Drew Lock or Teddy Bridgewater in Week 1?
Editor’s note: First in a series previewing each Broncos position group entering the start of July 27 training camp.
Trevor Siemian. Case Keenum. Joe Flacco. Drew Lock.
Will Teddy Bridgewater make it a fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback in as many years when the Broncos visit the New York Giants on Sept. 12?
Acquired from the Carolina Panthers during the week of the draft, new Broncos general manager George Paton came through on his vow to provide competition for Lock … and maybe replace him.
The Great Quarterback Derby of 2021 kicks off July 28 and it will be a race to figure out who is the better option against the Giants.
Stating the obvious: The Broncos need better quarterback play if they are to snap a five-year playoff drought. The aforementioned names either couldn’t stay healthy (Siemian/Flacco), didn’t throw it downfield enough (Keenum) or committed too many turnovers (Lock).
Who’s back
Lock (second-round pick in 2019) and Brett Rypien (undrafted free agent in ’19).
Lock’s 4-1 finish to ’19 was fool’s good as he came crashing down to Earth last year, winning only four of his 12 full-game starts and tying for the NFL lead with 15 interceptions. There can be an argument that he was set up to struggle because the Broncos jettisoned offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello in January ’19 and then had no in-person offseason program because of the coronavirus. At least Lock is in the same offense for the second consecutive year.
Who’s new
Teddy Bridgewater (acquired for seventh-round pick from Carolina).
The 28-year-old Bridgewater was a first-round pick by Minnesota in 2014, but after a serious knee injury, has bounced from the Jets to New Orleans to Carolina. He has a career starting record of 26-23, but cratered to 4-11 last year with the Panthers, who gave up on him for Sam Darnold.
Who’s gone
Jeff Driskel (released and signed with Houston).
Overview
Here is the conundrum for coach Vic Fangio and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur in a non-Aaron Rodgers world: Start the quarterback who knows where to go with the football, albeit without elite velocity (Bridgewater), or the one who has the fastball, albeit with sometimes-faulty GPS (Lock)?
Our lean is the coaches will go with Bridgewater, opting to rely on a could-be-elite defense to hold Daniel Jones (Giants), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Zach Wilson (Jets) in check during Weeks 1-3. “Just don’t lose the game, Teddy, and we’ll take care of the rest,” could be Fangio’s mantra.
Number of note
79.0
The passer rating for Broncos quarterbacks from 2016-20, which is second-worst in the NFL (New York Jets 76.5). Sixteen teams have a rating of at least 91.0 during that five-year stretch.
Saturday: Defensive line.
