Denver Broncos players who need to step up in 2019

Quarterback: Joe Flacco

This is the obvious pick here, isn’t it?

I mean, Flacco is the starter. He said his job in Denver is to win games when he was asked about whether or not he would be taking Drew Lock under his wing, essentially.

Flacco has put the pressure on himself here. He’s made winning his official job description. That means if he’s not winning, the job can be taken away from him at any point.

I think that’s fair.

For a guy entering his 12th NFL season with a Super Bowl MVP in his trophy case, Flacco has fallen off pretty hard in recent years.

While Tom Brady seems to be continually getting better, Flacco has plateaued in the realm of very average in my opinion.

Still, a solid Broncos defense couldn’t beat him early on in the 2018 season. He looked good in that game as a game manager, and according to everyone in Denver, the ball still pops out of his arm.

That’ll happen when you’ve got a chip on your shoulder.

Since his great 2014 season with Gary Kubiak as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator, Flacco is completing passes at a 64 percent clip while averaging 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions per 16 games.

The Broncos are going to need at least 25 touchdowns from Flacco, and if he can provide more than that, the 14 interceptions are somewhat acceptable.

Denver needs this veteran entering his ‘prime’ to do more than just manage games. They need him to step up and help this team win games.

Otherwise, it’ll be time to bring on Drew Lock.