Broncos Game Grades: Baron Browning breaks out in 12-9 overtime loss to the Colts

DENVER, Colo. — It’s time to relive the loss one more time.

The Denver Broncos fell 12-9 in overtime in a brutal loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football. The edge rushers gave the Broncos a chance to win but the offense couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain.

Here’s how everybody graded out…

Offense

QB Russell Wilson – F

Maybe this grade is harsh. But if you place extra weight on the most critical plays in the game, I don’t think you can grade Wilson any higher.

KJ Hamler was wide open for a game-winning touchdown on the final play, but Wilson didn’t see him. Hamler was wide open on two other occasions in the game when Wilson didn’t get him the ball. On one of those plays, Wilson lobbed the ball up in the air and right to the safety with no Broncos anywhere near him. He had pressure in his face, but the throw is inexcusable.

The Broncos put the ball in Wilson’s hands on a 3rd & 4 in the red zone with 2:19 in the game and a three-point lead. A field goal wouldn’t seal the game, but it would force the Colts to go the length of the field without timeouts in a game that hadn’t seen a touchdown. Wilson put the ball in harm’s way unnecessarily. He tried to hit Tyrie Cleveland on a post past Stephon Gilmore but the former defensive player of the year picked it off. It was a wrong decision and an even worse throw. Meanwhile, Jerry Jeudy came free on an over route out of the slot and might have had a touchdown. It might have been a tricky throw, but it still would’ve been easier than the throw to Cleveland.

Some good throws weren’t capitalized on, like a seam to Andrew Beck in the end zone that was knocked away after it was in the fullback’s hands. Another bullet up the seam to Jeudy caught him in the shoulder. It would’ve been a tough catch and maybe impossible to get his feet down in bounds, but he couldn’t make the play. On the previous play, the opposite happened; Courtland Sutton ran the same seam route, but Wilson couldn’t make the tough throw. It would have been a tough throw, but the quarterback couldn’t do it.

Wilson was asked to run some pure West Coast concepts throughout the game and mostly did well. He had three receivers running outs on the first drive, and he saw Sutton break open in the slot. He pounded the ball into the gap for a 5-yard gain. He hit Jerry Jeudy on a third-down slant to extend the drive on the next play.

The ball placement wasn’t always there, though. He spiked a ball to Eric Saubert two yards downfield at his feet. He left a ball to Courtland Sutton on a slant a baffling distance behind him. He tried to hit Eric Tomlinson on a back-shoulder ball up the seam to give the tight end more room outside the linebacker, but Wilson left the ball too far behind him. It was catchable, but it wasn’t a catch you could expect Tomlinson to make. Gronk, Kittle, or Kelce would’ve been just fine, but you have to know your personnel.

A couple of balls floated in the air longer than they should have. One of those was an over route to Jeudy. The receiver was wide open, but instead of leading him to the sideline 30 yards downfield, Wilson led him downfield another 15 yards and erased the chance of a completion.

Wilson was solid with his legs. An 18-yard run was the most impressive highlight.

In general, Wilson was probably a little too quick to check down. One example was when he broke the pocket to the left, giving him all the time in the world, but he pulled the trigger immediately to an underneath receiver instead of giving his wideouts a chance to find space downfield.

Wilson finished with 21 completions on 39 attempts for 274 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. He carried the ball four times for 22 yards.

RB Melvin Gordon – B

He held onto the ball. Nothing else matters.

RB Mike Boone – B+

Boone showed off his burst in an expanded role following Javonte Williams’ injury. He picked up 38 yards on his seven carries. He may have missed a potential cutback opportunity, but because of his speed, things have a tendency to work out for him.

Boone’s big play was a 34-yard screen. He set his blockers up well and used his speed to change the angles on defenders. He totaled 47 yards on three catches.

FB Andrew Beck – C-

Beck had a touchdown ball in his hands, but the defender knocked it away. That was his only opportunity in the passing game.

He had a nice block on the Montrell Washington end around but was also called for a hold.

TE Eric Saubert – B+

Saubert dropped a tough catch two yards downfield. He didn’t sustain a late block that would’ve helped set the edge. He couldn’t separate from Rodney McLeod on a corner route before the half but was bailed out by a pass interference call.

