Denver Broncos QB Drew Lock can go out with a bang
If Saturday’s game is to mark the end of Drew Lock’s time with the Denver Broncos, he can end his tenure with the team in a big way.
Saturday’s conclusion of the 2021 season for the Denver Broncos will surely be followed by a quick jump to the offseason. While the future of the coaching staff is up in the air, the quarterback room is even less certain.
Sure, it feels all but ensured that the Broncos will be on the search for their franchise quarterback once again, with the Teddy Bridgewater experiment concluded.
However, the status of Drew Lock is up in the air. Though we could certainly see Lock return to the Broncos in 2022, it does not feel like a large possibility at this point.
Whether fans believe that Drew Lock’s growth was stunted by Vic Fangio or that he was never going to be “the guy” to begin with, both sides can probably agree that a change of scenery would be beneficial for Drew Lock, going away from a program and a staff that felt it didn’t have much faith in him.
What Drew Lock’s future has in store remains to be seen, but one thing is certain. If this is to be Drew Lock’s last game as a member of the Denver Broncos, he can leave fans with fond memories with a big game and a potentially huge upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
According to StatMuse, in three games against the Chiefs, Drew Lock has a TD to INT ratio of 2:5, with 613 pass yards and a QBR of 56.6. Certainly, these stats have not been good enough for a victory, as Lock remains winless against the rival Chiefs.
Limited success against the AFC West has been one of the primary narratives in Drew Lock’s time with the Broncos, as the team is just 4-8 in divisional games with Lock.
However, if it is to be his final act with the team, Lock has a major opportunity to flip that narrative and pick up just one more AFC West win, against an opponent neither he nor the team have found any success against post-Super Bowl 50.
Lock has not thrown an interception in his last three games but also accounted for just two touchdowns in those games as well. If Lock is able to find more success running the offense on Saturday, not only does he give the Broncos a better opportunity to end the season on a high note, he has the opportunity to demonstrate that he belongs on the football field, whether it be with the Denver Broncos or another franchise.
It is fair to say that Drew Lock has not been given the ultimate endorsement by this coaching staff and program in 2021, and many quarterbacks may not find themselves able to recover from that loss of confidence.
In his return as a starter, Lock has not played poorly enough to be blamed for the losing trend but has not exactly played well enough to draw confidence that he can still be what the Broncos need to succeed.
However, Drew Lock is still confident in his own abilities: “I feel like I’ve done a lot of good things, to the point where I am confident in myself that I deserve and should be a starter in this league” (via Mile High Sports).
Right now, the fate of Drew Lock is unknown. Perhaps the Broncos will retain him, and he will have another opportunity to compete for a starting position. However, it feels as if perhaps too much has happened here for Lock to reach his potential, or to have an opportunity to try. Perhaps it is in the best interest of both parties to part ways following the season.
No matter what happens, Drew Lock has one more shot to prove himself and his career against a team he has found himself unable to overcome. If it is meant to be that Drew Lock’s time with the Denver Broncos will come to an end, going out as the first Broncos quarterback to beat the Chiefs since Peyton Manning would be a good way to go out on top.