Broncos QB Drew Lock Reveals What Being 'a Gunslinger' Means to Him

The term 'gunslinger' conjures up images of old Western films and on the surface, seems to be rather self-explanatory as it relates to quarterbacks. Fans hear the term used, most of the time in the derogatory, to describe signal-callers who aren't exactly risk-averse.

The Denver Broncos young quarterback Drew Lock has described himself as a gunslinger, and even coming out of his bitter 23-3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, said that he's "never going to change" his gunslinger mentality.

But what exactly does the term mean to Lock? He clearly views it as a positive, the way we've heard him use it in his remarks publicly. The rookie QB revealed on Wednesday what it means to him to be a 'gunslinger'.

“It’s kind like being a three-point shooter," Lock said from the podium at Dove Valley. "You can start the game 0-for-5, but I’m definitely going to shoot the sixth one."

So a never-say-die mentality, an aggressive disposition and a short memory? That's a nice mixed-sports metaphor Lock used there, but how does that apply explicitly to playing quarterback?

"I’m going to throw a couple of picks here and there, but in my heart and in my gut, I know the couple of picks will turn into a couple of touchdowns," Lock said. "The good plays will outweigh the bad with being a gunslinger if you do it correctly. That’s kind of what it means.”

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That's the bottom line; a gunslinger will keep firing away and sometimes it'll cost him and his team. But he's not going to let the misses deter him from trying to hit the target on the next pull of the trigger.

The true gunslingers in NFL history, like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, will giveth and taketh away. But at the end of the day, if he's an effective gunslinger, as Lock said, the good will outweigh the bad.

You might lead the league in interceptions as a rookie, or retire as the NFL's all-time leader in picks thrown. But if the good outweighs the bad, when you hang up your cleats and retire your gun, you'll do so as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, like Favre and Manning did, respectively.

NFL QBs have to walk that razor's edge of protecting the ball while being fearless as a thrower. For any gunslinger, the key is to have a short memory and not go into a shell when a misfire occurs.

In the case of Lock, he's thrown an interception in each game he's started thus far as a Bronco. However, whereas some quarterbacks will overcorrect and let mistakes linger, Lock has shown a propensity to bounce back quickly and not let an interception torpedo his performance for the balance of the game.

However, it's incumbent upon Lock to try to learn from those giveaways, and to recognize situations wherein he's made the wrong decision with the ball before, and instead, take the checkdown or throw it away if the play is not there to be made.

The problem for a QB with real arm talent is that he believes he can make any and every play, even though rationally, it might not hold water. It's that belief and willingness to push the envelope that makes the magic and often results in the biggest gains and returns, but it can also lead a QB into the desert of disrepair.

It's all about being good enough and smart enough to ensure that the good outweighs the bad. So far, Lock's TD-to-INT ratio is 5-to-3 and he's 2-1 as a starter. The good has outweighed the bad.

But as NFL defenses get more film of Lock, coordinators will figure out how to bait him and that's where the rubber will really meet he road. It'll be interesting to see how it unfolds for Lock.

One thing's for sure, though. We know Lock's passing weapons appreciate his gunslinger mentality. Noah Fant made that clear following the Chiefs loss when he talked about how he appreciates Lock's willingness to "take chances".

Lock isn't just taking chances with possession of the ball. Replace 'take' with 'give' and it translates to his skill-position players garnering opportunities to make a big play because of Lock's willingness to trust in them as much as he trusts in himself.

It has a trickle-down and galvanizing effect on an offense. The Broncos took a step back last week at Arrowhead, but in just three starts, Lock's infectious attitude, swagger, and ability on the field has spoken volumes to his teammates on that side of the ball.

“I feel like he already has done things to show that he is that guy," wideout Courtland Sutton said on Wednesday. "I have all confidence and faith that he’s going to prepare himself to put himself in a position to be successful... I do think Drew’s going to make sure that he is prepared and he goes out there and he solidifies that spot so that there aren’t any questions and so nobody can say, ‘Well, you didn’t really preform the way you wanted to those last two games.’ I don’t want him to have to deal with that any this offseason. If he goes out there and he puts together two really good games, I think that will solidify the spot and ease his mind going into the offseason. He can just work on his craft and not worry about the extra stuff.”

Leave no doubt. That's a QB's brief. Does it sound like Sutton doubts Lock's wherewithal to be the guy next year and perhaps for years to come? Game recognizes game. And a true No. 1 wideout appreciates a bonafide gunslinger.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.