Game Grades are back!

The Broncos played their first preseason game Friday night in Arizona agains the Cardinals. Denver lost the game by allowing a touchdown drive in the final two minutes, and a two-point conversion with two seconds to go. The final score was 18-17.

If you’re new to Game Grades, don’t expect them to be this bulky all season. But right now there are 91 players on the roster and this was our first chance to see them play, so I dug deep. We’ve got 69 player grades from Preseason Week 1.

Here’s how the Broncos graded out…

Offense

Quarterback

Russell Wilson: B — Wilson started slowly, rolling out right on a bootleg and ripping a ball too far behind his tight end. His second pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and forced a three-and-out. 

The next drive started with Wilson throwing from a clean pocket. He found Jerry Jeudy in a gap in the middle of the field against a Cover 3 zone, and Wilson whipped the ball to Jeudy, who picked up 19 yards. The next passing play was a sack, but there was nobody open downfield and no route for Wilson to escape.

The Broncos’ first screen pass of the game was blown apart before it had a chance. Wilson tried to underhand the ball to his running back anyway, but he couldn’t hold on. Samaje Perine probably wouldn’t have gained any yards anyway. The second screen went much better. Wilson hit Adam Trautman, who turned upfield for a 14-yard gain.

Courtland Sutton caught three passes from Wilson. One was a laser to Sutton, who was sitting in a gap in the zone 13 yards downfield. The next was tipped at the line of scrimmage, but Sutton was able to come back to the ball and catch it for short gain. The final pass was dropped nicely between the linebackers and safeties for 19 yards.

The starters ended their outing with back-to-back passes to Jerry Jeudy. Wilson hit him in the chest on the money on both. Jeudy dropped the first but brought the second one to the end zone.

You could make the case that Wilson deserves a better grade. He took advantage of every clean pocket. He made a couple of plays from outside the pocket, too. His 7-for-13 outing netted him 93 yards and a touchdown, which was good for a 103 passer rating.

Jarrett Stidham: D — The good: Stidham hit Lil’Jordan Humphrey on a dig for 26 yards. He had a strong run on 3rd & 6, embracing the contact and picking up the first down. He showed good anticipation on a 7-yard hitch to Marquez Callaway. He was decisive hitting Tyler Badie up the middle for six yard on 2nd & 7. He ran for a dozen yards after making the right decision on an RPO.

The bad: His first ball was behind Marquez Callaway, who had created space downfield and may have been free for an 80-yard touchdown. He wasn’t on the same page as Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Jalen Virgil on a pair of incompletions. He threw a ball that was too low for Humphrey 27 yards downfield. He tried to throw a contested pass to Montrell Washington, and the defender won the battle for an interception.

Stidham finish 5-for-15 with 50 yards and a pick. It was a rough showing.

Ben DiNucci: B+ — DiNucci orchestrated the Broncos final touchdown drive, which gave them a seven-point lead in the waning minutes of the game. His only really tough throw was a jump throw to Michael Bandy in a tight window past the sticks on third down. For the most part, he took what the defense gave him. He also threw a ball that should have been picked, but Taylor Grimes was able to prevent the interception. DiNucci finished 7-for-9 with 57 yards.

Running Back

Samaje Perine: C- — Perine’s 11-yard run salvaged his night, but his other five touches only picked up 15 total yards. Perine wasn’t always given a hole to work with, but he was quick to give up on finding one and burrow in behind his linemen for a 2- or 3-yard gain. He was particularly shy about bouncing outside, which isn’t his game but was still probably the right idea on at least one occasion. Perine showed off his tackle-breaking ability on a toss that he cut inside. He read his blockers perfectly on the 11-yard run.

Tyler Badie: C- — Badie took what the offensive line created for him, except for maybe his first run, when he didn’t hit the hole cleanly. He had a nice catch up the middle. His four yards per carry are no problem. He just didn’t created anything extra in the running game.

Jaleel McLaughlin: A- — McLaughlin’s debut didn’t come until the final drive, but he brought some juice to the running game immediately. He broke a couple of tackles and turned a three-yard loss into a five-yard gain. He broke a tackle and hit the gas on a screen for a 12-yard gain. (He also fumbled out of bounds at the end of the play, which is why he gets the “minus.”) Then he capped the drive off by showing off great vision to slip through a narrow crease for a touchdown. Another back may not have made it halfway to the end zone.

Fullback

Michael Burton: B — Burton only played five snaps, but he made a great block on the edge on Samaje Perine’s longest run of the night.

Tight End

Adam Trautman: C+ — Trautman wasn’t a bad blocker by any means, but it repeatedly felt like he was an inch away from helping create a big run. He almost always did the job, but if he had done it just a little bit better, he could have earned a much higher grade. His best block of the day was on Samaje Perine’s 11-yard run. He helped Isaiah Prince with a double team and then kept another defender out of the play, opening the lane. He let a couple of rushers around the edge, but both times Russell Wilson was sitting way back in the pocket, giving Trautman a tough angle to manage. He also had a nifty 14-yard catch-and-run on a screen.

