Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock had the best game of his young career in Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers, and the former second-round pick says he has his backup to thank for that.
Lock completed 21-of-27 passes for 280 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in Denver’s 32-27 win. When asked about the performance, he told reporters he received some great advice from backup QB Brett Rypien during the week.
“You’re good enough to make the big play,” Lock says Rypien told him, per DNVR’s Zac Stevens. “Make it when it’s there. Check these balls down if it’s not there.”
Lock has a big arm and tends to force the ball downfield and into coverage. Learning to take the checkdown rather than always trying to make the big play is one of the most difficult things for a young quarterback to do. It’s impressive that Rypien, who is a young quarterback himself, was able to convey that to Lock.
By showing a willingness to take the easy play, Lock opened things up for the Broncos downfield. His 10.4 yards per completion was his highest mark of the season, as was his 149.5 passer rating.
Broncos rookie Jerry Jeudy appeared to take a shot at Lock with a tweet last week, which shows how much the Missouri star has struggled as of late. Sunday’s game was a much-needed turnaround.
