Denver Broncos: 3 players who need a strong finish to 2020.
The Denver Broncos are 4-7 after losing a home game to the New Orleans Saints in just about the weirdest game situations you will ever see.
In what has been pitched by some as an evaluation year, the Denver Broncos have had a tough time getting a good read on just about anything this season.
The team’s starting right tackle opted out of the season, and pretty much anyone with a pulse has taken snaps there in his place. The top players on the team offensively and defensively — Courtland Sutton and Von Miller — have been out for the majority of the year with injuries.
On top of that, the Denver Broncos had to deal with a short-term injury to quarterback Drew Lock, as well as numerous other injuries and COVID-19 protocols that have impacted the season substantially.
Even with all of that considered, there are five games left to evaluate and figure out what the Broncos are going to do in 2021 at key positions or with key pending free agents.
Which players need to step up big and finish strong over these final five weeks?
Let’s take a look.
1. Drew Lock, QB
There is no question that no player on the Denver Broncos’ roster is facing more pressure to perform well over the final five weeks of the season than quarterback Drew Lock.
It’s Drew-cember.
Last year at this time, Lock was cutting his teeth in the NFL. He helped lead the Broncos to a 4-1 record down the stretch of the 2019 season and inspired hope in a large portion of the fan base that the team had found its franchise guy.
In the first seven games Lock has played in 2020, more questions have popped up about his future with the team, at least for some.
While Lock’s numbers and overall play have been hurt by dropped passes and a combination of factors, he’s also made some bad mistakes with the football and has, at times, appeared to have regressed from the positive trajectory he was on at the end of last season.
Lock has not consistently seen the field as well as everyone had hoped, which has many in Broncos Country calling for a new quarterback. John Elway has not publicly shared the skepticism and has even stated recently his excitement for Lock, but there is no doubt that Lock has to prove over the final five weeks of the season that he’s more likely to push the Broncos down the field than get a three-and-out or a turnover.
After missing the Broncos’ home game against the Saints due to mask-wearing negligence at the team facility (as determined by the NFL), Lock will return for a prime time matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s safe to say that, at this point, two of Lock’s worst performances in the NFL have come against his hometown Chiefs.
Something’s got to give, and he has to figure out a way to prove to the front office that he is an asset worth building around going forward.
2. Michael Ojemudia, CB
The cornerback position is arguably the Denver Broncos’ top area of need heading into the 2021 offseason, but then again, maybe not.
The Broncos have AJ Bouye and Bryce Callahan under contract for at least one more season and they have a promising young nickel defensive back in Essang Bassey, fresh off of his first NFL interception against the New Orleans Saints.
The Broncos also clearly think highly of rookie third-round pick Michael Ojemudia, who will be thrust back into the starting lineup after a foot injury suffered by Callahan against the New Orleans Saints.
Ojemudia, for however long this new opportunity lasts, needs to take advantage.
Ojemudia was benched after a rough outing against the Atlanta Falcons on the road, and he has barely seen the field since that time.
As a matter of fact, he didn’t play at all against the Raiders or Dolphins, but he played 25 snaps against the Saints when Callahan went down.
Ojemudia has proven himself as a legitimate outside corner in the NFL this season, allowing under 59 percent of passes to be completed in his coverage with five pass breakups. He’s also got a pair of forced fumbles this season.
With that said, he’s given up three touchdowns and has a number of penalties, even though some of those have been questionable.
Ojemudia has the talent to be a full-time player, but he needs to play well over this final stretch of games to prove that he can be part of the solution whenever the Broncos graduate these older defensive backs out of the system.
3. Shelby Harris, DL
Shelby Harris is a proven commodity, why does he need to play well over the final five games of the 2020 season?
Well, Harris is one of the Broncos’ key free agent defensive players in 2021 and there’s no guarantee he will be back with the team again.
As a matter of fact, it’s stunning that the Broncos were able to get him back for the 2020 season in the first place when Shelby’s performance dictated he should have been paid at least $8-9 million per season in the 2020 offseason.
The Broncos got him back at one year, $3 million.
Harris isn’t going to get fleeced like that again with the way he’s played through seven games, but he has missed the last four contests dealing with being on the COVID/reserve list.
What does Harris need to prove over the final stretch of games this season? Simply put, he likely has to prove to the Broncos’ front office that he is worth paying the guaranteed cash to keep around rather than likely keeping both he and veteran Jurrell Casey, who has missed most of the season on IR.
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Harris is such a key piece of the Broncos’ defense and he’s gotten better every single year he’s been with the team. In order to get a new contract and prove he’s worth keeping over other guys, he’s got to show out over these final five games.