The Denver Broncos thought they were getting a quarterback upgrade with Russell Wilson, but how do his first five games with the team compare to Drew Lock’s?
Mired in a post-Peyton Manning quarterback pit of mediocrity or unrealized potential, the Denver Broncos made an all-in move for Russell Wilson this offseason. Along with multiple draft picks, Denver sent quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant and defensive lineman Shelby Harris to Seattle in the deal.
To say it’s not going well for Wilson so far in Denver is a massive understatement. The Broncos have scored more than 20 points once in five games, with 16 or fewer points in the other four. He’s missing throws, not seeing the field and struggling to get on the same page with teammates and coaches.
Rather than “let Russ cook”, it’s easy to say “Russ is cooked” right now. For all of head coach Nathaniel Hackett’s flaws, Wilson’s play is surpassing him as the biggest problem in Broncos’ country.
Russell Wilson vs. Drew Lock: Comparing first five games as a Bronco
Lock lost a preseason battle with Geno Smith for the starting job in Seattle. The Broncos drafted him in the second round of the 2019 draft, but around injuries and inconsistency, he never took full hold of the starting job in Denver.
It just so happens Lock started exactly five games as a rookie after returning from a preseason thumb injury. And Wilson has now played five games as a Bronco. So let’s compare the five-game samples.
Russell Wilson v Drew Lock, first 5 games as a Broncos starting QB
Russell Wilson’s first five games with Broncos
59.4 percent completion rate1,254 yards (250.8 per game)4 touchdowns, 3 INTs7.4 yards per attempt12.4 yards per completion82.8 passer rating36.9 QBR2-3 record
Drew Lock’s first five games with Broncos
64.1 percent completion rate1,020 yards (204 per game)7 touchdowns, 3 INTs6.5 yards per attempt10.2 yards per completion89.7 passer rating50.2 QBR4-1 record
Lock was broadly better in his first five games as a Bronco than Wilson, again as a rookie coming off an injury. Wilson did pop up with a sore shoulder when Denver was on a short week leading into this past Thursday night, but it was not an obvious issue compared to previous games this season.
Some social media sentiment after Wilson’s awful showing against the Colts on Thursday night suggested, however tongue in cheekily, the Broncos owe Lock an apology. Jokes and sarcasm aside, the obvious quarterback upgrade Denver thought it was getting has not come to fruition yet and there’s not a lot of outside hope it will ever come.
