Vic Fangio Sends Direct Message to Teddy Bridgewater About Checkdowns
There has been much hand-wringing over the Denver Broncos' quarterback battle since the cleats hit the grass at UCHealth Training Center on Wednesday. The incumbent Drew Lock was widely credited with having won Day 1 while the challenging transplant Teddy Bridgewater notched Day 2.
Day 3 came down to who you asked. Mile High Huddle's Luke Patterson, who's been there daily watching this battle unfold, gave the Day 3 nod to Bridgewater. But there have been many other media onlookers who gave it to Lock.
What does the head coach think, though? That's what matters because that's who'll be making this decision.
"Pretty much the same coming in as I had," Fangio said following Friday's practice. "They've been pretty consistent, both of them. I see no separation, if that's what you're asking.”
Interesting. Keep in mind, that was said after Day 3's practice. Day 4, however, saw some quite intriguing developments unfold out on the grass as 'Steady Teddy' earned the dubious distinction of being the first QB in this competition to turn the ball over.
Bridgewater was picked off three times on Saturday, and nearly a fourth time. Meanwhile, Lock did not give the ball away and made several big plays, showcasing to onlookers the biggest difference between these two signal-callers: mindset.
Bridgewater takes the checkdown. Lock pushes the envelope.
"There's a fine line there," Fangio said. "Checkdowns are good, but you need more than checkdowns. We need the right mix of that.”
Bridgewater heard his head coach, it would seem and stopped trying to play it so safe on Day 4, which, alas, led to the interceptions. Fangio is telegraphing to Lock exactly how to win this starting job.
Take care of the ball the best you can but figure out how to walk that fine line of taking what the defense gives you underneath to stay on-schedule while also being effective in exploiting matchups downfield.
One of the NFL QB cliches is 'you can't go broke taking a profit.'
There's truth to that. But it's a similar mindset of punching a clock for 40 years. If that's all you do, and you show up daily and handle your responsibilities, your bills are probably going to be paid. You won't go broke.
But if you never risked investing some of that heard-earned money, will you have taken enough risks to have put yourself in a position where you can be financially independent come retirement? Probably not. No risk-it, no biscuit.
Perhaps the better way to say it is by following the lead of the great Indiana Jones who once wisely said: 'Fortune favors the bold.'
So far, it would seem that Lock has been the QB to embrace that bold maxim more so than Bridgewater.
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