Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock was hit a total of seven times and sacked twice during the 37-12 loss they suffered to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and he sustained a rib injury that could cause him to miss this week. On Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that further testing revealed that Lock has a "pretty severe strain and bruising" to the chest/abdomen area, but suffered no fractured ribs. He will be considered day to day, but it is uncertain if he will be able to play on Sunday vs. the Miami Dolphins.
The Broncos' second-year signal-caller has been struggling as of late, as he completed just 23 of 47 passes for 257 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions against the Raiders in Week 10. Lock missed two games due to a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver is just 2-3 since he returned to the field.
In seven games this season, Lock has completed 55 percent of his passes for 1,497 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. After his rough outing against the Raiders, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio admitted his displeasure with how Lock had been performing in the recent weeks.
"Obviously, it's very much of a concern," Fangio told reporters, via NFL.com. "With four interceptions -- you can't win turning the ball over that much.
"We've got to do a good job of evaluating why we've thrown these interceptions, and what can we do to help him. Everybody's fingerprints is on that performance -- coaches, players -- and we all have to take a good hard look at it, which we have been on a weekly basis, but we haven't found the right formula yet to be consistent on offense."
If Lock is unable to suit up on Sunday, expect Brett Rypien to record his second-ever start. After Jeff Driskel struggled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, Rypien got the start against the New York Jets the following week on "Thursday Night Football." He passed for 242 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, but did enough to lead the Broncos to a 37-28 victory.
