Broncos coach Vic Fangio says no decision on Week 1 quarterback

The deliberations proceed for Broncos manager Vic Fangio.

Nearly a period of grooming campy and 2 preseason games person not provided capable grounds for Fangio to take Teddy Bridgewater oregon Drew Lock arsenic the starting backmost for the team’s play opener astatine the New York Giants connected Sept. 12.

Bridgewater and Lock person each started 1 preseason crippled and Fangio said helium is undecided who volition commencement Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams oregon if some volition adjacent play.

Quarterback speech commanded the astir attraction during Fangio’s nine-minute briefing with reporters — his archetypal availability since past Saturday’s triumph astatine Seattle.

“It’s adjacent and it’s close, I think, for a bully crushed — they’ve some played well,” Fangio said. “The bully quality of this contention is we person 2 quarterbacks we deliberation we tin spell and triumph with.”

Fangio said helium isn’t holding disconnected connected naming a starter for competitory reasons, said the backmost snaps were expected to beryllium divided evenly betwixt Bridgewater and Lock and explained the format of signifier — lone 40% of the squad enactment is devoted to the Rams’ plays — allows for the contention to continue.

The timepiece is ticking until the Broncos person their archetypal regular-season signifier successful 2 weeks.

What tin beryllium gained by carrying this contention to different week? In theory, by choosing a Week 1 backmost this week, it would let Fangio to beryllium retired astir if not each of his violative starters and not hazard injury.

“We conscionable privation to bash it astatine the close time, meaning the close clip for evidently the players involved, for the team, for everybody,” Fangio said. “What’s today’s day (Aug. 24)? We’ve got 19 days.”

Fangio believes the conflict has made Lock and Bridgewater amended players.

“Competition does that,” helium said. “I was hopeful (the competition) would beryllium to the bully extremity (of the spectrum) and some guys person played good. It’s hard to travel up with a feline (who won the practice) aft each and each day.”

Fangio and the coaches volition conscionable with Bridgewater and Lock erstwhile the determination is finalized.

“I deliberation they cognize it’s close,” Fangio said. “The bully happening is they’re some pulling for each different and some privation each different to bash bully and marque it a hard determination for america and they’ve succeeded successful that.”

In the preseason, Bridgewater is 16-of-19 passing (84.2%) for 179 yards, 2 touchdowns, nary interceptions and a 141.0 rating. Lock is 14 of 21 (66.7%) for 231 yards, 2 touchdowns, nary interceptions and 135.2 rating.

Bridgewater led 2 touchdown drives against the Seahawks earlier giving mode to Lock, who led 3 scoring drives (all tract goals).

“I deliberation (Lock) was the unfortunate of immoderate extortion breakdowns aboriginal erstwhile helium got sacked a mates of times,” Fangio said. “We had a small quarterback-center speech issue, which caused him to beryllium tripped up connected that 1 play successful the reddish zone. I thought helium made immoderate bully throws. … I thought helium played good overall.”

Footnotes. Tight extremity Noah Fant (leg), receiver KJ Hamler (non-COVID illness) and chemoreceptor tackle Mike Purcell (ankle) did not practice, joining cornerback Michael Ojemudia (hamstring), moving backmost Mike Boone (squad) and information Trey Marshall (ankle) connected the injured list. Fangio said Purcell “tweaked” his ankle successful pre-game warm-ups astatine Seattle (he inactive played), believes Fant’s wounded won’t beryllium a semipermanent contented and Ojemudia volition miss the commencement of the regular season. … Before practice, the Broncos chopped down to the 80-man roster bounds by waiving rookie receiver Branden Mack and wrong linebacker Josh Watson. Watson, who played astatine Colorado State, appeared successful 17 games for the Broncos successful 2019-20, but was passed connected the extent illustration by Justin Strnad and Baron Browning.