The Seattle Seahawks are trying to keep their 2023 season alive in Week 14 with a brutally tough matchup against the red-hot San Francisco 49ers. Starting QB Geno Smith is unavailable, so the Seahawks are going to be relying on former Denver Broncos starting quarterback and 2019 second-round pick Drew Lock to get the job done and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Sources: Drew Lock will start for the #Seahawks. Geno Smith was limited in practice with a groin injury, and he won’t be able to go.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 10, 2023
Lock is set to make his first start since 2021. pic.twitter.com/jMmeQHyo91
Broncos Country knows all to well the game of roulette that gets played when Drew Lock is the starting quarterback. Of course, there's a chance the Seahawks could get the best version of Lock, which is a gunslinger who can make any big-time throw in the book. Unfortunately, the majority of the time, Lock's gunslinger mentality gets the better of him. He's got 25 career touchdowns passes compared to 21 interceptions, as well as 13 fumbles.
It was with Drew Lock as the primary starter in 2020 that the Denver Broncos ranked 32nd in the NFL in giveaways on offense, averaging nearly two giveaways per game (31 giveaways in 16 games).
Lock was then demoted in 2021 for Teddy Bridgewater, making a couple of spot starts throughout the season, before the Broncos included him in the trade for Russell Wilson in the 2022 offseason. Just a handful of weeks ago, Lock came on the field in relief of Geno Smith and immediately struggled, throwing an interception among his six pass attempts.
Of course, the Seahawks' game against the San Francisco 49ers has nothing to do with the Denver Broncos, but once again, monitoring former Broncos -- and specifically, Lock -- is fascinating. Not only that, but Lock is a piece of that Russell Wilson trade, one of the biggest trades in league history. It's always going to be dissected and analyzed at every turn.
Lock hasn't started any games since 2021 when he came on in relief of Teddy Bridgewater. Broncos fans will recall those opportunities, a total of six games played with three starts and a forgettable performance against the Cincinnati Bengals that ultimately felt like it killed the Broncos' playoff hopes that season.
Lock was once thought to be the potential QB of the future for the Denver Broncos. He put together an impressive five-game stretch to end his rookie season back in 2019, but a series of events and moves made by the Broncos in 2020 (as well as the pandemic) seemingly stunted Lock's growth. To some, Lock has turned out exactly as anticipated.
After starting off the season looking like they were destined for at least a Wild Card spot, the Seahawks have floundered as of late and are in danger of ending the day in sole possession of third place in the NFC West. Broncos fans aren't going to feel too sorry for them anytime soon.