Saubert came through enough to earn a positive grade. He had a bootleg catch for a first down to start the second half. He had a good block at the point of attack on a first-down run in the third quarter. He sat down in the hole in the zone for a pair of catches, including a fourth-down conversion late in the fourth quarter. He finished with five catches for 37 yards on seven targets.

TE Eric Tomlinson – C-

Eric Tomlinson dropped his only target of the day, a back-shoulder pass on a seam route that you can’t expect him to catch. He was nothing special as a blocker.

TE Albert Okwuegbunam – D+

Okwuegbunam played more than last week, but that’s not saying much. At this point, the Broncos see him as a receiving specialist only. He was on the field for 15 plays, and only one of those was a run. The tight end’s only catch was on a drag route. He picked up five yards.

LT Garett Bolles – C-

Bolles’ season ended on Thursday when he broke his leg. He played most of the game before the injury, though.

DeForest Buckner pushed Bolles inside on the game’s first run and made the tackle. The same thing happened on the game’s second run, but this time it was Byron Cowart, which is much less excusable.

In the passing game, Bolles was better. He mauled Yannick Nqakoue on the edge and opened up the outside for an 18-yard scramble from Russell Wilson. He also manhandled Kwity Paye on a rep before the half.

LG Dalton Risner – B+

It was a solid night for Risner, whose best work came on screen passes. He did well to get to the second level and take out linebackers, including on the 17-yard run in the fourth quarter. One 3rd & 4 failed because he couldn’t work off of Buckner quickly enough. He also served as the puller when the Broncos were in the red zone at the end of the game. There were two defenders in the hole, and he didn’t get either. If he’d picked one and taken him out of the play, Melvin Gordon would’ve had a one-on-one.

C Lloyd Cushenberry – C

The same struggles continued for the Broncos’ center. When asked to run to the second level and get in front of linebackers trying to get to the edge of the defense, Cushenberry struggled. He was solid when doubling and extending to the second level to take on linebackers head-on though.

Cushenberry had two excellent blocks on screens. One sealed a linebacker behind the running back at the start of the play. The other was in space on Melvin Gordon’s 24-yard overtime catch-and-run.

We aren’t docking Cushenberry too much for giving up a sack to DeForest Buckner on 2nd & goal before halftime. It essentially forced a field goal, but it was a one-on-one with one of the best interior pass rushers in the league. It stings. But it also happens when you’re one-on-one with Buckner.

RG Graham Glasgow – C-

Glasgow gave up a strip sack to DeForest Buckner. He also gave him a stuff that was otherwise perfectly blocked and could’ve gone for a significant gain on a 2nd & 15 at the start of the fourth quarter. On a third-and-short late in the game, Glasgow worked a double-team on Buckner and extended to the second level. He didn’t get much of Buckner and missed the block on the linebacker. They split the stuff.

That’s a lot of bad, but when Buckner wasn’t involved, Glasgow was really solid. Like when he worked off the double team and made a block at the second level to open up a 17-yard run.

RT Cam Fleming – C

Fleming made the block that allowed Russell Wilson to pick up six yards on a scramble but wasn’t successful at the point of attack often. He and Glasgow double-teamed Buckner off the snap but neither gained leverage so the other could jump off to pick up Yannick Ngakoue, who nabbed a drive-ending sack. Fleming was also beaten for the pressure on the Russell Wilson deep lob that was picked off.

WR Courtland Sutton – B-

Courtland Sutton picked up 51 yards on a second-half deep ball, ripping the ball away from… Montrell Washington. Sutton played his usual role, working in space underneath to help keep the offense on time. He had five catches on 11 targets for 74 yards.

Sutton had an uncharacteristically missed block when Kenny Moore got by him on a short run in the first quarter. He made up for it with great blocks on both big screens. I’m not surprised the Broncos ran those to his side.

WR Jerry Jeudy – B–

Jeudy did just about everything you could ask him to do. The best of the best would’ve made two more plays, though. That sums up where Jeudy is as a player and solidifies his B grade.

Wilson was able to get a ball to Jeudy on a seam to the back of the end zone that Jeudy couldn’t pull in. It was tough to follow, coming right over the linebacker who was all over Jeudy. The receiver most likely wouldn’t have had time to get his feet down in the back of the end zone. It might have been the catch of the week in the NFL if Jeudy could’ve pulled it in. He didn’t.

