Fangio on Broncos' QB Situation: 'We’re Committed to Drew Lock'
The Denver Broncos marched into their debut in Las Vegas against their old foe the Raiders in hopes of starting off the second half of the season on a better footing than the first. Alas, through a series of self-inflicted wounds and an opponent that executed at a high level, the Broncos fell to the Raiders 37-12, dropping to a woeful 3-6 on the season.
Although there was plenty of blame to go around, the lynchpin to the Broncos' struggles was quarterback Drew Lock. The embattled gunslinger tossed four interceptions on the day, including one in the end zone, and was erratic throughout.
Missing from Lock's performance in Vegas was the whirlwind fourth-quarter production of the two preceding games. Although Lock did throw one touchdown in the final frame, it was an impotent finish to an inconsistent and at times woeful game.
Lock finished the day 23-of-47 for 257 yards with the aforementioned garbage-time touchdown and four picks. His QB rating? A putrid 37.3.
After Lock's third interception, all eyes were on Vic Fangio to see if the head coach would make a quarterback change in-game and sit Lock down. Fangio stuck with Lock in Vegas and after the game, revealed that the Broncos have no plans of making a change at the most important position on the field.
“We’re committed to Drew and the more he can play, the better he’ll be," Fangio said post-game. "He’s got to fight through this like most young quarterbacks do at some point in their career and we’re going to continue to play him.”
Although some fans, and many in Denver media, are calling for Lock's head and campaigning for Brett Rypien to be given the reigns, Fangio and the Broncos are taking the long view and standing behind their young beleaguered quarterback.
Fangio emphasized the need for the Broncos to take a "good, hard look" at the failings of the passing game and admitted that "everybody's fingerprints" are on the offense's lackluster performance. At this stage, the team has to wonder about the state of Lock's confidence, which Fangio acknowledged post-game.
“There’s only one way to rebuild it," Fangio said. "You’ve got to go back to work and he’s got to start experiencing good play. We’ve got to devise our passing game and our offense and our running game to where he can be more successful. I see a lot of good throws by him, I see a lot of good catches by our receivers, but we seem to have that play or two where we throw a pick or that stops a drive. So, we’ve got to be more consistent and more efficient.”
With a surging Miami Dolphins squad led by Tua Tagovailoa next up on the docket, there will be no rest for the weary. In yet another litmus test, Lock will be measured head-to-head against one of the bright, young quarterbacks in the game and one of the hotter teams in the AFC.
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