Drew Lock’s status vs. Patriots officially questionable

Drew Lock is officially questionable for the Patriots game on Monday.

The Denver Broncos have officially labeled starting quarterback Drew Lock as questionable for their Monday afternoon game against the New England Patriots.

Lock’s status for the game is in question at this point, and it has been all week. Lock opened the week not practicing but starting on Wednesday, got in limited work every single day he was able to.

It’s been very difficult to read the Broncos’ official stance on whether or not they will have Lock play on Monday. Vic Fangio mentioned that the game being delayed 24 hours likely wouldn’t affect whether or not Lock could go, but it now seems like the game being pushed back could potentially work in Lock’s favor.

Although Lock started the week with limited work, the Broncos factored him in more and more. Still, this note is perhaps the most important one of them all:

The Broncos have been posting videos and pictures of Lock practicing all throughout the week. Other members of the media have posted some videos of Lock throwing during the portion of practice they are able to watch, and he has looked pretty darn fresh.

It’s crucial to remember what Fangio said earlier in the week, that if Lock is healthy enough to dress for the game, he’s going to start.

Calling him a game-time decision is not a surprise in the least.

The Broncos have been holding out hope that Lock could be ready for this game, which is why they didn’t place him on IR. When Lock was injured, the Broncos knew they would have to be without him for two games since they played the Jets on a short week after their game against the Buccaneers.

The fact that Brett Rypien got the majority of reps with the first-team is a clear indicator that the Broncos are not going to force the issue with Lock. If he feels good, he has a real shot to play. They didn’t rule him out, which is at the very least a glimmer of hope that he could play against the Patriots.

If Lock is not yet 100 percent, you have to wonder if the Broncos will risk throwing him out there on the road against the Patriots after Brett Rypien — struggles and all — helped the team to its first win of 2020 and a 37-point offensive effort.

The Broncos will have Phillip Lindsay back, so either Rypien or Lock will have an easier job in that respect.

No matter what, the Broncos don’t want to risk playing Lock at less than 100 percent, throwing him out there and letting him take a big hit, and missing even more of the 2020 season than he already has.

If Lock’s shoulder is feeling good and he’s healed up, however, there’s no time to waste getting him extra rest or anything like that. The Broncos are 1-3 and with an extra playoff spot available this year, they need to win. They need their best players out there.

This is such a delicate issue considering the Broncos and Lock are dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder. If the videos are any indication, it’s going to be hard to keep him inactive in this one.

It’s probably best to expect Brett Rypien to get the nod in this game, but the Broncos might be slow-playing Lock’s return to the field.