in turnovers under the guidance of head coach Vic Fangio and Donatell.
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Rule of 17
I’ve heard DMac talk a million times about the “Rule of 17” when it comes to music. The basics of the rule are this – whatever you listened to when you were 17 years old will always be something you listen to.
Over the weekend, I had the top down in the Jeep and was blasting some Stone Temple Pilots. It’s been a little bit since I binged some of their music, but listening to their first album “Core” really took me down memory lane.
I know they have a new lead singer since the death of Scott Weiland, but I did not know they released one more album with Weiland back in 2010. The self-titled album is almost a decade old, but it’s new music to me from a band I remember fondly.
Who is the band from the past you find yourself still listening to? Let me know in the comment section or on Twitter @CecilLammey.