Greg Dulcich: D+ — Dulcich wasn’t very involved on Friday. He was the second tight end up, which means he started with the second unit and played as the second tight end in 12 personnel with the starters, but he wasn’t targeted on any of his 15 snaps. If he could have gotten any push at all on the toss to Samaje Perine, there probably would have been a big gain up the sideline. That isn’t his game, and just staying in front of his man is probably a good play for Dulcich, but without making an impact in the passing game it’s tough for him to earn a decent grade.

Nate Adkins: A — I know this is my guy, but I promise this grade isn’t biased. He earned every bit of it. Let me tell you why… He had a good block on the first play of the second half to open a hole. He worked a double team and extend to the second level. He cleaned up the backside of a split zone run. He sealed the edge over and over again. And he never seemed to break a sweat.

There was one controversial play: On Jalen Virgil’s jet sweep, he left his first block early and the defender was able to lay hands on Virgil. But Virgil broke free and Adkins picked up another man and drove him out of the play. It worked perfectly, but it was risky. 

Albert Okwuegbunam: B — I only took one Albert O note on Friday, but it’s one I love to write: He pancaked a defender in space on Jalen Virgil’s jet sweep.

Tommy Hudson: B– — Hudson wasn’t on the field much, but he made two nice plays. One was a 3rd & 1 block that created space for the running back to pick up the first down. The other was a two-yard catch in the flat on his only target.

Wide Receiver

Jerry Jeudy: B — What a tough grade to give. His first catch was great. He knew a passing lane would open up in the middle of the field against Cover 3, and he didn’t waste any time getting there and picking up 19 yards. His next target was the out route, when he came free for an easy first down and likely touchdown… but the ball bounced off of his hands. The Broncos tried to convert the ensuing fourth down, and Jeudy found himself in single coverage in the slot. He sent the safety trying to cover him to the ground with a sharp slant, caught the ball, and walked into the end zone. He might deserve better than the B, but it’s tough to decide.

Courtland Sutton: B — Sutton did exactly what the Broncos need from him. He sat down in a crease in the zone for a 13-yard gain. He dove for a ball that was tipped at the line of scrimmage and salvaged a few yards. Most importantly, he ran a crossing route between the linebackers and the safeties and provided a 19-yard gain.

Marquez Callaway: B — Callaway should have had a big gain on a deep crosser, but Stidham left the ball behind him. He might still be running if the ball was on target. Maybe I’m grading him too highly, since he had one catch for seven yards in 19 snaps, but I feel bad for the guy after that missed pass. A clean catch and run and he might have had an A+.

Kendall Hinton: D+ — Hinton was on the field the second-most of any receiver, but he didn’t get a single target. The closest he came was on an RPO bubble screen, but Jarrett Stidham decided to keep the ball and run.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey: B — Humphrey came free on a deep dig and picked up 26 yards on his only catch of the night. He couldn’t bring in a low ball 27 yards downfield. You could make the case that he doesn’t deserve to be docked for that play. A couple more short catches would have gone a long way, since he was on the field significantly more than any other receiver.

Jalen Virgil: A+ — Of all the grades, this one is the most surprising. Friday night, I would’ve though Virgil had an average showing. But after going back through, he had a great game. The Broncos motioned him into the backfield as an F-back multiple times, and it worked remarkably well. They ran behind him twice and he had great blocks on both, but the first lead block was incredible. He also lined up tight and ran through the backfield to the flat on a play-action pass, and if the ball wasn’t batted away, he would have picked up a chunk gain. Throw in a good block on a punt return, and Virgil may be in position to make the team. Oh yeah, and he broke a tackle in the backfield on a jet sweep and turned it into a 25-yard gain, but you knew about that one.

Montrell Washington: B+ — This is another tough grade. Wasington was great in the return game, providing 11 yards and 18 yards in his two punt returns. More importantly, he let the punt that flew inside the 10-yard line hit the ground. Washington wasn’t much of a factor in the offense. His only target was intercepted. The quarterback made a bad decision and deserves the blame, but a bigger receiver probably could have knocked the ball away from the defender.

Taylor Grimes: A+ — Grimes only played the final drive, and he made a few plays. He moved the sticks on a play-action drag. On the next play, he caught a quick out for nine yards. Then he pancaked a defensive back on a bubble screen. He broke up a bad throw from his quarterback that should have been intercepted. Then he drew a 22-yard pass interference that set the Broncos up inside the 5.

Michael Bandy: A — You can’t ask much more from Bandy, who only played the game’s final series. He caught a slant on 3rd & 3. He made a great catch in tight space between two defenders on 3rd & 4. He also picked up a few yards on a bubble screen.

