Why Drew Lock, Denver's offense could benefit from both urgency and patience

[Miles]

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As the Broncos cross the midway point of their season, their offense faces a dual reality.


The unit must feel urgency ahead of its Week 10 matchup with the Raiders. And it also must be patient.


The urgency, of course, exists because Drew Lock and Co. are searching for a win over the 5-3 Raiders to improve to 4-5 on the season and remain in the thick of the wild-card race. The group is aiming to improve on an uneven performance against the Falcons in which the team scored six points through the first three quarters and then added three touchdowns in the final frame. Against the Chargers, the Broncos capped a 21-point comeback with another explosive fourth quarter.


As Lock watched the film from the team's most recent loss, he saw small mistakes that could result in major improvements when corrected.


"There was a lot that when we went back and watched, it was the same old song and dance," Lock said. "There was a couple plays that could have kept us on the field. We found ourselves in long third downs. They were dropping eight on those long third downs and forcing us to check it down and getting us off the field. They came at us early and we didn't make those little plays that they were making. There's [specific] things that we talked about, but we'll keep that in the quarterback room."


Lock and the offense have been significantly better in the fourth quarter of games, in part perhaps because they're able to play more freely. They'll look to translate that approach to the first half against the Raiders.


"Maybe just let things flow a little bit in the first half — just trust it, go with my reads, just calm it down in the first half," Lock said. "We know that these first couple drives they're going to throw some different things at us. It might not be exactly what we practiced against, but if you stay calm and in your reads, the guys around you will help make plays too. We can have a cleaner first half, that's bottom line [of] what it is. We practice, we bust our asses during the week, we come out there on Sunday and the little plays weren't happening for us. It was back-to-back weeks of that looking like that. So, we're trying to make statements so that we can come out and not let that happen."


Yet while Lock said he'll "stop the [being] young excuse" for the offense, it's clear a degree of patience could benefit the offense. This is a group that didn't have the benefit of an in-person offseason program or preseason games. Lock then missed nearly three complete games with a shoulder injury. The offense is certainly going through some growing pains, but that doesn't signify it cannot improve.


That's equally true for a quarterback that has struggled at times but has also shown flashes of brilliance over the last two fourth quarters. And while Lock has faced criticism for the first time in his young professional career, Head Coach Vic Fangio believes he's responded correctly.


"I think he's handled it well," Fangio said Wednesday. "Obviously, he's a young player at a very high-profile position. He's going to have to deal with the ups and downs of the game and of the way people react to the game. I think he's done well with it so far. He probably will get better at that as he goes through his career, but overall, I think he's done better. I think the key for him is just to keep practicing and keep playing. Like I said, we need him to play all these plays that we have left in this season so that he can improve. Game reps is the only way that you can continuously improve and the practice reps that go with it."


Impressive performances over the last two weeks from young players like Jerry Jeudy also suggest the offense's potential — and what could still be to come.


"It says a lot," Lock said. "Can't forget about KJ Hamler, can't forget about 'Court' [Courtland Sutton], can't forget about Noah [Fant] and Albert [Okwuebugnam] — all the young guys. Dalton [Risner] at guard, Lloyd [Cushenberry III] at center — we are a very young team but we're not going to run with that as an excuse. The future is bright. It's one of those situations that you find yourself in that you hope you can all stay on the same team for a long time. Unfortunately, it's a business, things happen, but it is a very positive future in my eyes for this organization and the positive future starts this week on Sunday.


"That's the mentality we have to have. It can't be the future, it has to be this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders."