Drew Lock showed every indication that he had just finished an intense workout on Friday when he walked into the Giants' locker room, stripped off his sweaty jersey and drank copious amounts of water to catch his breath.
Lock never had any exposure to the starting offense during practice.
It's been the same all week, business as usual with coach Brian Daboll believing his starters should carry the full load despite quarterback Daniel Jones' job security being questioned in all quarters around the NFL.
So, what's going on?
The backup quarterback preparation method that Lock has taken over from the Broncos to the Seahawks to the Giants has focused less on mental repetition and more on taking the script Jones just followed and running it over and over with a few teammates after practice.
“Being able to make pitches, get calls, send shifts and motions,” Lock said. “When I'm standing back and not saying anything and not really doing anything, sometimes I find myself saying, 'What? Oh, I have to be silent.' [snap count]… We need to go double here.’ I think that’s going to make a big difference. We’ve got to find a way to make all the throws that DJ has in the game plan, not to mention the footwork.”
Lock played less than expected in the preseason after suffering an abdominal injury against the Lions on Aug. 12.
He finally came off the injured list this week, but although he played as a backup in Week 1, he's ready to step in immediately if needed.
“Mentally, I'm very prepared,” Lock said. “I have my systems in place all week so that I can feel good on game day. When it's my turn or something happens, I'll be ready. I've done it so many times before. I know how to have a plan and be prepared without overdoing it.” [much] It's a challenge to juggle it all throughout the week, but once you know how to do it, it's easy to get through.”
Lock will direct the scout team offense and set up the Giants defense, while third quarterback Tommy DeVito will work through the entire play sheet on a separate field.
During the walkthrough, Lock will have his turn manning the offensive playsheet, but his time will be limited.
In Seattle, Lock's warm-up routine evolved to the point where he mimicked starter Geno Smith's passes with walk-throughs to receivers on the other side of the field.
He hopes DeVito will copy his post-practice script ideas in the future.
“I have a lot of confidence in Drew, which is why we brought him on board,” quarterbacks coach Shay Tierney said. “We saw through OTAs and training camp that he's a really good quarterback and a guy that's been in the league for a long time.”
Jones began his make-or-break season with the third-lowest quarterback rating per game (44.3) of his career in a loss to the Vikings.
He missed open throws and stumbled, but still completed 22 of 42 passes, had two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and was sacked five times.
But Daboll didn't consider making a quarterback change for Sunday's game against the Commanders, and it's unclear how much longer Jones will be able to stay in charge if he continues to struggle — not to mention he's missed two of his past three starts with injuries.
“You've got to keep up with the pace of the game and know where you are in the game,” Lock said. “You've got to be prepared for any situation. You're going to get in some dangerous situations.”
Lock has had a similar experience to Jones, having been Denver's starter from late 2019 through 2020 before losing out to Teddy Bridgewater in a preseason game and finding himself a reserve in 2021.
“There's a mutual respect between me and Daniel,” Locke said.
Lock wants to play, of course, but he knows part of his job is to help Jones process the situation after a loss.
“Mentally, winning and losing, I was at my worst,” Locke said. “It's beneficial to have someone around who knows what it feels like, when to say it, when not to say it, when I should say, 'Get out of my face.' It's part of my job to be a sounding board, a psychiatrist, whatever you need to do.”
Jones and Tierney spent extra time this week working on Jones' footwork, searching for fixes that could explain his dramatic decline since playing at a winning level in 2022.
Locke went home and told his wife about Jones' decision.
“He does everything a starting quarterback should do every week,” Lock said. “Last week I looked at him as a down, and this week I saw him not blink an eye.” [criticism] It's even more so in New York.”
If he reaches new heights, Lock's turn may be near.
