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Drew Lock Predicts a 'Big Jump' From Broncos' Offense This Week in Carolina

Drew Lock went on record with a bold prediction for Week 14's road tilt vs. the Panthers.

Adversity is swirling around Denver Broncos' second-year quarterback Drew Lock. After coming up short to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football 22-16, Lock has just four games remaining this season to prove that he’s Denver’s future franchise QB.

With an overall record of 4-8, there’s plenty of blame to go around the entire Broncos organization. Ultimately, Lock shoulders a fair share of the onus due to his inconsistencies on the field which are causing panic in swaths of Broncos Country. 

Lock’s 55.4 completion percentage is dead-last in the NFL while his touchdown-to-interception ratio is 9-to-13. Lock has thrown an interception in seven consecutive games. In four of those matchups, he’s thrown multiple picks. 

In fact, the only game Lock hasn’t thrown an interception was the season-opener against the Tennessee Titans where he passed for 216 yards and one touchdown. Suffice to say, for many fans, patience has worn thin as the young signal-caller continues to make the same mistakes week after week. 

“We live in a world where everyone wants everything really fast,” Lock explained on Wednesday. “Everyone wants it right now, and we get that with our phones. You want to click on an app, it’s going to pop up instantly. It’s the same thing in football. You want greatness really, really fast. I want it. Trust me, I want to be great as bad as the people at home watching the game want me to be great. I want it more than they want it.”

Being 'great' isn’t what the Broncos are asking of the young gunslinger right now. Heading into the Week 14 of the NFL season, the Broncos are still waiting to see a complete game from Lock. 

His flashes of potential that include a fourth-quarter comeback where he threw three touchdowns against the L.A. Chargers to overcome a 21-point deficit are what make Lock an intriguing quarterback. But in order to get people off his back, he's got to find a way to stop killing his team with turnovers. 

Lock's focus is getting better each week. 

“It’s going to happen, and it’s slowly happening," Lock said. "We’re going to make a big jump this week just by practice this week. We need to focus up and be ready for this game against Carolina."

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So, what would a ‘big jump’ from the Broncos' offense look like? Here are a few humble suggestions. 

Eliminate Turnovers: Protect the football through the air and on the ground. Denver ranks dead last in the turnover differential at -17 through 12 games with 28 total turnovers, 21 of which are interceptions, with seven fumbles. 

Hot Hand Attack: An improved offense would feature the ‘hot hand’ at running back, unlike offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s previous utilizations of Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon on every other series. 

Aggressive Blocking Scheme: Denver’s offense must let its offensive linemen play aggressive through power runs, traps, and counters. Running the ball not only supports the quarterback, but it also camouflages flaws in pass protection and prevents a one-dimensional offense from having to play from behind.

Involve the Playmakers: Lock must also find a way to include disgruntled rookie wideout Jerry Jeudy, who hasn’t seen double-digit targets in weeks. Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, the 2020 first-round pick from Alabama garnered a career-high 14 targets with seven receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown. In the wake of Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs, Jeudy fired off a series of cryptic tweets hinting at frustration towards Lock and Shurmur. 

On Wednesday, Lock addressed Jeudy's apparent frustration. 

“You want a receiver that wants the ball," Lock said. "You want a guy that wants it in his hand and wants to make plays. That’s what we like about Jerry. He wants the ball in any situation—the beginning of the game or crunch time towards the end.”

Breaking down the game film, it feels like Lock is literally being spoon-fed his reads rather than going through his progressions. He locks onto his first read and forces the ball there, which has led to some easy takeaways for opponents. 

This could explain one of the reasons why Lock is hesitant to throw to his most talented wideout on the field. Surely opposing defenses are aware of the threats that Jeudy poses on the perimeter and in middle of the field.

What’s most important is that Lock changes his mindset — especially after turning the ball over. Many times, he can be seen staring at the jumbotron with a sense of confusion and disappointment. While this is understandable, it makes me wonder whether he allows his mistakes to haunt him throughout the game.

“I'll go back and watch those a couple times,” Lock said about analyzing interceptions thrown. “They hurt. They sting. They're big points in the game and you know that they're ones that you want back. So, it's tough to go back and watch that multiple times, but you have to. It's just about making that right decision 100 percent of time. At the quarterback position, you make two errant throws that force picks in that last game and that's two too many. So, just got to keep focusing on it and keep making the right decision with the ball.”

Time will tell whether Lock can lead the Broncos to a 'big jump' against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. We know he wants it bad but he's got to produce it on the field because his words, after weeks and weeks of seeing the same mistakes repeated, are beginning to ring hollow to fans. 

"Trust me, as bad as people want it from me, I’ve always wanted it more and I’m trying everything I can to keep this thing rolling," Lock said. 

Follow Luke on Twitter @LukePattersonLP and @MileHighHuddle.