Rookie QB Drew Lock starting for Broncos vs. Chargers

DENVER (AP) - Drew Lock made his NFL debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers moments after the team tweeted a photo of the rookie quarterback with the headline 'œ Locked in.'ť

The second-round pick from Missouri is the seventh quarterback to start for Denver since Peyton Manning's retirement 45 months ago.

The previous six QBs - Trevor Siemian, Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen - went a combined 22-36 with 67 touchdowns and 55 interceptions.

Of those half-dozen QBs, only Siemian (13-11) had a winning record.

Lock replaces Allen, a waiver wire pickup from the Rams, who went 1-2 after Flacco went on IR with a neck injury at midseason with the Broncos at 2-6.

On Friday, coach Vic Fangio would only say that Lock would be activated Saturday and suit up Sunday for the game against the Chargers (4-7).

Lock spent the first three months on IR after injuring his right thumb in the preseason. He returned to practice Nov. 17 but only began taking the bulk of the snaps with the starters on Wednesday.

Von Miller's 95-game starting streak was snapped Sunday when he was deactivated with a left knee injury he sustained last week at Buffalo. Miller hadn't missed a game since Super Bowl 48 on Feb. 2, 2014, two months after he tore his right ACL in a game at Houston.

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