Deshaun Watson vs. Drew Lock: Super Bowl LV Revealed Which QB Broncos Should Roll With in 2021
If you watched Super Bowl LV, you learned a valuable lesson; a talented, well-rounded team will always beat a great quarterback. At Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Buccaneers beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
If last month's Super Bowl doesn’t convince you, go back and watch Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers lose spectacularly to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.
To return to playoff contention, the Broncos have to prioritize building a competitive roster, replete with high-impact players. The current roster lacks enough game-changing athletes, especially on defense.
Many fans are pining for disgruntled QB Deshaun Watson and the perceived quick-fix results he might offer the Broncos. But giving away multiple premium-round draft picks and cornerstone talent from the current roster in order to land a Watson, or Russell Wilson, or Sam Darnold, defies the lesson learned from Super Bowl LV.
The Broncos must play the odds, 11 vs. 1 is a winning hand. Sticking with quarterback Drew Lock gives the Broncos the best chance to keep valuable draft capital, build a defense that delivers better field position, and earn significantly more takeaways.
The Broncos finished the 2020 season with a paltry 16 takeaways — the second-fewest in franchise history. Think about how the Super Bowl 50 Broncos’ defense imposed its will on the Panthers. Remember Newton's face after the Von Miller strip-sack or the No Fly Zone’s suffocating pass coverage? Broncos fans miss those days.
I recognize that Lock ranked No. 29 out of 32 QBs in Pro Football Focus' rankings this past season, and I fully acknowledge that he must perform better. But with more time on task within Pat Shurmur's offense and additional practice time with his teammates during what is hopefully a more normal offseason, fans should expect to see improved performance from Lock.
Let’s also remember the skill positions that surround Lock. No. 1 wideout Courtland Sutton will return from injury, Jerry Jeudy is in his second year, speedster KJ Hamler will be in the slot, talented tight end Noah Fant will be in his third season, and finally, hard-charging running back Melvin Gordon will ensure that opposing defenses pay attention to stopping the run. To say nothing of Phillip Lindsay, Albert Okwuegbunam, and a significantly improved offensive line.
With all of this talent, the 2021 Broncos offense has the talent to make defensive coordinators lose sleep. Trust the math; a more talented roster equals more victories.
Instead of selling the farm, new Broncos GM George Paton must play the odds and build a roster that puts Lock in the best position to thrive in the highly competitive AFC West Division.
Follow Mike on Twitter @MHHEvans.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
