What Drew Lock needs to show more than anything else against Raiders

It’s now official, Drew Lock will make his first start of the 2021 season in Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

With Teddy Bridgewater being ruled out following the concussion he sustained last week, Drew Lock is back in as the team’s starter for the first time since the 2020 season ended.

In three relief appearances this year, Lock has completed 22-of-40 passes for 227 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Many fans will look at this as a serious downgrade and be down that the team is having to turn to Lock. After all, Lock has been quite subpar when asked to step in this year.

But let’s not blame that all on Lock.

Prior to this season, he had played only the equivalent of one full season as the team’s starter. He lost what the coaching staff called a close competition this summer, though it likely never was. Vic Fangio and his staff were tied to Bridgewater as the starting quarterback as soon as the team traded for him on the opening night of the draft. Teddy was the safer option.

He’s certainly been safe, but that’s not saying much.

He’s also been slow, he takes the check-down option 90 percent of the time and he’s gunshy, afraid to try and drive the ball down the field. Lock will be the exact opposite.

Lock came in last week and threw a touchdown pass, something that probably would not have happened all game with Bridgewater, who had trouble even getting the team beyond midfield against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Yes, Lock did fumble the ball in a key scenario that was a large factor in the Broncos’ loss, but that was not a great play call by Pat Shurmur either.

This week against the Raiders, which we have already identified as a playoff elimination game, Lock should be prepared to come out and show one thing above all else.

Fearlessness.

This may be the last good look Lock ever gets as the Broncos’ quarterback and he needs to go out on that field and do all of the things Bridgewater hasn’t done. What might that be?

Take some shots down the field. Get the ball to the wide receivers. Don’t even think about the check-down options. In general, just go out and sling the ball around.

Sure, he’s susceptible to mistakes and turnovers. But give me that over the guy who is afraid to make a mistake. The guy who goes out there and plays it safe on every single down. That approach has led the Broncos to a 7-7 record and if we are honest, they aren’t really even that good if you consider lackluster performances against the Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, among others.

Drew Lock must be the exact opposite of Teddy Bridgewater

The Broncos have nothing to lose by playing Lock and as a result, he has nothing to lose by going out there and trying to make something happen. Who knows, he might even get the team on the scoreboard with that mindset.

The Broncos are not going to win games by scoring 10 points or 14 points each week. That’s how they are trying to win games right now, something many saw when the team was being put together this offseason.

Well, it hasn’t worked.

The Broncos need a fired-up and fearless Drew Lock. He needs to be the guy the team drafted in the second round in 2019, not this player that the team has tried to fit into Shurmur’s lackadaisical offensive scheme.

Shurmur should open up the playbook and let Lock work to his strengths but if he doesn’t, Lock needs to be aggressive and ready to put on a show, if not for the Broncos, then for a team that might see something in him down the road.

Throw caution out the window, Drew.