Drew Lock says HOF game was a learning experience

Denver Broncos QB Drew Lock had a forgettable performance during his appearance in the 2019 Hall of Fame Game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Denver Broncos rookie QB Drew Lock had a Hall of Fame game he’d like to soon forget. He finished the contest 7-of-11 for 34 yards against a collection of Atlanta Falcons reserve defenders and never quite looked comfortable or even prepared to play.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio wasn’t impressed.

“I was hoping for more, but [I’m] not surprised,” Fangio said after the game. “He’s still got a lot of work to do. I thought his accuracy wasn’t clean all the time along with his reads, but that’s to be expected. We’ve got four more games and we’ve got to get him ready — more ready than he is right now.”

This whole Fangio-Lock relationship isn’t getting off on the right foot. Fangio hasn’t minced his words when discussing Lock this summer, including comparing his rookie passer to a pitcher who doesn’t know how to pitch.

Lock chalked up his night as a game he can learn from.

“I’ll rate it as a learning game,” he said. “There’s definitely things I’ll learn there, but I’m excited that I’m sitting here and that was the first time ever stepping out on the field.”

Lock, like any rookie, is experiencing the shock that comes along with the first bundle of live reps against an NFL-caliber defense. The players are bigger, stronger and faster, and as a result, the pace of play is much more accelerated than what he’s used to from his days at Missouri.

The Hall of Fame Game is nothing more than a glorified scrimmage, but it garners national attention because of its standing as the return of football after months of anticipation for the pads to start popping. As a result, performances like Lock’s get overanalyzed.

Once the season gets underway, Lock won’t look anything like the player he was against the Falcons Thursday night. He’ll become more comfortable in the offense and with his teammates and can only get better from here.

How much better he’ll be is anyone’s guess, however. It certainly can’t get much worse.