In game eerily similar to one in 1983, Drew Lock has his shining moment
Nov 2, 2020, 6:12 AM
On Dec. 11, 1983, a seminal moment in the history of the Broncos occurred. On that day, the team beat the Colts at home by a 21-19 score, improving their record on the season to 9-6. But it was the way in which they won the game that changed the course of the organization.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Denver was down 19-0. Baltimore was dominating the game, cruising to a win. Then, everything changed.
John Elway threw three touchdown passes in the final 15 minutes, including the game-winner on fourth down in the final moments. On the day, the rookie quarterback completed 23 out of 44 passes for 345 yards, posting a quarterback rating of 101.0.
Mile High Stadium was rocking. The postgame locker room was abuzz. And the city of Denver was on cloud nine.
For the first time that year, there was a flash of brilliance from Elway. The No. 1 overall pick in that year’s draft, who came to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade, finally demonstrated what all of the hype was about. He showed what he was capable of doing, leading his team to an improbable, come-from-behind win.
Prior to that day, Elway had struggled mightily. He’d thrown just four touchdown passes on the season, had only eclipsed the 200-yard mark in only one game, was benched in favor of veteran Steve DeBerg, lined up behind the guard in a game against the Chargers, and looked mostly overwhelmed.
As a result, many people were already starting to doubt Elway. They were beginning to wonder if the Broncos made a mistake. They were calling the quarterback a bust.
That all changed with one game, with one quarter. That moment of brilliance seemed to flip the switch for Elway, jumpstarting a brilliant 16-year career that would include five Super Bowl trips, two Lombardi Trophies and induction in the Hall of Fame.
Yesterday, something eerily similar happened at Empower Field.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Broncos were trailing the Chargers by a 24-10 count. The score was not indicative of how dominant Los Angeles had been, however. Other than a 55-yard touchdown run by Phillip Lindsay late in the third quarter, Denver’s offense had done virtually nothing.
As part of that anemic performance, Drew Lock was also struggling. The Broncos young quarterback was just 10-of-21 for 76 yards, with zero touchdowns and an interception. He wasn’t making plays. He couldn’t move the chains. He couldn’t keep drives alive.
Then, it all changed. Denver scored touchdowns on their final three drives, marching 80, 75 and 81 yards to reach the end zone. And to cap each possession, Lock threw a scoring strike.
During that time, the second-year quarterback was 16-of-20 for 172 yards and three touchdowns. He was chucking the ball all over the yards, finding DaeSean Hamilton, Albert Okwuegbunam and K.J. Hamler on the scoring throws.
As a result, the Broncos were able to pull off one of the more-improbable wins the franchise has posted in recent years. When Lock hit Hamler on the final play of the game, Denver had a 31-30 victory.
This season is all about determining whether or not the quarterback of the future is on the roster. It’s all about seeing if Lock can pass the test.
On Sunday, in a game where he was not very good for three quarters, the young signal caller was up to the task at the most-critical points. He was brilliant when the moment was big.
Down six with 2:30 to play, Lock was able to lead his team on an 81-yard drive. Coming through with the game on the line is something the other eight quarterbacks who’ve played for Denver since Peyton Manning retired haven’t been able to do. Lock did.
And with one second to play in the game, and the ball on the Chargers one-yard line, he was able to calmly roll to his right, wait for Hamler to break open and deliver a game-winning strike. None of the post-Manning quarterbacks showed that type of clutch gene. Lock did.
Anyone who understands reality knew that the quarterback was going to have some rough moments this season. He’s only started a grand total of 10 games during his NFL career, so speedbumps were bound to occur.
Those bad performances had to be offset with flashes of brilliance, however. Lock had to demonstrate on occasion that he was capable of some magic.
That’s what Elway did on that December day in 1983. He erased all of the stinkers with one shining moment. Doubt was replaced by confidence thanks to one quarter of play.
Lock may have accomplished the same thing yesterday. He made up for most of the bad moments that occurred earlier this season. He proved that he can get it done with the game on the line.
It’s way too early to suggest that this three-touchdown performance in the fourth quarter will jumpstart Lock’s career the same way a similar outing did 37 years ago for Elway. But there’s reason to hope it’s possible.
Drew Lock had his moment on Sunday. There’s reason to believe again in Denver.
