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The Denver Broncos will have their QB1 active for preseason Week 2.
Head coach Vic Fangio announced Monday that Joe Flacco will start Thursday’s exhibition affair against the Seattle Seahawks. The action will represent Flacco’s first in a Broncos uniform after the 34-year-old sat out the preseason-opener, by design.
Fangio added that he isn’t yet sure how long Flacco will play, though he’s expected to sport most of his first-string offensive line and supporting cast.
It’s also unclear which quarterback — Kevin Hogan or Drew Lock — will spell Flacco in Seattle.
“We haven’t really talked about it,” Fangio said Sunday. “We’ll probably talk about it tomorrow night.”
Hogan got first dibs on the backup competition, completing five of eight passes for 37 yards in Denver’s 14-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game. He was solid if unspectacular before giving way to Lock, the much-hyped rookie second-round pick.
Who was anything but solid.
Lock went 7-of-11 for 34 yards, absorbing two sacks and generally appearing frenetic in the pocket. His footwork was a mess and he badly missed on two deep-ball attempts, including a would-be touchdown.
“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.”
Fellow rookie Brett Rypien, who cleaned up for Lock and tossed the game-winning touchdown, should see extended second-half action against the Seahawks, largely contigent on how the others perform.
Rollercoaster Practice for Flacco
The highs were high and the lows low for Flacco on Monday, as the former Super Bowl MVP committed a pair of pick-six interceptions but hooked up with receiver Courtland Sutton for a big gain, then, in his highlight-reel moment, scampered for a 35-yard “touchdown” to the roar of Broncos Country.
Such is the state of Denver’s offense — a work in progress. But Flacco’s wheels should catch nobody by surprise.
Remember: He’s the most athletic passer that offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello has ever coached.
Lock Not Ready
Speaking of a work in progress, Lock is under the microscope following his uneven showing against the Falcons. Fans are beginning to question whether he’s Paxton Lynch 2.0, while the club’s brass isn’t afraid to acknowledge Lock’s long road ahead.
Fangio doubled down on his blunt-truth opinion of the Missouri product, which is rooted in realism.
“Like I said after the game, I was hoping for more but not surprised by his play,” he said Sunday. “He’s a rookie playing in a pro system that he didn’t play in in college and he’s not ready yet. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be ready in two weeks from now, three weeks from now or four weeks from now. All these quarterbacks are different about how they adapt and become an NFL quarterback. He’s not there yet but that’s to be expected.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter @KelbermanNFL.
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