Analyzing the Pros & Cons from Drew Lock's Five-Game Audition: Week 14
Drew Lock won his first career start in Week 13, helping lead the Denver Broncos to a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. In his first career road start, Lock blew out a playoff team and the AFC South-champion Houston Texans 38-24.
In Part II of what will be my film series breaking down all five of Lock's rookie starts, we're analyzing the offensive explosion led by the rookie against the Texans.
Play 1 vs. Texans: First Quarter | 10:26
Situation: 1st-&-10
The first play of the game for Lock and the Broncos offense was a good on from the rookie with a great outcome. This is one of those plays that shows what good Lock can do and areas he can with to improve on.
Denver is in a three-tight end set with all three tight ends to the quarterback's left with a flanking wide receiver to the right. There is also a lone running back in the backfield. TE Noah Fant is motioned from the left to the right just before the snap.
Reading the Texans' look pre-snap, Houston has five on the line with two linebackers. The Texans also have their two cornerbackss on the boundary and both safeties playing high. The Broncos go with a play-action which draws in both of the linebackers and one of the safeties. Fant chips the rusher facing the right tackle and gets into his route. Lock sees that Fant is open though it came just a little later than desired.
Before Lock throws, he sees the corner pass off the receiver and comes up to take the tight end. It's great that Lock sees it because it changes where he needs to place the throw to Fant. The placement of the throw is just about perfect to allow Fant to make the catch and turn to make a long run after the catch.
This play all starts with how Lock and the running back sell the play-action to give Fant some space. Lock also does well going through his reads, but he was just a hair late coming to Fant.
The outcome was still great despite that hiccup, showing how sometimes receivers can bail out the quarterback when they aren't perfect. Next time, Lock just needs to have a little better timing with the throw to help protect the ball and protect his receiver.
Play 2 vs. Texans: First Quarter | 7:35
Situation: 2nd-&-12
Denver is in the red zone in the pistol formation with two receivers out left and one of out to the right. The Texans lined up three on two to the left with a one-on-one to the right with a single-high safety.
The running back is motioned out left, drawing one of the two linebackers with him, and the safety on that side drops back, giving them two high safeties.
There is a lot that Lock can take away from the motion and how the Texans respond pre-snap. The receiver on the right is looking at bracketed coverage from the cornerback and the strong-side safety.
The linebacker that followed the running back stops in the slot, revealing that the boundary corner is taking the running back with the linebacker on the slot receiver, and the slot corner taking the outside receiver. There is a clear advantage here for the Broncos with the slot receiver on the linebacker.
At the snap, though, Lock looks right and lingers for far too long there. The fullback went out and it is a 3-on-2 with both the receiver and fullback covered pretty well. This is to the Texans’ advantage to the right side. Lock tries to throw Courtland Sutton open, the receiver on the right, which was dangerous as it is and he overshoots him for the incomplete pass.
There are a lot of things wrong with this play from Lock. The pre-snap read gives him an idea where they have the advantage and he doesn’t even look that way. There wasn’t pressure, but he also rushed his throw and tried to force it.
The biggest issue is Lock staring down the wide receiver on the right. The running back who motioned outside had plenty of space with only one defender nearly 10 yards away from him.
Lock needs to unlock his eyes, flip his hips, and hit the running back to try and make a play for the first down and even a potential touchdown if he can make one defender miss.
Play 3 vs. Texans: First Quarter | 9:08
Situation: 2-&-7
The Broncos are in a pistol with 21 personnel. The Texans are loaded on the line with a single-high safety and one-on-ones on the outside. Both wide receivers attack the deep part of the field, stressing the top of the Texans' coverage and opening up the underneath for the fullback and running back who leak through the trenches.
The linebacker checking Andrew Beck does a poor job and Beck ends up with a step on his opponent on his crossing route across the middle. Lock makes a perfect throw, leading Beck just enough to hit him in stride. That allows Beck to turn upfield and get even more yards before the end of the play.
Lock's threw is really good as he makes it with a free rusher bearing down on him and takes a hit just after he throws. This was a really good play design, and Beck does a great job of getting spacing just in time for Lock to hit him. This is a perfect throw especially with the pressure right there on Lock.
Play 4 vs. Texans: Third Quarter | 2:47
Situation: 2nd-&-10
Denver has 12 personnel out there on the field and they motion Tim Patrick closer to the line. The Texans have five on the line with two high safeties and one-on-ones on the outside. Lock takes the snap and a one-step drop and looks to fire to Sutton, but the opening isn’t there.
Lock pulls it down only to fire it a moment later as the running back failed his block and pressure is right in the quarterback's face. With the pressure right there, Lock throws a really bad pass into double coverage that falls short and the safety jumps the route and picks it off.
Lock has an issue where he just stares down a receiver and has issues coming off, and that is what happened here. It was very easy for the Texans’ safety to read his eyes to help him jump the route.
There is also the issue of Lock trying to force the throw to Sutton, which never should have happened. Sometimes it is acceptable to just throw the ball away, and that is what should’ve happened here. It's second down and you have good field position, so live for the next down instead of forcing a bad throw, especially with the ball getting taken away.
Play 5 vs. Texans: Second Quarter | 15:00
Situation: 3rd-&-9
This final play is a great one to break down following the interception. There are some similarities between the two plays, but the differences are major.
When making this throw, Lock is again under pressure, but he is looking at a receiver who has a step on the coverage with no safety over the top who can make a play on the ball. That means there is more space for Lock to put air on the ball to lead the receiver.
Lock makes a great throw with even more pressure on him than the last play that resulted in the interception. Patrick finishes the play for a big gain for the offense. Being able to lead a receiver obviously makes a huge difference.
Lock's underthrow on the previous play directly led to the interception, and he doesn’t have to worry about that here. He doesn’t force anything and just takes what the defense gives him. This was a great and very smart throw from Lock under pressure and to a receiver who actually had a chance, unlike the interception.
Bottom Line
Lock had a great game for the first 37 minutes against the Texans, but he also really fell off in the second half. He has to develop as a quarterback to sustain that high level of play and find a way to close out games in order for him to be the quarterback of the future.
Don't miss Part I of this film study on Lock vs. the Chargers.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
