Shurmur: Drew Lock 'Needs to Play Well' at Seattle to Earn QB Job

Consistency is everything.

Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur issued a 142-word retort when asked what quarterback Drew Lock must do in Saturday's preseason game against the Seahawks to vanquish Teddy Bridgewater and officially claim the starting quarterback position.

But only two words — his first two words — were necessary.

"Play well," Shurmur answered.

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Consistency is everything as it concerns Denver's third-year signal-caller, who could not have looked better in last week's rout of the Vikings. He was decisive, poised, efficient, and, most importantly, mistake-free — a night-and-day contrast from the Lock of old.

Consistency means Lock replicates his effort. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll toss another 80-yard touchdown or the Broncos win by multiple scores. It means he needs to be decisive, poised, efficient, and, most importantly, mistake-free.

The Lock of new.

"He just needs to play well," Shurmur repeated. "We talk about the quarterback thing behind the scenes and in private all the time, and I think that's really kind of the topic. That's for coach to discuss with you publicly, but he just needs to play well and continue on the right path. We've seen the improvement. We've seen a young player—in my opinion—get better with an offseason and now a training camp. We're all together, and he can deal with me a little better. We all work together better, and he's also in a position where he's competing with another player who’s doing an excellent job. That's the type of setting we as coaches want to create at all positions, and we're just kind of focusing on the quarterback.”

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio admitted Wednesday he's "pretty damn close" to crowning his Week 1 QB. Fangio, though, wants to analyze more incoming "information" before choosing between Lock and Bridgewater, who's expected to open the Seahawks game with the first-string offense.

In other words: "Do it again, Drew."

Words that won't fall on deaf ears.

"We have another test coming up this weekend and I’m going to go out and try to do the same thing," Lock affirmed. "We’ve got a lot more practices left until the first game. I just want to come out every day and show that I’m improving. Like I’ve always said, take care of the football and just make smart decisions—coming out, protecting the ball, moving us down the field, taking it day-by-day. I try not to get too absorbed and just focus on myself. [I need to] take care of the business I need to take care of.”

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