Bronco notes: Spy Lamar at own risk

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — To spy or not to spy on Lamar.

There are pros and cons to both, as defensive coordinators have discovered since the Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville entered the NFL as the No. 32 overall draft pick in 2018.

Vance Joseph is not only an exceptional defensive coordinator with the No. 3-ranked defense, he may be an even better explainer. The Broncos play this Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens, whose quarterback, Jackson, has added two of the league’s Most Valuable Player awards and is probably the leading candidate for the top individual award again halfway through this season.

Jackson leads all NFL quarterbacks with 501 yards rushing and a 115.4 passer rating thanks to a whopping 17 touchdown passes against just two interceptions. As Joseph explains it, rushing Lamar is why defenses over the years have assigned one defensive player to try and stick with the quarterback — or spy him — while passing Lamar is why defenses don’t like to take a defensive player out of play for either the pass rush or coverage.

“The positive signs of a spy is when he does run you can kind of track him down — but having the right person that can catch him, that’s the issue,’’ Joseph said during the Broncos’ weekly coordinator press conferences on a sunny, warming Thursday and Halloween afternoon at Broncos Park. “Because he’s the fastest guy on the field for the most part. I think sometimes with a spy, if it’s not an aggressive spy, he can sit in the pocket with a three-man rush and he can find open targets. That’s the issue with Lamar now.

“I think when he was a young quarterback the spy was good because you wanted him to be a pocket passer. Now he’s so accurate that kind of works against you a little bit.

“So if you’re going to spy a guy like that, it’s got to be a push-him-off-his-spot spy. Not just let him linger and let him sit in the pocket and make completions but kind of push-him-one-way-and-then-go-grab-him spy. Almost a hunt versus a spy. Again, he’s become a great passer so the spy, non-spy, it’s hard to kind of hard to know what’s best until the game starts.”

Jackson missed Baltimore’s practices Wednesday and Thursday because of back and knee issues but Joseph said he thinks the quarterback will play Sunday.

Rookie running back Audric Estime did not have to carry around a football this week, as was his Javonte Williams-assigned task last week after he fumbled in the Broncos’ Game 7, Thursday night rout at New Orleans.

“Yeah, I graduated from carrying the football,’’ Estime said Thursday at his locker.

Estime, who’s not two months past his 21st birthday, has 60 yards rushing on only 10 carries so far this season but he’s also lost two fumbles. The most interesting place he had to take the football last week?

“I’d say the sauna,’’ Estime said with a smile. “That sauna right inside there,’’ he said pointing inside the shower.

Estime said he didn’t have to take the football outside team headquarters, “but I have a football at home, too, though and I carried around the football at home. Five (fingers) point of contact. I feel good, I feel really good. I feel more confident than I have all season. I’ve had a good week of practice. I just do what I’m told to do.”

Another rookie running back, Blake Watson, was recently moved from the 53-man roster to the practice squad — where he can always be elevated on game day. Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin are the Broncos’ top two running backs.

“I’m just trying to stay the course, do everything I can to show them I’m ready,” Watson said.

Has he enjoyed his rookie season even though there hasn’t been any playing time (other than one offensive snap and one special teams snap against the Raiders)?

“I’ve definitively been enjoying it,” he said. “It’s football, I’ve been doing this since I was a little boy and I still love it. So, yeah, I’ve been enjoying myself.”

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey (knee) returned to practice Thursday but starting safety P.J. Locke (thumb) again missed practice. It appears Locke will miss his second straight game because of the injury. There is a chance he returns for the following week’s game at Kansas City.