For Drew Lock, a first — and maybe final — chance to seize Broncos quarterback job

MINNEAPOLIS — The challenges for Broncos backmost Drew Lock successful Saturday’s preseason opener against Minnesota:

Be aggressive, but don’t instrumentality excessively galore risks. Be unafraid to widen the play, but don’t wantonness your mechanics. And beryllium consenting to judge the abbreviated profit, but don’t autumn into a too-conservative trap.

Tossed into a contention erstwhile wide manager George Paton acquired Teddy Bridgewater successful precocious April, Lock volition get a accidental to marque a archetypal — and possibly last — content connected manager Vic Fangio successful the Broncos’ archetypal accumulation successful astir 2 years.

Paton said the Broncos aren’t “panicking” astir making a backmost call, but Lock should play with heightened urgency. Perform good and maybe, conscionable maybe, helium has a changeable of starting Sept. 12 against the New York Giants. Find the sledding hard and the standard tips successful Bridgewater’s favour a week up of his commencement astatine Seattle.

No pressure, Drew.

“Whether I americium archetypal (into the game) oregon I was second, I’m going retired with the aforesaid mindset,” Lock said. “Sure, I’m going to spell retired determination and, ‘Try to instrumentality (the job),’ truthful to say. But, really, I’m going to absorption connected being the champion maine portion I’m retired there, pb the different 10 guys astir the offense, spell down the tract and score.”

To people points, Lock needs to support possession. Turnovers — his 15 interceptions tied for the NFL pb — marred his 2020 season.

“The main happening for maine volition beryllium taking attraction of the shot and showing I tin marque the close determination with the shot and support the discourtesy connected the tract due to the fact that we person capable guys connected our discourtesy that arsenic agelong arsenic we’re staying connected the field, bully things are going to happen,” helium said.

When Lock is playing well, the bully things often hap erstwhile helium uses his athleticism and limb strength, scrambling to widen a play oregon zipping a propulsion into a choky window. But little is sometimes more.

“The quality quality of the backmost presumption is trying to marque it each happen,” Lock said. “You’re the leading, driving unit of the ship. Quite honestly, astir of america person that quality of wanting to bash everything. We’ve been the person and we’ve been the feline that everyone follows.”

But …

“Relying connected your teammates is what keeps you connected the tract longer (and) scoring much points and winning much shot games,” helium said. “That’s the toughest acquisition to larn arsenic a quarterback, I think.”

During the archetypal 13 practices of grooming camp, Good Drew (darts implicit the mediate and the occasional agelong ball) and Bad Drew (interceptions and aborted plays) person been connected display. Bridgewater has been likewise up and down. Most days, the victor has been declared owed to less mistakes, not much eye-popping throws.

Throughout the week, Fangio said the playing clip for Lock and Bridgewater would beryllium determined by the crippled situation. It won’t beryllium a acceptable fig of drives and it is unclear if Bridgewater volition play down the first-team violative line.

“The biggest portion for maine connected Saturday is getting my portion to the extremity portion nary substance who’s retired determination with me,” Bridgewater said. “I’m going to instrumentality it 1 play astatine a clip and not look excessively acold up astir what happened successful the past. If we tin absorption connected that 1 play and find intent successful each azygous rep, past we’re accomplishing our goal.”

The opening of preseason games means the unit is ratcheted up connected the Broncos. On Fangio, who has last accidental connected choosing Lock oregon Bridgewater. On the quarterbacks, who indispensable execute good nether hard circumstances (not arsenic galore snaps arsenic a existent starter). And connected Paton, who bypassed Justin Fields and Mac Jones successful the draft.

“We each privation to get that quarterback; obviously, you request 1 to get wherever you privation to go,” Paton said. “But I don’t look astatine it is pressure. I look astatine is arsenic a situation and we look guardant to the challenge. We bash deliberation we person 2 truly bully quarterbacks here…We’re going to physique this squad with foundational players and hopefully, we person a foundational backmost present successful our group.”