Broncos QB Drew Lock Nominated for NFL's Rookie of the Week
Let the accolades begin for Drew Lock.
The Denver Broncos rookie second-rounder has been nominated for the NFL's Rookie of the Week award following his dynamic performance vs. the Houston Texans in Week 14.
Lock went 22-of-27 (81.4%) for 309 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. He earned a QB rating of 136.0. It was a historic performance.
The Broncos decimated the Texans 38-24, earning Lock his second consecutive win to start his career. Lock became the first Broncos' rookie QB to win his first two career starts since John Elway did it back in 1983.
Lock also became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in his first road start. It was an impressive performance, especially considering how Denver's playoff-caliber opponent were themselves were coming off a dismantling win over the defending World Champion New England Patriots.
The league has been buzzing since Sunday when the rookie stormed onto the NFL scene at NRG Stadium in Houston. While head coach Vic Fangio has been careful to temper expectations and the stratospheric hype that has erupted in the wake of Lock's historic start, he couldn't be happier to see it unfold.
“I don’t put ceilings or floors on guys," Fangio said on Monday. "They can go as high as they want, hopefully not too low. I do think he played much better yesterday than he did the week before. I thought his passing was more accurate and more crisp than it was the week before. He made some plays with his legs, which was good. I think overall he’s had a good two-week start to his career.”
Even Texans head coach Bill O'Brien had to tip his cap to Lock in the wake of being vanquished by the rookie with aplomb.
“He did a good job," O'Brien said post-game. "He played really well. He did a good job. They had a good plan. We had a hard time defending it. Give him a lot of credit. Drew and his teammates and their coaching staff, they did a real good job.”
Lock is more than deserving of the Rookie of the Week honor. But he's not focused on raking in accolades for something that he did in the past. Right now, he's focused on returning home to Missouri to take on the AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs, whom the Broncos haven't beaten since Week 2 of the 2015 season.
If Lock wins the award, he'll become the third rookie quarterback this season to earn it, following Jacksonville's Gardner Minshew (six nominations) and Arizona's Kyler Murray (one nomination). Titans WR A.J. Brown, Steelers WR Diontae Johnson, Bills RB Devin Singletary and Giants WR Darius Slayton have also been nominated for the award.
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