Drew Lock Excited For First Game In A Broncos Uniform

DENVER (CBS4) - The Denver Broncos kickoff preseason play against the Atlanta Falcons Thursday night at 6 p.m. This will be the first of five preseason games for the Broncos, who are playing in Canton, Ohio, for the Hall of Fame Game. Most of the starters will sit this game out, except for the left side of the Broncos offensive line which will play a handful of plays.

The Broncos usually play four preseason games, but have an extra one this year. And the extra game is important for the younger players looking to impress the coaches and grab one of the coveted final roster spots.

"I just really want to see all of them to be honest with you," Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said on Tuesday after practice. "We've been practicing for -- I think this is practice No. 11, so it's going to be nice to go out there against somebody else, play live football and see what a lot of these young guys are about -- see where they're at. I don't think we can make any final conclusions off of one game, but it's a great feedback for us and them."

The game will also be the first time Broncos offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello will call plays in an NFL game. Don't expect to see flea flickers or reverses as Scangarello wants to keep the game plan simple, allowing the young players to play fast and make plays.

"It's preseason. You've got a lot of young players out there, so you've got to keep it vanilla," coach Scangarello said. "In the end, they're seeing an entirely different defensive scheme, which is a huge challenge for a lot of these guys because is going to be completely foreign to what they're seeing out here."

One of the young players that will see several snaps is rookie quarterback Drew Lock. The Broncos second round pick will be the backup to Kevin Hogan and he can't wait to face another defense.

"I'm just real excited," Lock said. "We finally get to play against someone else that doesn't have a Broncos helmet on. We get to go compete and get to see what the guys around you are all about. And watch them go make plays."

This is also an important weekend for the Broncos faithful as longtime owner Pat Bowlen and cornerback Champ Bailey will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.