Drew Lock Says the NFL Game is 'Starting to Slow Down' for Him
Earning the FedEx Air Player of the Week award will undoubtedly lift Drew Lock heading into Week 15's tilt with the Buffalo Bills. The recognition could provide a perfect tonic for the Denver Broncos' signal-caller and some momentum to boot.
While it would be foolish to get overly carried away by Lock’s four-touchdown performance in Carolina, it's gone a long way towards getting disillusioned fans back onboard with his place in the Broncos' future. Exercising an abundance of caution, head coach Vic Fangio pumped the brakes on reading too far into the media hype, emphasizing that Lock is still in the evaluation process, although the Broncos' high-hopes remain.
All season, Lock has reinforced the belief that hard work pays off. He has listened more and more to his coaches, and even to his backup, while willingly accepting the advice of GM John Elway.
Lock's NFL exposure has seen him at times running a mile a minute while trying to keep his head above water and his offense on-track. However, through all the live-bullet experience, the NFL game seems to finally be slowing down for him... just a bit.
“There’s always going to be people moving fast,” Lock said on Wednesday. “The game will eventually slow down. The past couple of games I’m feeling comfortable with my prep and feeling comfortable with the practices I’m putting together. It is starting to slow down.”
The speed of the NFL can come as a sudden shock to most young players, especially quarterbacks, and Lock has had to play catch-up due to injuries. Putting in the extra reps to mitigate his turnover-prone performances might finally be producing tangible results on the field as Sunday's win in Carolina was the first game in two months that he didn't throw an interception.
A commitment to improvement is encouraging to fans, but it's a long road to the QB promised land, replete with potholes, twists, and turns, and the traveler has to learn from the pitfalls along the way.
“I’m starting to see it better and I start to feel better when I go out there,” Lock revealed. “I’m not saying I’m fully there by any means. There’s still a lot of work that I need to do. I’m starting to feel better each week going into it.”
Entering his 16th start this week vs. the Bills, Lock is still shy of completing a full season's worth of games in his young career, so hitting a 'rookie' wall of sorts could in part explain that rough stretch he endured from Weeks 7-10. Sticking to the ‘one game at a time’ ethos and keeping his focus on the present seems to have helped him to crest that figurative wall.
“After this week of practice going into Saturday, hopefully, we can go out there and the process continues to make strides with the game slowing down and knowing what to expect after a good week of practice and a good week of prepping.”
During the Vance Joseph era, Broncos Country grew tired of hearing ready-made platitudes about a 'good week of practice' only to see the team lose game after game, so fans can be forgiven for wanting wins to back up such cliches. Hearing from Lock that the game is slowing down and that he's focused on having a good week of prepping is one thing but when it provides results in the standings, that's when the fanbase can relax and really get behind its young, confident quarterback.
From the quarterback to the practice squad replacements, Fangio's Broncos certainly aren't afraid to work hard to improve. Lock’s recent accolade should not only give him a lift but it could also provide real evidence to the locker room that sticking with the process can indeed pay dividends.
Whether those dividends will be enough to propel the Broncos past Josh Allen’s 10-3 Bills this Saturday remains to be seen.
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
