Kiz: With any luck, we saw the future of Drew Lock in the cool beans victory at Carolina. Check down. Make the easy throws to tight ends or running backs. Once there’s a rhythm and flow established, take those big shots downfield. Was this a one-game aberration, or a sustained formula for success? And call me a worrywart, but … if only eight of 21 receptions go to Denver wide receivers, is there enough work in the offense to keep both Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler happy?
O’Halloran: Sunday’s game was a semi-aberration, but I’ll meet you in the middle — I think there will be enough touches in 2021 to keep Hamler happy, but I’m not as sure about Jeudy. As for Sunday, the Broncos obviously saw something on Carolina’s tape to suggest going to the tight ends (eight catches) and running backs (five catches). Shoot, even Phillip Lindsay had two catches, matching his total from the entire season. That might change Saturday against Buffalo because involving tight ends/backs in the passing game is a week-to-week deal.
Kiz: Despite four touchdown passes, Lock played complementary football. He produced a near-perfect QB rating by taking the burden off his arm and trusting in the game plan, which relied on teammates to make the big play. That’s awesome. But here’s the deal: For the Broncos to become a serious playoff contender in 2021, I see them leaning on their defense, while the offense is run-heavy, with three-receiver sets kept to a minimum. When Courtland Sutton returns to health, he’s the No. 1 target. Tight end Noah Fant is No. 2. Will that make Jeudy or Hamler No. 3?
O’Halloran: Lock’s 149.5 rating (21-of-27 for 280 yards and four touchdowns) was the best of his career and the third-best in team history (minimum 20 attempts), behind only some guys named Peyton Manning (157.2 in 2014) and John Elway (156.0 in 1995). This will be a draft-heavy defense for the Broncos after prioritizing offense in the last two drafts. The key for Lock moving forward is not becoming “Dump It Off Drew”, but to mix the short, intermediate and deep passes. As for my 2021 pass-catching depth chart, I’ll go 1. Sutton; 2. Jeudy; 3. Fant; 4. Hamler; and 5. Tim Patrick.
Kiz: Jeudy and Hamler have both shown flashes of ability that justified Elway selecting receivers back-to-back with his first and second picks in the 2020 draft. But it still seems like a questionable allocation of resources to me. By next season, with Sutton back in the huddle, Hamler will be reduced to Inspector Gadget in the offense, limited to jet sweeps and occasionally going deep, or he’ll take touches away from Jeudy, which might not be so hot for the first-round pick’s mood in his social media posts.
O’Halloran: The way the Broncos’ first two rounds went, my theory is they expected to take a linebacker (Patrick Queen) in the first round, but then took Jeudy when he was available, and the second-round plan was always Hamler. I’m with you, Kiz, though, in that I thought at the time taking a cornerback like Trevon Diggs or Jaylon Johnson would have made more sense. But the more I watch how Hamler is used, the more I think he will be a low volume/high impact player. That should still allow Jeudy to get a steady diet of targets.
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