Broncos' Drew Lock expected to start Week 17 vs. Chargers; Teddy Bridgewater still dealing with concussion

If the Denver Broncos are to stay alive in the AFC playoff chase, they will need to do so with their backup quarterback. Starter Teddy Bridgewater is still dealing with a concussion, so Drew Lock is expected to be under center, via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 

Bridgewater was carted off the field late in the third quarter of the Broncos’ 15-10 loss to the Bengals in Week 15. That left Lock to start last week against the Raiders, a game that ended in another low-scoring defeat and dropped Denver to 7-8 on the season.

A second-round pick in 2019, Lock holds a career record of 8-11, a QB rating of 78.2 and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 24:20. The team’s offense has generally sputtered in the passing game with him under center, as Lock has recorded a completion percentage of 59.2% and an average of 6.6 yards per attempt.

With Lock starting, look for a heavy dose of both Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams in the run game. This would especially make sense considering Denver travels to Los Angeles to play the Chargers on Sunday, a team allowing more than 140 rushing yards per game this season, which ranks fourth-worst in the league. Brett Rypien would likely dress as the backup if Bridgewater is unable to suit up.