Here’s how Drew Lock can ensure he gets the start on Sunday

 

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Drew Lock’s road to become the Broncos’ starting quarterback could still have a tricky curve or two ahead.

But he appears to have less distance in front of him than in his rear-view mirror to reach the first significant milepost of his NFL career.

First, Broncos coach Vic Fangio announced Wednesday that Lock will receive “three-quarters” of the snaps in practice this week.

Ninety minutes later, when the Broncos began practicing inside the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, Lock was the first quarterback up for individual drills. In the previous two weeks, he was the third to step up, behind Brandon Allen and Brett Rypien.

So after receiving “eight to 10” snaps with the No. 1 offense per practice for the two weeks after his return following the Week 10 bye, Lock and Allen’s repetitions have effectively inverted.

If it looks like the workload of a starter and it feels like the workload of a starter, it must all be in place for Lock to make his first NFL start Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, right?

That all depends on Lock himself.

When asked whether the decision as to Sunday’s starter would be based on how both Allen and Lock fared in practice, Fangio replied, “Both, but mainly [on] how Drew does.”

Fangio said he will make a decision “later in the week, potentially right up to the game.” But he also dismissed the notion of Lock being a backup before he gets the starting nod.

“I really don’t know that there’s a lot of value to that, to be honest with you,” he said.

So it’s all about getting Lock ready to start.

He must show three things:

1. KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME PLAN

When asked what the most important thing was for him to show this week, this is what Lock cited.

“It was different when I was running scout team and they were running plays off the card and showing [that your] footwork and is your accuracy is still there,” he said. “Now, it’s how well can you execute the game plan, how well do you know it and can you go out there and run it clean with the offense.

“Just [to] show that if they were to put me out there it would be a clean-cut game.”

Fangio said that the offense would “not drastically” change based on Lock’s strengths.

However …

“We’ll just major in things that we think fits him better,” Fangio said.

This could mean more shotgun snaps, more run-pass options and more chances for Lock to use his arm talent. A pass like the one he completed to Troy Fumagalli in the preseason loss at Seattle would be an example of this; Lock was able to whip the football to Fumagalli as he completed his cut to the outside. The pass arrived so quickly it appeared to surprise the tight end.

It is a demanding play, but it sits in Lock’s wheelhouse, and is exactly the sort of throw that the Broncos do not have in their arsenal with anyone else at quarterback.

2. MASTER THE “LITTLE THINGS”

Make no mistake, this week is different.

Lock dove into virtual-reality work throughout his time on injured reserve, going through each practice twice as part of his daily routine. But preparing for a potential start requires something extra — and it is not about merely studying the iPad playbook more.

It is refinement of the details of being a quarterback.

“You want to be able to prep like that the whole time while you’re on IR, but there might be just a little couple details that you wouldn’t have necessarily picked up from not actually running it as far as certain footwork from under center, the gun, how wide do I actually step,” Lock explained. “I know it’s wide-zone or I know it’s pistol footwork, but how do I really get that mesh with the running backs?

“You might miss a couple of those things by not actually taking the reps. I think doing more physical stuff throughout the week will help me get ready more than being on IR.”

3. COMFORT AS “THE MAN”

Lock has to be at ease in the role. In this, the best thing he can do is to avoid pretending that he is something he isn’t.

“I’m just going to go out there and be myself, just be what I’ve been to get me to this point,” Lock said. “If that means making some plays where people might think I’m doing too much, then so be it. That’s just who I am as a quarterback, and that’s just what I’m going to stick to.

“I’m going to stick to my guns and stick to who I think I am as a ‘Q.'”

If Lock succeeds as a pro quarterback, it will not be because he transformed his personality. It will be because he was able to take his natural confidence and élan and make it translate to a role that is unlike any other in professional sports.

Being a starting quarterback in the NFL will change you. But Lock cannot let it alter his confident demeanor.

AND ONE MORE THING …

Approximately 45 minutes before Fangio took to the podium inside the media room at UCHealth Training Center, general manager John Elway joined KOA-AM 850 for his weekly radio interview.

The host, Tom Manoogian — better known by his on-air nom de plume of “Lou from Littleton” — asked Elway whether he should wear his Lock jersey to Sunday’s game.

Elway laughed heartily before replying thusly:

“You know what, I think it would be a good start to get the old Drew Lock jerseys going, but like I said, we’ll see how the week goes. It’s going to be important to see how this week goes, and we’ll go from there.”

So what Elway is essentially saying is this: If you’ve got a Lock jersey, flaunt it. Could be a big day.

The QB1 gig is in Lock’s hands.

If he doesn’t fumble it away in practice and shows the attributes that compelled the Broncos to trade up to draft him, Drewcember will begin Sunday.