Fangio Emphasizes Drew Lock's Need to Stay Healthy When Asked About the QB's Progress
The Denver Broncos sit at 2-3 after digging themselves out of the initial hole the team started in this season. Next up on the schedule is a divisional throw-down vs. the 5-1 Kansas City Chiefs, whom the Broncos haven't beaten since Week 2 of the 2015 season.
One of the reasons the Broncos started 0-3 was due to the loss of starting quarterback Drew Lock, who went down with an injury to his throwing shoulder only a handful of plays into the team's Week 2 game at Pittsburgh. Jeff Driskel stepped in for Lock and while he performed admirably in relief, it was ultimately not enough to overcome the loss of the starter.
Driskel was benched during Week 3's loss to Tampa Bay and Brett Rypien took over for the final series. That earned him the starting nod for Week 4 at the Jets while Lock continued to heal up. Despite Rypien throwing three interceptions at MetLife Stadium, the Broncos played well as a team and emerged with their first win of the season.
Thanks in part to the NFL delaying the Broncos' matchup with the Patriots, rescheduling the game for Week 6, Lock was able to return to the starting lineup last Sunday. He led the Broncos to a massive upset win over the 9-point favorite Patriots.
It wasn't a perfect performance but Lock had a palpable influence on the team, helping to put the Broncos in position to upset the Patriots. Lock almost beat the Titans in Week 1, if he'd have received a little more help from his receivers and offensive play-caller when the chips were down. When he's under center, the Broncos have more than a fighting chance.
With Kansas City next up on the schedule, the topic of quarterbacks is on front-of-brain. Patrick Mahomes causes every NFL team to measure itself against him at the quarterback position.
On Wednesday, head coach Vic Fangio was asked about his view on Lock's progress since arriving as the Broncos' second-round pick in 2019.
“His progress has been good when he’s out there," Fangio said on Wednesday.
Fangio's reply lays bare the big knock on Lock right now. Is he injury-prone? After two injuries in as many seasons that caused him to miss time, Lock has to answer whether his body can hold up to the beating and rigors of being an NFL quarterback.
My question is, can Lock do a better job with his awareness and not put himself in the position to get hurt? Obviously, the Broncos needed to do a better job of protecting him in Week 2 but Lock himself acknowledged last week that there is an "art" to NFL QBs avoiding the big, risky hits and staying healthy and available for their respective teams.
"Since we got him, he missed the first 10 weeks of the season last year and did a nice job getting his first action down the stretch," Fangio said of Lock. "Then he has a good camp this year and gets hurt very early in like the 10th or 11th play of the Pittsburgh game and misses all of that game and then the next two, and then he gets the start last week."
Fangio likes what he's seen from Lock but you know the old NFL cliche: 'the best ability is avail-ability.'
"We need a good stretch with him where he can play the rest of the season for instance, and get comfortable in there, the guys get comfortable and the coaches get to know him better and tailor things to him that he does well," Fangio said. "He’s doing well. I’m glad we have him and I have great hope for him. We’re glad that we have him.”
The NFL is a got-man league. Do you have a bonafide quarterback with franchise-caliber tools? The Broncos believe they have that in Lock.
However, the league is also a production-based business. For no position is that reality more pressing than at quarterback.
QBs aren't just expected to produce stats but also wins. Lock is now 5-3 as a starting QB in the NFL, which one of the reasons the Broncos remain committed to him.
When he's been on the field, Lock has produced results, though it hasn't always been pretty. At this stage, the second-year signal-caller really just needs to stay on the field. If he can do that, the rest will take care of itself.
Chiefs' head coach Andy Reid said on Wednesday that Lock is "getting better with time." If he stays healthy, Lock will continue to progress and develop and that'll trickle down and have a big effect on the Broncos' prospects and fortunes as a team.
In the next breath, Fangio talked about Mahomes and how he's continued to improve, though it might seem inexplicable considering how dominant he's been since taking over starting duties for the Chiefs. Fangio believes young quarterbacks only get better with time and reps.
In order to be great and to be mentioned in the same breath as the Mahomes of the NFL, Lock's first order of business is becoming that 'artist' and avoiding the risky situations on the field that could lead to him getting hurt.
“The great ones get better every day, every season and every game," Fangio said.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.
