Drew Lock Says Broncos Have to 'Change Something During the Week' to Stop the Slow Starts
In the first half of Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Denver Broncos moved the chains just five times and converted only 1-of-5 third-down attempts. The Broncos entered the half with just three points on the board (to the Falcons' 20 points) and 112 total yards.
Second-year quarterback Drew Lock wasn't terrible in the first half, though he was far from the sharp, poised passer fans saw in the final frame of Week 8. Lock completed 50% of his first-half passes in Atlanta for 98 yards with a QB rating of 72.9.
Something finally clicked for Lock and company, but similarly to last week, it didn't really spark until the fourth quarter. The Broncos, down 21 points once again, managed to storm back by putting three fourth-quarter touchdowns on the board, and were it not for an ill-timed interception Lock threw midway through the final period, which led to a quick touchdown on a short field by Atlanta, this may well have turned into another odds-defying comeback win.
In a contrast of two halves, Lock went 18-of-34 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing one pick and rushing for another score on the ground in the final two quarters of play. If the Broncos could figure out how to get that level of execution out of Lock, and the offense, for a full 60 minutes, this team might really have something.
The question on the mind of Broncos Country is, what does this offense have to do in order to get a more even and consistent performance out of the unit throughout an entire game?
Following Sunday's loss, Lock didn't have all the answers but he recognizes something needs to change during the Broncos' week of practice, even if it's just a collective effort of going the extra mile in preparation.
"I’m confident in what I can do with the football, which for some reason, we get to see a lot of in the second half and not the first," Lock said post-game in Atlanta. "We have to figure out a way to get that done. We have to change something during the week. Not just myself but everybody—extra film and 10 minutes from everybody. An extra 10 minutes on the field—it has to be something."
Lock resolved that he and his squad will put their heads together and iron out a strategy when the Broncos return to Denver.
"We’re going to go back and watch it and do some brainstorming," Lock said. "We’ll figure it out.”
In fairness, as much as Lock needs to be better in the first half, so do the other 10 players on offense, as well as the play-caller. The Broncos' offensive line was near-impotent against Atlanta's defensive front, finishing the first half with a sad 1.1 yards-per-rush average if you remove rookie wideout KJ Hamler's 15-yard gain on a reverse. Even if you include it, Denver averaged just 2.27 YPC in the first half.
In 10 first-half rushing attempts between Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon, the Broncos couldn't even muster two yards per clip. Again, it was 1.1 YPC. That isn't acceptable and the failures in establishing the run on first and second down directly trickle down to the 'money down'.
There was one drive in the second quarter in which Lindsay was tackled for a five-yard loss on 1st-&-10 after the left side of the Broncos' O-line allowed penetration into the backfield at the snap. Facing a 2nd-&-15 situation, the Broncos dug themselves a hole early on that possession and unsurprisingly, it was too deep to climb out of. Punt.
None of that mentions the sieve that was Denver's O-line in Atlanta, allowing interior pressure at will. Lock was only sacked once in the first half, but he was pressured consistently. That led the beleaguered signal-caller to be too quick on the trigger, bailing the pocket early and getting the offense even more off-schedule.
That's how bad offensive football happens. It starts with one unit failing to execute, which creates a trickle-down effect that can snowball into something ineffectual and truly ugly to behold.
Picking up just one yard on a first-down rush led to too many second- and third-and-longs. The down-and-distance scenarios the Broncos conjured for themselves in the first half made each third-down try a low-percentage proposition.
"Some points need to be scored, that's for sure," Lock said of Denver's first-half goals. "Pick up a few first downs and you can't be in third-and-longs—I said that last week. First half, we stunk last week, and third-and-longs in this week. We just have to be better in that regard."
Yes, Lock can be (and has to be) better, but he can't do it alone. Because this offense is so young — from the QB, to the O-line, to the skill positions — all it takes is one individual unit having an off-day and the whole thing can unravel in a hurry.
It's easy to throw one's hands up and say, "trust the process", or that Lock and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur just need more time on task. But Lock and Shurmur have now had a full four games together since the QB returned from his shoulder injury and there are meaningful changes this offense can make along the way to accelerate improvement. Bit it's just not happening.
"There's no magical potion for that to happen, it's going to come with work," Lock said. "I think we're all ready to stop the 'it's part of the process' hoopla. Whatever you want to say, 'the process' or 'young guys'—whatever."
Translation: no more excuses. The performance of the Broncos' offense has been unacceptable for two weeks in a row and it was only a stroke of pure fortune that led to Week 8's comeback win.
Lock will take his share of the blame. But the guys around him will have to partake in a session of 'extreme ownership' and accept their own complicity in the team's lackluster offensive output in the first three quarters of the last two games.
"I think every great quarterback at some point just comes to the realization that, with you all and everybody else, they are 100 percent going to take the blame and then they are going to go in and talk to the guys that feel like they could have played a little better or done this or done that," Lock said.
In the NFL, especially for young teams struggling with injuries, it takes a village to skin the cat on a week-by-week basis. What you'll notice, though, is in the tradition of the league, those young teams who find a way to turn the ship around are often sparked by the galvanizing play of the young QB and the savvy tutelage of smart, veteran coaching.
However, the sooner Lock improves, the sooner the Broncos' supporting cast is likely come around and raise its play but Shurmur could be doing so much more to help them do that. It's not really a chicken-or-the-egg proposition. The chicken comes first (QB) and the egg follows (supporting cast).
"Quite honestly, I'm way more than willing to take the blame every single Sunday. I should, I'm the guy who has the ball in his hand every play," Lock said. "We get a drop, so what? I'm going to find a way for us to get to the next first down on the next play. I think I'm good enough to that and I always have, and I always will."
Lock did show tremendous resilience yet again and toughness. But it's difficult to read too far into that or jump to conclusions because the opponent, nursing a 21-point lead, once again went into prevent mode and loosened up its defense.
Until Lock can prove that he can jump out on an opponent early, and play with a lead, all the garbage time stats in the world won't save him from the outside questions and doubters, nor will it forestall the Broncos from stacking up losses in the standings. On one hand, you want your QB to play his best ball in the fourth quarter, but on the other, that can't be the only point in a given game that he shows up.
There's the rub.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
