Miles
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- Mar 18, 2019
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HOUSTON — Before last week’s game, conversations about the Broncos almost exclusively focused on Drew Lock and if he would make his first start.
He did more than just that, as he led a pair of go-ahead fourth-quarter drives and helped the Broncos to a 23-20 win over their division rival.
Now that Lock has played and won his debut, another question persists.
Can he do it again?
The rookie quarterback will lead the Broncos against the AFC South-leading Houston Texans on Sunday, and he’ll aim to take another step forward in his young career.
If he can deliver, the Broncos would earn their first win against a team poised to make the playoffs. They would also tally just their second two-game win streak of the season and start the final quarter of the season with a win.
Lock, of course, isn’t the only factor in Sunday’s game.
These are the questions that will define whether Denver can earn its second road win of the season.
HOW DOES DREW LOCK PLAY IN HIS FOLLOW-UP PERFORMANCE?
Drew Lock has played in NRG Stadium before, as Missouri played Texas in the 2017 Texas Bowl.
He’ll return Sunday as he makes his first road start — and he’ll try to build off a win in his debut.
“For one, going back to the pick, just learning not to force anything,” said Lock on Wednesday of what he could learn from his first game. “In college, I might have been able to get away with a couple decisions like that, but these guys are quicker, these guys are faster and these guys are smarter. I’m not going to be able to get away with things as much as I did in college. Where being able to take the things that they give me 24/7, that’ll just help us move down the field better. [It’s a] you-can’t-go-broke-if-you’re-taking-a-profit-type deal, so take what they give you. Being able to realize the little decisions throughout the game can really affect the big picture of the game, that was one of the big takeaways.”
If Lock is to become just the third Broncos quarterback to win his first two starts as a rookie, he’ll need to make the same big throws he did against the Chargers and add just a bit more consistency.
The statistics reflect that he may have the chance to do just that.
Despite their 8-4 record, the Texans rank 32nd in third-down defense, 31st in red zone defense, 28th in passing defense and interceptions and 26th in sacks.
Lock could, though, expect to see both pressure and disguised coverages from Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel.
“Probably, yeah,” said Fangio on Friday when asked if he thinks Crennel will be aggressive. “He’ll probably be aggressive with [Lock]. I think you’re alluding to pressuring, but I do think he can possibly be aggressive too with coverage changeups that aren’t pressures.”
Can Lock stare down that pressure and put together another high-quality performance that pushes the Broncos above 24 points for the first time since a Week 8 game in Arizona last season?
If so, the Broncos could have the chance to pull the upset.