The Denver Broncos endured a rough start to 2019, losing their first four games by a combined 23 points.
Trading for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco in the offseason was met with mixed reviews among fans, and understandably so as the team finished 2-6 in his eight starts before he was placed on injured reserve for the remainder of the campaign with a herniated disc in his neck.
While Flacco posted an impressive 65.3 completion percentage, what frustrated Broncos fans was his alarmingly conservative style of play. The 38-year-old averaged a lousy 7.0 yards per attempt, and, in doing so, he failed to take advantage of Denver’s undeniable assortment of talent at the other skill positions.
After riding with 2016 sixth-round pick Brandon Allen for three contests — in which the Broncos finished 1-2 — head coach Vic Fangio turned to rookie Drew Lock, who ignited a long overdue spark in the team. The 2019 second-rounder finished 4-1 in five starts and made a little bit of history along the way, becoming the first quarterback in Broncos franchise history to win three of his first four games under center. In total, he tallied 1,020 passing yards and seven touchdowns compared to three interceptions.
It goes without saying that the starting job is now Lock’s to lose, and that bodes tremendously well for Denver’s playoff chances this season.
On top of the promising rookie campaign from the 23-year-old, the Broncos can also feel good about the slew of roster transactions they made this offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Not only did they sign running back Melvin Gordon, who will be extremely motivated to stick it to the Los Angeles Chargers, they nabbed perhaps the top-rated wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft in Alabama stud Jerry Jeudy to line up opposite budding star Courtland Sutton.
Long story short, the talent on Denver’s offense is evident and has the potential to enter the elite conversation this year. With all of this in mind, let’s try to tackle a few bold predictions for the group in 2020.
