The Houston Texans defense will see a new face on Sunday, as they match up with Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock.
Lock, a second-round pick out of Missouri, earned fans coming into the 2019 NFL Draft for his arm strength and decision-making. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein saw him as comparable to Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Matthew Stafford. Texans coach Bill O’Brien saw a good prospect.
“I studied him coming out of college. I think he’s very smart. I think he’s got an accurate arm,” O’Brien said Tuesday in a conference call with the Denver media. “He’s got good arm strength, makes good decisions. I think he’s got athleticism. He’s able to escape. I think he makes good decisions. That’s what he does.”
Lock played his first NFL snaps last week in a Week 13 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 23-year-old went 18 for 28 passing for 134 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and an 84.5 passer rating.
Previously, Lock was on the injured reserve with a thumb injury suffered in the preseason. The Broncos activated him the Saturday before his regular season debut.
“I think that — you watch the game last week, I thought for the most part he really made good decisions and tried to do what the coaches were asking him to do and Denver won which is, for a quarterback, you’re judged on how much your team wins,” said O’Brien. “They won, so he’s doing a good job.”
While O’Brien is complimentary of the rookie quarterback, Lock may struggle against the Romeo Crennel defense. Under the 72-year-old defensive coordinator, the Texans are 11-1 against rookie quarterbacks, with their only loss coming to the then-Jacoby Brissett-led New England Patriots in 2016.
The Texans have not lost to a rookie quarterback in their last five bouts with them. On Sunday, they’ll look to keep that streak going against the 4-8 Broncos.
