Was Drew Lock pulling a Paxton Lynch during his first two seasons?
Mar 8, 2021, 8:22 AM
This weekend, Mike Klis of 9News penned an interesting article on Tim Patrick. The piece centered on the fact that the restricted free agent may be the Broncos No. 4 wide receiver on paper – behind Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler – but on the field, the reality is quite different.
Patrick proved his worth to the team during the 2020 season, when he 51 passes for 742 yards and six touchdowns. It’s a good read, one that everyone in Broncos Country should take a moment to check out.
While promoting the article on Twitter, Klis posted some quotes from Patrick. One in particular stood out.
Patrick on Lock (2/3): “and his approach to the game has been 100 percent different than it was during the season. He’s one of the first guys in the building. One of the last guys to leave. He’s doing the small things to be a great player in this league. And … #9sports
— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) March 7, 2021
That’s jarring. It sheds an entirely new light on Drew Lock.
When Paxton Lynch was trying to become the Broncos starting quarterback, it was no secret that the former first-round pick didn’t make football a priority. It became a running joke that he spent too much time playing xBox and not enough studying the playbook.
That has never been the knock on Lock, however. During his first two seasons in Denver, it’s never been suggested that the quarterback didn’t take the game seriously enough.
Patrick’s comment seem to suggest that a commitment to the game has been an issue, however. The wideout is suggesting that Lock wasn’t always the first guy in the building and the last one to leave; he’s insinuating that the QB didn’t do the little things necessary to be great.
Two weeks ago, Tony Pauline from ProFootballNetwork.com made some waves when he said that the word on the street at this year’s Senior Bowl was that the Broncos had to “dumb down” their offense in 2020 for Lock. He suggested that Pat Shurmur had to simplify things in order for his quarterback to not be overwhelmed.
This notion was quickly shot down by the team and didn’t gain a lot of traction. In part, that’s because it came out of left field, as there had never been any other rumblings that Lock didn’t work hard, had trouble grasping the offense or had any other issues related to how he approached the game off the field.
Now, it seems as though there might be more to the story. Perhaps the whispers that Pauline was reporting had some validity.
Patrick was attempting to praise his quarterback, complimenting him for putting in the work this offseason. But in the process, the wide receiver might have inadvertently pointed out what the problem was in 2020.
Drew Lock is playing the role of starting QB now, doing the things it takes to be great. But why wasn’t he doing that all along?
