Editor’s note: A Broncos quarterback competition can only mean one thing — another Broncos quarterback scoreboard. A fan favorite in the past, these stories will be posted after each and every training camp practice updating just how Denver’s quarterback competition is unfolding. At the end of each practice, 10 points will be divided among Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater with a cumulative score of the entire camp following. Which quarterback is in the lead? Find out now.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Tuesday was all about the run game during the Broncos’ first training camp practice in pads.
But on Wednesday, still in pads, Pat Shurmur and the offense went back to the air attack. Here’s what went down in the competition between Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock during the team’s seventh practice of camp and why one quarterback won the day.
A Promising Start
Lock and Bridgewater started Wednesday’s practice on a positive note with nearly the exact same play. On his first drop back, Lock connected with Courtland Sutton—who had a monster day—in the middle of the field for a gain of 20. Teddy responded with a 20-yard completion to a wide open Jerry Jeudy.
Receiving the first snaps with the first-team offense on Wednesday, Lock rounded out his possession with two incompletions. The first was an intentional throwaway after climbing the pocket to avoid Malik Reed off the right side. Lock then overthrew Seth Williams down the right sideline with Bryce Callahan in tight coverage.
Bridgewater rounded out his first series with a checkdown to LeVante Bellamy in the right flat and then took off in the middle of the line for a gain of 10 after the defense immediately vacated the area after the snap.
In the only red-zone 7-on-7 period, Bridgewater and Brett Rypien were the only two quarterbacks to receive snaps. From the 10-yard line, Teddy connected with Jeudy for seven yards, hit Trinity Benson for a touchdown on the left sideline and connected with Jeudy on another slant, this time for a touchdown. He capped off the impressive period by overthrowing Fant as he ran a quick out toward the right sideline.
Back in 11-on-11, Bridgewater and the offense lit a few fireworks. The first was all thanks to the Pro-Bowl receiver. Open 20 yards past the line of scrimmage in the middle of the field, Bridgewater threw the ball behind Sutton, so much so that the receiver had to significantly slow down and reach behind his body for the ball. Because of the awkward position of the pass, Sutton was only able to put his right arm out for the ball. But that’s all he needed as he secured it with his right elbow as he fell to the ground. A Pro-Bowl play by the Pro Bowler.
Bridgewater’s next pass was a beauty, and won him the day (read below).
However, to round out the series, Teddy again threw behind his receiver, this time Jeudy, for an incompletion.
In response, Lock began his series with back-to-back completed screen passes and a 10-yard completion to Jeudy on the left sideline. With plenty of time in the pocket, thanks to his offensive line, Lock remained calm and showed excellent patience as he waited for Jeudy to pop open. Then he had his best pass of the day.
With DeVontres Dukes smothered in tight coverage as he tore down the right sideline, Lock zipped a perfect back-shoulder pass to the 6-foot-4 receiver. Thanks to excellent placement, Dukes turned at just the right time to pull away from the cornerback and make the 20-yard catch.
In the next period, going up against the first-team defense, Bridgewater had two quick five-yard completions, one to Jeudy and the other to Fant. After going through his progressions, he also added a 20-yard completion to Sutton in the middle of the field.
Going up against the second-team defense, Lock began the next period by connecting with Andrew Beck for 10 yards. However, he turned around and threw a low ball to K.J. Hamler, which the speedy receiver couldn’t haul in.
In the only team red-zone period of camp, each quarterback had two drop backs. Working with the twos and against the twos, Bridgewater had a five-yard completion to Hamler on a quick out to the left. Then, with pressure beating down on him, he connected with De’Mornay Pierson-El for another five yards down to the five-yard line.
Facing the ones with the first-team offense, Lock only had one five-yard completion to Fant. His other drop back, after likely being sacked, he settled by throwing the ball away.
Before the final period of practice, each quarterback was making smart decisions and was efficient, especially Teddy as he only let the ball hit the ground once up to that point. After practice, Lock was pleased with the way he’s kept the ball safe in the first week of camp.
“I feel like as a quarterback room in general, including myself, we’ve been taking care of the ball,” he said about the first week of practice. “Knowing when the time is there to press it down the field. Just being clean. Being consistent. Knowing where to get to the ball. I think it has a lot to do with how quick we can get through reads now. How we’ve seen these plays. How we’ve seen the defense. We’re seeing it better. We know we’re protected. And if we’re not, we know when we’re not. It’s just playing better quarterback football. It’s just progression and a little bit of time, a little bit of patience and a little bit of knowledge.”
That changed in the final team period on Wednesday.
A Disastrous End
Down seven with 2:10 left on the clock, each quarterback was given two timeouts and the ball at their own 25-yard line. The goal was to go 75 yards and tie the game up.
“You get the ball back with 2:10, you’re down seven, you got two timeouts and the two-minute warning, that’s a doable situation,” Fangio stated. “We got to go do it.”
Much like the rest of practice, the final team period started well for both quarterbacks. In fact, each drive started nearly the exact same as the first drive of practice. Lock connected with Sutton for a 20-yard completion and Bridgewater hit Seth Williams for a 19-yard gain.
Six of Lock’s next seven plays were passes. Every pass was shorter than five yards, but they were all completions as the offense marched into the red zone.
Faced with a 3rd-and-six from the 14 yard line with 35 seconds left, Lock tried to make a play. With his internal clock ticking down as he bounced in the pocket, the “calculated gunslinger” attempted to zip a pass into the end zone. Stepping up, Lock ripped it. Justin Simmons flew out of the end zone, intercepting the low pass to end the game.
“Just make a better decision,” Lock said about the pick. “Jerry ran a good route. Either put it over the top of him or really chuck it in the dirt to see the next play. Don’t go half and half there.”
Even if Simmons didn’t jump the route, the pass wouldn’t have been completed as there were more defenders in the area than receivers. Lock’s clean day was wiped away on the very last play.
With how close the quarterback competition has been a week into camp, unsurprisingly, Bridgewater had nearly an identical finish to practice.
After his 19-yard completion to Williams, Bridgewater hit four of his next five passes—just missing Austin Fort on his only incompletion—as he drove the offense into the red zone.
With 59 seconds left, Bridgewater had 1st-and-10 at the 20. With single coverage on the lone receiver on the left side of the field, Teddy stepped back and floated the ball up to Branden Mack. Unfortunately for Bridgewater, the undrafted rookie receiver didn’t look for the ball. Instead, cornerback Rojesterman Farris, who was signed on Sunday, saw the pass leave Teddy’s hand and float into his at the five-yard line. Interception. Game over. Practice over.
“Defense, they came with the pressure, had to get the ball out. Just weren’t on the same page,” Bridgewater said about he and Mack on the final play. “It’s something that we can fix, easily. It’s nothing that we’re going to panic about.”
The most disappointing part was each quarterback had another down—or downs in Bridgewater’s case—so there was no need to force the ball. Additionally, both quarterbacks had done an excellent job moving into the red zone efficiently and effectively before blowing it all on the final play.
QB Play of the Day
One play after Sutton bailed Bridgewater out of a bad pass and made the play of the day, Teddy made the QB Play of the Day.
Facing the first-team defense, Bridgewater identified a matchup he liked, which isn’t easy to do against Fangio’s stacked unit. Seconds after the snap, Fant had a step, which grew to multiple steps, on Justin Strnad down the left numbers.
Bridgewater launched the ball from his own 45-yard line, hit his open tight end in stride and Fant trotted into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown.
Scoreboard
Until the very last pass of practice from each quarterback, both Lock and Bridgewater had a good day leading Denver’s offense.
However, there was one major difference. Teddy Bridgewater had the deep touchdown, while Drew Lock didn’t. The 55-yard Bridgewater bomb gives Teddy the win on Wednesday.
Daily 10-point scale score: 6-4, Teddy Bridgewater
Collective 10-point scale score: 36.5-33.5, Bridgewater
