Which 2019 rookie quarterback has the best shot at the Super Bowl?
By Joel Deering
Drew Lock – Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos ended last season with a record of 6-10, primarily because of their offense. With Case Keenum leading the way, the Broncos’ average of 20.6 points per game ranked 24th in the league. They’ve since traded away Keenum and added Joe Flacco as their experienced veteran.
Looking at their numbers, Flacco isn’t a huge upgrade over Keenum, if he’s an upgrade at all. Flacco finished last season with a quarterback rating of 84.2, while Keenum finished with a rating of 81.2.
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With the defense performing at a good level and a strong running game, the passing game was one of the biggest problems for this team a season ago. Flacco doesn’t look like he’ll help that problem too much, which means rookie quarterback Drew Lock will get his shot at some point in the season.
Having to play the Bears, Packers, Chargers, Chiefs, Colts, Browns and more before Week 10, it looks like a real possibility the Broncos are below .500 when they hit their bye. If that’s the case, I can see Lock taking over. However, just like I mentioned how Flacco wasn’t much of an upgrade over Keenum, I don’t think Lock would be any more of an upgrade over Flacco. Putting him in as the starter would probably be more about getting him experience rather than winning games.
With that being said, if Lock can perform at even a decent level, the Broncos’ defense should be able to keep this team in games. Last season this defense ranked 13th in points allowed per game. With sacks machines Von Miller and Bradley Chubb leading the way, the defense should make a big impact for this team once again.
The Broncos have some nice young pieces, along with several veteran players still performing at a high level. That combination should keep them competitive. If Lock does take over as the quarterback at some point in the season, I believe he can perform well enough to help this team win games.
Lock actually starting will be the biggest thing standing in his way of being the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl. If the Broncos are winning enough games with Flacco as their quarterback, he may not even see the field.