How the Broncos can set Drew Lock on the right course

How can the Denver Broncos get Drew Lock back on the right path?

Drew Lock hit rock bottom against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 7.

The Denver Broncos bought into Lock after a 4-1 finish to the 2019 regular season, hired Pat Shurmur and Mike Shula to set him up for success, used their top two draft choices on wide receivers, and ultimately constructed what many believed was the offense of the future.

And many still do.

Some in Broncos Country have jumped ship on Drew Lock after three games in 2020. While the fanatical reaction of, well, fans is understandable, jumping ship on Lock at this point is unwise and unwarranted.

Concern? Valid. Skepticism? Also valid.

As talented, poised, well-spoken, and charismatic as Lock is, he is not exempt from legitimate critique and criticism of his game. The Denver Broncos have to make certain he is “the guy” for the franchise moving forward, and Lock must seize the opportunity he has been given.

He will not simply be anointed the franchise quarterback based on second-round draft status, a strong arm, and some fun games as he came off of IR in his rookie season. The pressure is on Lock in 2020 to prove himself, establish himself, and prove to John Elway, Vic Fangio, and the rest of the Denver Broncos that he is worthy of their continued faith and favor.

Lock is just eight games into his NFL career. He’s dealt with two fairly significant injuries at this point, has had multiple offensive coordinators, and in 2020, he’s only been on the field with Courtland Sutton for a small handful of plays.

Adversity is common in the NFL, so not having Sutton is a valid gripe for ardent Lock supporters, but there are plenty of talented players in Denver’s offense to get the ball to.

As of right now, many in Broncos Country are expressing significant concern over whether or not Lock is the long-term solution at quarterback. Through three-plus games, he has completed just 55.9 percent of his passes with one touchdown (in week one) and now four interceptions.

All four of those interceptions have come in the two games since Lock came off the injury report, on the road against the Patriots and at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Two of those four interceptions have cost the Broncos in a big way, getting returned by the opposing team for a touchdown. Between Lock’s pair of pick-sixes, Brett Rypien’s pick-six against the Jets, and Blake Bortles’ historic propensity for pick-sixes, the Broncos’ quarterback room is all too familiar with that particularly dreadful play.

After the home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos are 2-4 and it seems the fan base is very unclear whether or not Lock is a franchise quarterback. Regardless of your faith (or lack of it) in Lock’s ability to get through this slump, there are some clear areas he needs to show improvement.

There are also areas the Broncos’ coaching staff must set him up for success.

How can Lock get back on track? How can we see more performances from him like we saw against the Houston Texans last year?