Jeudy got a step on his man up the left sideline in the red zone, and Wilson tried to drop the ball over the top. The throw should’ve been on a line instead of lobbed so much since the safety had time to get over. It was too far out in front of Jeudy, but he could’ve gotten his hands on it if he had laid out. He also would’ve worn a big hit from the safety. Only DeAndre Hopkins and maybe a couple of other receivers would’ve had a chance to get his hands on the ball and hold onto it through the traffic. Jeudy didn’t do it.

Other potential big plays were blown because of the quarterback. Jeudy had created space on the other side of the field on a slot over on the late-game interception. A well-placed ball would’ve been a game-sealing touchdown. Jeudy came free on another over route earlier in the game, 30 yards downfield. Instead of leading Jeudy to the sideline, Wilson led Jeudy another 15 yards downfield, where a safety was waiting.

Jeudy did his job perfectly in crucial moments in both of those plays. He also extended the game’s first drive with a catch on a third-down slant.

His big play of the game came in overtime. He lined up tight on the left side and chipped the edge rusher while the defense dropped back, giving him space to work. He ran across the line of scrimmage, then curled up the sideline wide-open. The ball was a little underthrown, which reduced Jeudy’s run-after-catch potential, but the receiver caught the ball and then turned upfield to gain more. It was a 37-yard gain that set the Broncos up in the red zone.

Jeudy also provided his weekly mistake in the running game when he went after the wrong man and helped to shorten a run. He had an inconsequential drop, too.

WR KJ Hamler – B-

How do we grade KJ Hamler?

He caught one ball for 10 yards on a stop route.

He had a couple of great blocks; one on Kenny Moore on a bubble screen and one as a puller between the tackles. He took out a defender in the hole, and Melvin Gordon followed him for a 17-yard gain.

He was wide open for a big gain on a crosser, but the ball flew 15 yards over his head for an interception.

He was open on a post that was checked down instead.

He was open on a rub route that could have won the game on its final play. Wide, wide open.

I settled on a B-. Slightly above average.

After only playing four snaps last week, Hamler was essentially the full-time third receiver for the Broncos on Thursday. The Broncos have been rotating through their skill position players. Maybe that’s because different pieces fit better in different games, as the coaches say, but maybe they’re trying to see who pops. I don’t think one catch for 10 yards counts as a pop, but I think I’d keep Hamler on the field in the same role next week.

WR Tyrie Cleveland – D+

It was a tough night for Cleveland. He didn’t have much of a chance on the post route in the end zone, but finding a way to knock the ball away from Stephon Gilmore would’ve got a long way. He didn’t have a catch. He missed a block that shut down a run for no gain. That should be his strength. He was useful on special teams, as always, with a forced fair catch and he was the only Bronco in the same zip code when the Colts missed the punt.

Defense

DL DJ Jones – A

The play of the day was a dip and slip past center Ryan Kelly, a Pro-Bowler in the last three seasons, for a sack. There’s plenty more to like, too. Jones hustled from behind the play to help make a tackle in the flat on the first drive. He helped collapse the pocket consistently and teed up the quarterback for the edge rushers. He held his ground patiently as he saw Matt Ryan step up to try to scramble, then slipped off the block quickly to make the tackle as Ryan passed. A smart, veteran play.

DL Dre’Mont Jones – B-

Given Colorado’s success rushing the passer, you would’ve expected more from Jones. He earned half of the strip sack that almost knocked the Colts out of field goal range at the end of the first half. He was generally solid when working around the edge, but didn’t come away with much to show for it. He drew a hold with a spin move.

DL Mike Purcell – B

The big man is good at what he’s good at. He didn’t provide much pass rush, but he made a great move inside for a run stuff, and he slipped into the backfield a little bit longer to trip up a runner. He also hustled to make a tackle 21 yards downfield early in the game. He’s surprisingly quick for his size on stunts.

DL DeShawn Williams – B

Like Purcell, Williams played like a vet. When he was on the field with a few rookies, and nobody was getting a rush, he pulled off a clean move on Quenton Nelson. He couldn’t get to the quarterback, but he forced Ryan to step away. He made the quarterback at least slightly uncomfortable. When he was all alone in the middle of the field on a run that looked like it could be a big gainer, Williams was able to shed the center and stop it for one year. He added a tackle for loss on a stretch run right after the half. A solid veteran presence without flash.

