Pat Shurmur Can Understand Drew Lock's Magnetism with Broncos' Players
One of the most remarkable aspects of Drew Lock's five-game rookie audition last year was how quickly he seemed to earn the respect and belief of the locker room. That was no mean feat, especially after the Denver Broncos opened the 2019 season with a former Super Bowl MVP as the starting quarterback.
Lock, being smart enough to know which way the wind blows, took a step back from being the type of magnetic leader he'd always been in high school and college, especially after suffering a serious thumb injury in the Broncos' third preseason game which landed him on injured reserve for 11 weeks. The belief of most veterans in the NFL is that rookies are best seen and not heard from.
Lock figured that out quickly. Initially, the Broncos were Joe Flacco's team and even if he wanted to, there was little Lock could do to swing support and belief his way from the training room while he licked his wounds.
Of course, Lock could still be himself and strike friendships within the locker room, especially with his fellow rookies. But as the out-in-front guy, or a bonafide team leader, he had to bide his time.
But in order for any player, especially a quarterback, to become an organic team leader, he has to not only play, but play well. The results have to come, which then establishes credibility in the locker room.
In Week 13, Lock literally went from IR to the starting lineup within a few hours' time. He won his NFL starting debut vs. the L.A. Chargers and by the time the Broncos emerged from Houston with a 38-24 victory over the Texans the next week, Lock had fully swung the locker room his way. The rest, as they say, is history.
Offensive Coordinator Pat Shurmur wasn't around for those events. At the time, he served as the Head Coach of the New York Giants and even though up to this point Shurmur has been unable to get his hands on Lock and actually work with him in person, he can understand the magnetism of Lock's personality and why the players have fallen in behind him and closed ranks around him so quickly.
"Drew is into it," Shurmur told Alexis Perry of the team site last week. "Drew has a lot of enthusiasm and I can see why the players are going to relate to him extremely well as we move forward."
Lock displays that care-free, utter joy of playing the game of football when he's on the field. It's very Brett Favre-esque.
That was apparent during Lock's five-game stretch as the starter. From his on-field jubilance over even the smallest of in-game triumphs, to his touchdown celebrations, and even his rapping of Jeezy lyrics on the sideline between series, his pure joy of the game was on display. And frankly, it was infectious.
But Lock isn't just an outgoing rah-rah guy. As Coach Shurmur eluded, he's a passionate player with a serious football mind.
"I think he's got good football sense," Shurmur said. "He understands concepts, so when you talk about it—even though you're not watching him do it—you can watch the film and 'What would you do here based on this look? What is this look? Is it corner-cushion? Safety rotation? Linebacker location?' All the things that you need to see and talk about, he can talk about with great comfort. So that's the starting point."
Shurmur and incoming QBs Coach Mike Shula have been able to quickly pick up on Lock's football acumen by virtue of these virtual meetings, whether they've been full team meetings, position meetings, or even one-on-ones. But it doesn't become a complete picture until Shurmur and Shula can get hands on Lock. That day is swiftly coming.
"We can teach him what the plays are and what to look at," Shurmur said. "We as coaches are just looking forward to working with the players and from what we've seen, we're very, very excited about what they've done to this point. We know how talented some of these guys really are. I was impressed this past weekend how strong our players are, not only in their beliefs, but also as a unit. Being the new guy here, I'm just really looking forward to working with these guys."
Shurmur has already gone back over every snap the Broncos had offensively in 2019. The Broncos' OC likely spent a little extra time on the film from Weeks 13-17 in order to really hone in on what Lock — and his supporting cast — did well and what the young signal-caller needs to improve upon in his second year.
What really jumped out to Shurmur, though, is the fact that Lock got results. Not just stats or records (which he did produce) but those coveted 'Ws'.
"You really judge a quarterback by his ability to help the team win games," Shurmur said last Thursday during his virtual presser. "To be 4-1, that’s a really good start. Now I would say he fell victim to some of the rookie things that happen, but the fact that he as a rookie had a chance to play—you only learn as a quarterback, in my opinion, by playing in live game settings. He learned a great deal."
Indeed, the ability for a quarterback to bring home the victories, even if it means 'winning ugly' at times like in the season-finale vs. the Raiders, comes at a premium in the NFL where each win is precious. It's going to be interesting to see how Lock and Shurmur gel together in 2020 when the Broncos finally hit the grass for training camp on July 28.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
