Chargers will likely be first team to face Drew Lock

The Los Angeles Chargers Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos may be a bit more interesting than a typical battle between squads that are 4-7 and 3-8 on the season.

That is because the Chargers could be the first defense to ever go up against rookie quarterback Drew Lock.

The Chargers have faced a variety of quarterbacks this season, often drawing the opposition’s backup quarterback. In the case of the Broncos, they might welcome the fact that Lock is on the field as the Broncos, with Joe Flacco at quarterback, played one of their best games this season in the first meeting with the Chargers.

It’s looking more and more like Lock will start the game this Sunday in place of Brandon Allen, who took over for Flacco when Flacco went down with a season-ending injury. In Broncos practice, Lock, who has spent his entire rookie season to this point on injured reserve, has been taking 75 percent of the team’s reps.

It makes all the sense in the world for the Broncos to make this move as they are a team clearly in rebuilding mode and are looking toward next season. At the same time, the Broncos have been reluctant to give Lock much of a chance to see the field this season and at times, seemed like they wanted to wait until next season to play the rookie.

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The Broncos have had as many problems at the quarterback position as any team in the league over the last handful of years, and the Chargers would love for the new rookie, chosen in the second round of this past draft, to get off to a rough start on account of them.

Lock posted huge numbers in college while playing at Missouri. He threw for 12,193 yards with 99 touchdowns. Still, he slid down draft boards and was the fourth quarterback selected. At one time, many thought that Lock would be the first quarterback taken and perhaps even the No.1 overall pick in the draft.

Do the Broncos have a future gem or a bust? It looks like the Chargers will be the first team to get to form that on-field opinion.