DL Matt Henningsen – C-

The rookie continues to get reps but still hasn’t had his big moment. He can hold his ground in the running game more often than not, though he still gets pushed back on occasion. He used his long arms to reach off of a block and snag a running back like a net early in the game. It was still a five-yard gain. He didn’t provide much as a pass-rusher.

DL Eyioma Uwazurike – D+

The rookie played a dozen snaps in his first NFL action but doesn’t have much to show for it. He didn’t provide pressure, and he struggled to separate from blockers. There’s no reason to be concerned about the fourth-rounder.

OLB Bradley Chubb – A+

Meet the NFL’s second-leading sacker, Bradley Chubb. (He’s played one more game than the rest of the league, but whatever.)

Chubb was a dominant force on the edge against the Colts. He beat a tackle inside cleanly of a 3rd & 12. His strip-sack in the final minutes of the game could’ve sealed a win if one of his teammates had fallen on the ball. He deserves credit for some of the other sacks for forcing Matt Ryan to step up or for taking out blockers on stunts. He chased Matt Ryan out of the pocket when he was strip-sacked in the first half. He finished with 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss.

OLB Baron Browning – A+

What. A. Game.

Baron Browning was outstanding in his first performance playing in place of Randy Gregory, who is on the injured reserve list. He had the highest pass rush win rate and highest pressure rate in a game since Pro Football Focus began recording those stats in 2006. He was the first NFL player this season to record six quarterback hits in one game, according to the official NFL stats.

He could’ve had another hit on a nasty spin move and Von Miller-like dip that Matt Ryan was able to step away from. He blew by a tackle untouched, but the tackle was able to shove him in the back just before he got to the quarterback and pushed him by.

When Browning and Chubb ran games on the edge, they were virtually unblockable. They forced a short pass on an early 3rd & 11 by pressuring Ryan. They produced a sack late in the half on a similar twist. Browning’s speed rush is his go-to, as it should be, but the threat of a twist with Chubb keeps tackles honest. Browning is a move or two from becoming a dominant force on the edge.

And Browning was productive in the run game, too. He took on a pulling Quenton Nelson early in the game and set the edge. He pushed a tight end backward and corralled a 2nd-and-short run and forced a third down. He toyed with a tight end late in the game before tossing him to the side and making a tackle on the edge for a two-yard loss.

It’s worth noting that Browning’s matchup on Thursday might be his best all season. Still, it’s time to get excited about the 23-year-old rusher. He finished with 1.5 sacks and two tackles for loss. We aren’t docking him for two false starts.

OLB Nik Bonitto – C

Bonitto still isn’t great at setting the edge. He made it tougher on himself when he saw a receiver in jet motion to his side and took a step to his flat coverage responsibility before trying to hold the edge, which opened up the running lane. It isn’t a big deal, but it allowed a six-yard run. He still doesn’t look like he’s playing at full speed.

The rookie had a few nice edge rushes that didn’t quite get pressure. His best play was a spin move that forced Matt Ryan to put the ball way up in the air instead of zipping it to his receiver on the final drive of regulation. Pro Football Focus credited Bonitto with four hurries, but I think that number is generous.

LB Josey Jewell – B+

Jewell left the game with a knee injury that leaves him week-to-week. He played about 45% of the snaps before his departure.

While he was in the game, Jewell was the solid veteran linebacker the Broncos expect him to be. He brushed off a block from a second-year tight end in the first quarter to make a tackle. He stepped up and held his ground while helping to clog up running lanes. He made a sure tackle in the slot on a 3rd & 11. He blitzed on a 3rd & 12 and made a smart decision to cut outside and force Matt Ryan to step into a Bradley Chubb sack. He earned a half-sack and a forced fumble just before the half.

Jewell was also bailed out by a drop in the flat on the game’s first play when he wasn’t quick enough to move to the boundary. That’s not his game. He played well in the exact ways you expect him to.

