Drew Lock looks like the answer for Broncos
DENVER — Broncos quarterback Drew Lock didn’t have the most yards, and he only threw one touchdown pass. But he showed plenty of traits in defeating the Raiders 16-15 that could have him behind center for Denver for the foreseeable future.
“He’s going to be a good quarterback in this league — a great quarterback in this league,” Raiders safety Erik Harris said. “Obviously, the kid is mobile. The kid has a strong arm. He extends plays. So I feel like that seems like the theory in our division — mobile quarterbacks who can extend plays and throw the ball.”
Lock finished 17-of-28 passing for 177 yards with a touchdown. He also picked up 29 yards on six carries, displaying an ability to keep the Raiders’ defense off guard with his legs.
In five starts to end the season, Lock helped pilot the Broncos to a 4-1 record — the only loss being to the Chiefs at a snowy and cold Arrowhead Stadium in Week 15. Overall this season, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,020 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
Following the contest, Lock said he felt like the last five games went “really well.”
“In my mind, it was enough for me to establish being the guy going into next season with my teammates and hopefully the front office as well,” Lock said.
Broncos head coach Vic Fangio’s review wasn’t quite as glowing, but was still positive.
“I wasn’t happy with our performance offensively. But again, I didn’t see anything out of Drew that told me, ‘Oh geez, maybe he isn’t the guy,’” Fangio said. “I like the way he’s played and I like the way he’s reacted and played through games that weren’t going too well. To me, that’s part of being an NFL quarterback. He’s shown that he’s got that part in him.”
The Broncos, who with Sunday’s win officially finished in second place in the AFC West ahead of the Raiders at 7-9, have plenty of decisions to make this offseason. But at this point, their quarterback situation looks fairly settled.
“It’s going to be fun,” Harris said of competing against Lock. “He’s going to be a fun rival for years to come.”
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Contact Myles Simmons at msimmons@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @MylesASimmons on Twitter.
