Following up on
the ongoing story. ... The Denver Broncos will put rookie quarterback
Drew Lock in uniform Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers and coach Vic Fangio said Friday it's still a possibility Lock will start the game.
"We haven't decided yet [on a starter], but we're definitely going to activate Drew [Saturday],' Fangio said after Friday's practice. "He'll be dressing on Sunday for sure.'
While Fangio did not make a formal announcement about a starter on Friday, ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold is among those noting Lock has taken most of the snaps with the starting offense in practice this week and has been the first quarterback in line in drills during the open periods of practice as well.
If he does start, he will be the third starting quarterback for the Broncos this season after
Joe Flacco (now on injured reserve) and
Brandon Allen.
Fangio said he wanted to look at the video from Lock's work in practice this week, including Friday's, "more extensively' before making the decision. Fangio added he had not yet told the players who would start at quarterback on Sunday.
The Broncos have a walk-through practice scheduled for later today.
The potential move comes as the Broncos' offense has struggled much of the season. The Broncos are coming off a 134-yard performance in a 20-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday -- the team's lowest single-game output since 1992 and eighth-lowest in franchise history.
The Broncos have scored more than 16 points just four times this season, and they
are ranked 28th in the league in scoring and 27th in total offense.
Meanwhile, as ESPN's Mike Clay notes,
Courtland Sutton had a rare dud last Sunday, struggling to one catch for 27 yards on eight targets.
Of course, the underwhelming performance was hardly unexpected in a brutal matchup against the Bills' terrific pass defense and specifically Tre'Davious White. Prior to the dud, Sutton had produced at least 72 yards or a touchdown in eight consecutive games and in nine of 10 games on the season.
Sutton technically has a tough matchup against Casey Hayward Jr tomorrow, though he did catch a 70-yard touchdown in the same situation back in Week 5.
Still, the Chargers have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, including the second-fewest over the past month. They've also allowed the fewest to perimeter receivers and seventh-fewest to the slot over the past eight weeks.
A change to Lock would complicate matters further. ...
One person who might benefit?
Phillip Lindsay has taken the dominant role in the Denver rushing attack away from
Royce Freeman the past few weeks. And, as ESPN's Al Zeidenfeld notes, the Chargers are allowing the ninth-most yards to opposing running backs after first contact this season, which jumps to third-most when teams are in the red zone.
While Lindsay hasn't been a great producer after contact in his year and a half in the league, he's been much improved since Week 6, showing a 48 percent increase in YAC vs. the first five weeks of the season.
One last note here. ... Fangio told the media on Friday that Von Miller, who is dealing with a knee injury, is "50-50" to play against the Chargers at home. He's been designated as questionable.