LB Jonas Griffith – C+

The 25-year-old linebacker was solid fighting through blocks, but that didn’t mean he got off them as quickly or easily as Jewell. He was able to clog up some running lanes but was a little late to step up into his gap on several occasions. One of them opened up a running lane. Maybe it’s a lack of aggressiveness, but I’m leaning toward slightly-slow processing still as he continues to learn on the job.

LB Alex Singleton – B

When Singleton entered the game in place of Jewell, he picked up right where the other linebacker left off. He plugged a hole and made a tackle for a short gain on the first drive after the half. He blew up a screen play for a loss when he was the only defender in the area.

Singleton doesn’t slide off of blocks as naturally as Jewell does, but he’s a sure tackler and one of the league’s top reserve linebackers.

His unnecessary roughness penalty knocks his grade down.

CB Pat Surtain II – A-

Surtain gave up a first down on a drag route. He got caught up in traffic on a 2nd & 18, and the receiver got free. Surtain chased him down and knocked the ball out. Of course he did.

CB Ronald Darby – C

The Broncos’ veteran cornerback played about half the game before he tore his ACL, which ended his day.

Darby gave up 10 yards on a dig before the half and then allowed a conversion on 3rd & 8 a few plays later. He tore his ACL on a great play, in which he knocked a receiver out of bounds, forcing an incompletion.

CB K’Waun Williams – C+

A couple of mistakes stand out for Williams; a missed tackle in the flat on the second drive when he didn’t try to wrap up, and a 21-yard completion allowed just after the two-minute warning in the second quarter. He also had a nice sequence late in the third quarter with a run stuff on a blitz and then a third-down pass breakup on the next play.

CB Damarri Mathis – D-

The rookie filled in for the final 60% of the game as the outside cornerback opposite Pat Surtain after Ronald Darby tore his ACL.

Things didn’t go well.

He gave up 18 yards on a crosser on his first play. It was a third down with less than two minutes in the half, and it moved the Colts into field-goal range.

He was beaten on a couple of digs in the third quarter. He had a nice pop on the hit on one of them, though. He made a solid third-down tackle in space in the fourth quarter. It was nothing special, and it would’ve been a problem if he didn’t make it, but it was still encouraging.

Mathis almost caught the game-winning interception but the receiver, rookie Alec Pierce, was able to reach over him for the catch. Then he gave up 17 yards to Pierce on an out route on that final drive. The ball floated way up in the air because of pressure, but Mathis still wasn’t able to recover.

Mathis is the likely starter going forward since Darby is done for the season. Michael Ojemudia could take that spot when he returns from the injured reserve list, which could be as soon as this week. Mathis seemed to have the edge on the depth chart before Ojemudia’s injury, but poor play could flip that.

CB Essang Bassey – C+

No big plays allowed but no big plays added either. Bassey didn’t make much of his corner blitz. Other than that, he hardly made the notebook.

S Kareem Jackson – B

Past his prime? Probably.

An important piece of this defense? Definitely.

Jackson might not have the juice he used to, but he always knows where to be. He’s been solid in coverage all season, and that continued. He fits the run well and rarely misses tackles. His contributions to the running game shouldn’t be understated.

S Caden Sterns – A

Two interceptions is an automatic A. Both were pretty easy plays. He floated into the middle of the field, and Matt Ryan didn’t see him. The balls would’ve hit him in the chest and the facemask if he hadn’t caught them.

Sterns was flying around all game. He cracked Michael Pittman Jr. for a pass breakup at the sticks. He was forceful in the run game, despite missing a tackle.

Special Teams

P Corliss Waitman – B+

Waitman punted the ball five times for 229 yards. He pinned the Colts inside the 20 once with no touchbacks.

K Brandon McManus – C-

The kicker was three of four with a long of 45 yards. The one miss was a block on a chip shot. He should be able to get the ball over the line on short kicks, so he gets the bulk of the blams.

KR/PR Montrell Washington – D+

The rookie fumbled a kickoff. Yikes.

He also didn’t provide much juice as a punt returner, with two returns for six yards. That’s well below his season average of 15 per return entering Thursday.

His only offensive touch was an end-around that went for nine yards.

Washington almost had a 51-yard catch until Courtland Sutton ripped the ball away from him. If he’d held on, he’d have a better grade and he’d be in the offense section instead of special teams.