Mile High Monday: The Lock-Jeudy combination is tantalizing

The Broncos lost in the season finale to the Raiders by a score of 32-31 on Sunday. They finish the second season under head coach Vic Fangio with a 5-11 record, two victories short of what they were in 2019. Fear not Broncos Country, as the team is keeping the band together with Fangio and likely offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur returning for another season in 2021. What the team looks like in 2021 will largely have to do with what kind of work they get done in the offseason.

I like when we get to this time of year. The regular season is a grind – it’s fun but it’s a grind. However, the “draft season” is fantastic, as hope springs eternal around the league.

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.

***

Chemistry Set?

Drew Lock and Jerry Jeudy didn’t have great chemistry in most games this year. They had a game or two here and there during the season (the Falcons game comes to mind), but for the most part, this combination of quarterback and first-round wide receiver wasn’t working out as planned. Everyone saw just how bad things were last week against the Chargers when Jeudy had six drops in Week 16. Lock was force-feeding him the rock but Jeudy was not coming through for his quarterback.

That all changed on Sunday.

The play that stands out is the 92-yard touchdown catch and run from Lock to Jeudy. It was a sight of what this combination could be in the NFL, and it was the first time we saw just how dangerous Jeudy can be in the pros. No, these guys aren’t going to hook up for a 90-plus yard touchdown on a weekly basis, but that one play highlighted the type of weapon they have in Jeudy if used correctly.

Lock showed great patience on the throw. He waited with the rush swirling around him as he was standing near his own end zone. Instead of panicking and feeling the pressure, which was very much real and very much there, Lock instead played cool under fire and waited for the window to open where he could hit Jeudy cleanly. Yes, Jeudy was wide open on the play, but often times those throws are the most difficult because a quarterback will get wide-eyed about what is going to (or could) happen.

Jeudy showed great concentration on that catch. Instead of double-clutching or dropping a wide-open pass, Jeudy did a good job of looking the catch into his hands. He wasn’t worried about running after the catch before he actually secured the catch. This allowed him to pluck the ball from the air, tuck it away then turn up the field where he could outrun the Raiders defense. Jeudy was not known for his speed in college (that was for his college teammate Henry Ruggs III), but he’s got the wheels to make field-flipping plays. It was great to see that come to fruition in Week 17.

a 92-yard touchdown is a nice way to showcase your Lock/Jeudy combination. Good patience from Lock on that throw. Happy for Jeudy after last week's disaster. More is there from Jeudy. He's not a bust and I can't wait to see his development with the #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) January 4, 2021

***

Athletic Not Mobile

In today’s NFL, teams should be looking for a mobile quarterback. Not an athletic quarterback and not a stick-in-the-mud pocket passer like in years past. Teams need a quarterback who can threaten a defense with his legs. That makes it truly 11-on-11 football and gives the defense quite a bit more to prepare for.

Lock is an athletic quarterback, but he’s not a mobile quarterback. It’s an important distinction that many misunderstand, so let me break this down.

I was at Lock’s Scouting Combine where he got to showcase his skill set. I was at Lock’s Senior Bowl where I got to talk to Broncos GM John Elway (briefly) about what was happening at that week of practice. I know Lock is athletic, I know what his 40-yard dash was, and I know he can be more of a runner than he’s been this season.

However, Lock is not mobile. He can run but he is not a threat to run and that is a huge difference. In the 2020 season, Lock had 44 carries for 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Compare that to mobile quarterbacks like Josh Allen (102 carries, 420 yards, eight rushing touchdowns) and Kyler Murray (133 carries, 819 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns). I’m not expecting Lock to produce like those two quarterbacks (and others) as runners, because I do know that he’s just not that type of player.

Lock can avoid the rush to a certain degree. However, there are times when he takes off to run that he either looks awkward or he is caught from behind by a player like a defensive end that others like Allen or Murray can outrun. The Broncos don’t have an updated offense, so they don’t really need a mobile quarterback, but having that extra skill set would be nice.

I like when Drew Lock pulls it down to run. He's not mobile (like Josh Allen or Kyler Murray) but he's athletic enough to move the chains, or at least pick up some yards to keep the offense on schedule. #Broncos @1043TheFan good opening drive so far

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) January 3, 2021

***

Future Stud

I think we have seen mere flashes of what defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones can be in the NFL. He’s finished the season strong with a 1.5-sack performance against the Raiders on Sunday. For his second NFL season, Jones finishes playing more than 500 snaps, snaring 26 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two passes defensed. Of his 6.5 sacks, Jones had 3.5 of them over the last four games of the season.

He is trending in the right direction heading into year three. He is certainly a fit for Vic Fangio’s defense and Jones is an ascending player who has just shown us the tip of the iceberg in terms of NFL potential.

In addition to being a Fangio favorite, Jones was a favorite of mine for the 2019 NFL Draft. The Broncos were able to get Jones out of Ohio State in the third round, but I had him graded as a top-50 talent. That made him a value pick for the Broncos that I applauded at the time and continue to do so today. Jones has strength, quickness and a high football intelligence. The team can do a lot more with that type of player going forward. With so many changes coming up on the defensive line, it’s nice knowing that Jones is there to continue to develop into an even better player for the Broncos in 2021 and beyond.

Dre'Mont Jones is going to be a beast next year. Great end of the season for the 2nd-year pro #Broncos @1043TheFan

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) January 4, 2021

***

Happy New Year!

None of us will forget the year 2020. It was pretty much an awful year for many out there due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all that entails. So many people lost loved ones, lost their jobs, lost their business, and the list goes on and on.

It was nice to see the calendar flip over to 2021 on Friday. That doesn’t mean everything’s in the clear and we’re all good to go back to normal. However, it does mean that we can move forward with more hope for the future and put 2020 behind us.

I like to focus on the positive out there, and even though there were fewer positives in 2020, there were plenty of things to be thankful for. As we go into this new year, I’m not making any sort of resolutions, but I do want to be mindful of spreading positive energy going forward.

On New Year’s Eve, I mainly spent the night at home just celebrating with my family. It was good to have my son home from Washington State, and my teenage daughters are always fun to spend time with. Being together as a family is something we don’t get to do much anymore with Liam in college. Next year, my oldest daughter, Katarina, will be off to college, as well. That means the times when all five of us can come together will be fewer and farther between.

I was happy to be able to spend time with my family and celebrate the new year. I’m hopeful that 2021 will bring more joy for everyone out there and positivity to a world that needs it in a bad way.

Happy New Year Tweeps! pic.twitter.com/p7oNlZhSBQ

— Cecil Lammey (@CecilLammey) January 1, 2021

What did you do to ring in the New Year? Hit me up on social media and let me know!

Related

Report: Jonathon Cooper completes counseling and mental health programSean Payton tied for worst odds to win NFL Coach of the YearNik Bonitto joins group of stars investing in OKC soccer teamBroncos may have their new interior pass-rush specialist already set to goDover and Cecil project a monster year for Bo Nix in 2026Broncos No. 31 in the NFL in ESPN’s under-25 Power Rankings