It time for the Broncos to turn the quarterback reins over to Drew Lock
Dec 20, 2021, 11:16 AM
The Teddy Bridgewater era in Denver is over. At least it should be.
After suffering a scary injury in the Broncos loss to the Bengals, which turned out to be the quarterback’s second concussion of the season, it would be irresponsible to put Bridgewater back on the field seven days later. It would be reckless to play him against the Raiders.
If the Broncos use common sense, Drew Lock would get the start by default. That would set up a scenario where he’d most likely be in position to get the nod the rest of the season.
Should Denver beat Las Vegas with Lock at QB, it would be tempting to keep the status quo. Unless the Broncos win in spite of their quarterback, it would seem likely that he’d get the nod against the Chargers in Week 17, as well.
If Denver loses to Las Vegas on Sunday, they’d effectively be eliminated from postseason contention. At 7-8, with a handful of teams stacked up ahead of them, there’d be no reason to bring back Bridgewater to play out the string.
But those are the main reasons to play Lock. A change at quarterback really has nothing to do with player safety or timing. In reality, the change should be made because the Broncos are better on offense with the young quarterback behind center.
Broncos Country may scoff at that notion. After all, it’s not as though Lock has shined during his three short stints this season. In fact, his mistakes in each appearance have been the most-talked-about aspects of his time on the field.
That’s an unfair assessment, however. It’s a matter of putting too much attention on the wrong things.
A look at Sunday’s loss to the Bengals provides a perfect example. In the game, both quarterbacks played. And Lock was clearly the better QB.
In seven-plus drives, the Bridgewater-led offense amassed 144 yards. They posted three points, on a 54-yard field goal, and failed to reach the red zone a single time.
In three-plus drives, the Lock-led offense amassed 146 yards. They scored seven points and reached the red zone twice.
But it wasn’t just the numbers. The way the team operated was better with Lock.
On a third-and-eight, he completed a 24-yard pass to Albert Okwuegbunam. On third-and-11, he threw a pass to Courtland Sutton that drew an interference penalty. And on third-and-13, he threw a pass to Sutton that was dropped.
All were beyond the sticks. That’s a stark contrast to Bridgewater’s penchant for throwing short of the line of gain.
Similar things happened earlier in the season.
Against the Ravens, Lock played the second half when Bridgewater suffered a concussion. He finished 12-of-21 for 113 yards in relief of a QB who had gone 7-of-16 for 65 yards. Yes, Lock threw and interception, but it was in the waning seconds of a 16-point loss when he was forcing the ball into the end zone.
Against the Chargers, a lot was made of Lock’s interception at the end of the first half. It was a bad pass, one that he can’t make. But he did lead a touchdown drive during his short appearance. And on the day, Bridgewater was 11-of-18 for 129 yards.
In other words, against common opponents while executing the same game plan, Bridgewater hasn’t been better than Lock. In most instances, the young QB has outplayed the veteran.
But people will focus on the interceptions. They’ll harp on the fumble. Obviously, those negative plays can’t happen.
Watching the Broncos inability to stretch the field with Bridgewater at quarterback, however, is more painful. His play-it-safe approach isn’t working.
So it’s really a matter of selecting the lesser of two evils. The Broncos have to decide if they want conservative or risky.
At this point in the season, after 14 games of bad, boring football, the latter seems like a breath of fresh air. It’s time to force the issue. It’s time to roll the dice. It’s time to gamble on Lock and sit down Bridgewater.
