Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Broncos QB Drew Lock Says his Gunslinger Mentality 'Will Never Change'
Drew Lock struggled in the elements vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Believe it or not, it was the first snow game of Lock's young career, including college.
The Denver Broncos rookie second-rounder was very up and down but he didn't get much help from his supporting cast on either side of the ball. Defensively, the Broncos allowed the Chiefs to score on their first five possessions, relinquishing completions to Patrick Mahomes almost at will.
Offensively, the line was a sieve all day, impotent in the face of the Chiefs relentless pass rush. Lock was only sacked twice, and that's a credit to him, because most quarterbacks would have been taken down at least half a dozen times vs. that constant level of pressure.
The rookie was hit well into the double-digits but his pocket feel and stinginess to go down — buying just enough time to uncork a pass before contact or going to the ground — kept the sack numbers in check. But make no mistake, the Broncos' O-line came up small in a big way for their young signal-caller.
To add insult to injury, the Broncos receivers dropped multiple passes. And whereas the Chiefs passing weapons seemed to get open on demand, the Broncos struggled to create separation for Lock.
Whatever you do, don't blame the elements for Lock finishing 18-of-40 passing, with 208 yards and an interception.
“I think their passing game was not affected by it much and the way their passing game is, I did not expect it to be," head coach Vic Fangio said post-game. "We just could not make a play in coverage. We played a lot of different coverages, and we had a hard time making a play, both throwing the ball and the pass rush.”
Although it might be hard to wrap one's brain around it, this game was out of reach for Denver by the third quarter when the Chiefs went up by three touchdowns. That was when Lock, who'd been bottled up all game long, made his big rookie mistake of the day, throwing an ill-advised pass in the red zone to fellow rookie TE Noah Fant that was picked off by Chiefs S Juan Thornhill.
Lock will study the tape and learn from Sunday's failures. He's got to find a way to play smarter without making those costly mistakes with the ball. He knows what he's got to do to improve.
“I think just understanding the situations a little more," Lock said post-game. "I will still be out there gun-slinging around. That will never change, but maybe just focus on the first down. It is not going to feel better throwing a pick on third down than it is on first down, but there is that thought process behind it.”
The talking points both locally and nationally coming out of this game will posture the Broncos as having gotten spanked by the Chiefs. And perhaps justifiably so, considering the final score of 23-3. But Lock is tormented because he believes there were many opportunities for big plays that the Broncos left on the table due to a lack of execution.
“People look at this and it will be blown up, like we got our butts kicked today, but there were so many opportunities for us to make plays and as bad as people are going to say it looked and how we feel right now, we are going to watch it and we are going to realize that there were plays there to be made," Lock said. "If we make a couple here and there, that is a different game.”
Undoubtedly so. But such is the nature of the NFL and that's something Lock will have to learn. The margin for error is razor-thin.
One thing his critics can't say is that Lock went fetal position in Kansas City. The rookie hung tough in the pocket and continued to battle in the face of overwhelming pressure and less-than-ideal conditions. That's something Fangio was quick to point out post-game when talking about what the rookie can learn from a disappointing experience like this.
“I think you benefit from all experiences in the NFL, good and bad," Fangio said. "I did not see him get flustered out there and frustrated and all that. That part was good.”
Lock was surprisingly poised considering the situation he was in. At almost every point where the Broncos needed the dominoes to fall their way, they fell in the opposite direction but the kid kept battling.
Even after he threw that end-zone pick, Lock did not go into a shell. That's a gunslinger's resilience to keep on firing and to do so with a short memory. No, the Broncos lost as a team today, and Lock contributed to that.
But despite his imperfections, the kid deserves some praise for how he stood tall in the pocket and kept swinging. The Broncos were simply beaten by a vastly more talented team with a more experienced coaching staff.
Nine straight losses to the Chiefs hurts. Posting a third consecutive losing season stings, as does officially being bounced from playoff contention. But there's a lot to be excited about in Denver. Nothing Lock did at Arrowhead should take away the realization that, as Von Miller said post-game, the Broncos have found their guy.
That doesn't mean there aren't going to be peaks and valleys as Lock makes his way as a full-time starter in the NFL. He was able to overcome his inexperience and imperfections in starts No. 1 and 2 but against a vastly superior opponent, the chickens came home to roost.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