Tackle

Garett Bolles: D+ — Garett Bolles struggled in his first action since breaking his leg last season. The low point was when he gave up the only sack of Russell Wilson. He stopped the initial rush but was pushed outside, opening a lane inside for the sack.

Isaiah Prince: C- — Prince had plenty of good blocks. He sent a couple of defenders to the ground. But the mistakes weigh down his grade. He got beat too easily in the early-going with a quick dip to the inside. He gave up a sack of Jarrett Stidham around the outside. He had a false start that turned a 3rd & 3 into a 3rd & 8.

Cam Fleming: D+ — It was a rough night for Cam Fleming. He gave up three pressures by my count—all three of them around the outside—and two of them resulted in hits.

Demontrey Jacobs: D — It was a rough night for the undrafted rookie, as well. He was beaten around the outside twice, including one that resulted in a hit. He also gave up a pressure to the inside.

Alex Palczewski: A — The undrafted rookie made just about every block you can think of. He pushed his man backward on a 3rd & 1 to create space behind him for the running back to reach the sticks. He kicked out a defender downfield to clear space for the second half of Tyler Badie’s 11-yard run. He made a clean down block to open a hole. He doubled and extended to the next man. He opened up the hole for the last touchdown. Just about every play included Palczewski outplaying whoever was in front of him. He made two mistakes. He was late recognizing one stunt, and he was beaten on the second move of a pass rush, but it was too late to provide pressure.

Guard

Ben Powers: C- — Powers had his ups and downs on Friday, but downs count more than ups for offensive linemen. He gave up two pressures that were too easy. One was when he let a 3-tech by him to bat away a pass. The other was when he was beat around the outside for a pressure. He had his moments—like when he had a chance to combo block and extend to the next level, or when he pulled and opened up a huge hole on Samaje Perine’s 11-yard run—but it’s the flaws that stick out.

Quinn Meinerz: C- — Meinerz got off to a nice start. He was productive in the running game, especially climbing to the second level. He helped out the center and guard in pass protection. Nobody really got by him. But toward the end of his night, he made two mistakes. He gave up a pressure on a short pass that wouldn’t have been a big deal if the defender hadn’t gotten his finger on the ball. Then he was beaten inside for a real pressure, which forced an incompletion.

Kyle Fuller: D — Fuller was up-and-down all night. He gave up a pressure inside early on, but followed it up with a pancake in pass protection on the next play. Right after halftime, he opened a hole with a great block. He also gave up a pressure on the edge, was outmuscled for a run stuff and was called for holding.

Quinn Bailey: C+ — Bailey had a nice block on Tyler Badie’s 11-yard run. He isn’t the best mover in space, but the veteran got the job done on a screen.

Will Sherman: A — Sherman made a few notable blocks and didn’t make any mistakes that I found. The Broncos ran behind him on his first play of the game and he opened up a hole. He had a great combo block with Alex Forsyth. He made a block 15 yards downfield on a screen. Most importantly, he made one of the three key blocks on Jaleel McLaughlin’s fourth-quarter touchdown run. 

Henry Byrd: C — Byrd gave up a tackle early in his night. Shortly thereafter, he was late getting into his pass set, which let a defender get outside of him. He picked things up in the second half of his debut, with a strong, sustained solo block and a good block on a screen.

Center

Lloyd Cushenberry: B — The Broncos’ offensive line struggled at times on Friday, but Cushenberry wasn’t the primary culprit. He was shedded quickly on the Broncos’ first run of the game after Ben Powers left the double-team, but that was the only major blemish. He excelled in space on screens.

Luke Wattenberg: D+ — This is a really tough grade. Wattenberg played well for the most part, especially compared to when we saw him last year. He made a good block eight yards downfield on Tyler Badie’s 11-yard run. He made a good block in space on a screen, too. But he also got flattened by the defender who blocked the field goal attempt. I can’t get that out of my mind.

Alex Forsyth: A — Forsyth made a few different solid blocks in his first NFL action. One was a combo block with Will Sherman. One was a solo block that opened a crease for Jaleel McLaughlin. One came on a screen. The final, and most important block, came on McLaughlin’s touchdown.

Defense

Defensive Line

DJ Jones: A- — Jones only played four snaps before he left with a concussion, but he made my notebook on three of the plays. On one play, he disengaged from a block to fill his gap, feeding the running back to Randy Gregory. On a screen pass, he chased the play down from behind to help with the tackle. On a third down pass, he provided a pressure that forced the quarterback out of the pocket. Unfortunately, the quarterback found a running lane for a first down. If you ignore the small sample size, Jones was the most disruptive player in the Broncos’ starting defensive front. 

Zach Allen: C —Allen didn’t have a stellar showing against his former team. Guard Will Hernandez bottled him up on back-to-back plays, and he was pushed backward by sixth overall pick Paris Johnson Jr. on another play. The low point was when he was double teamed and the center picked him up and tossed him to the ground. Drawing double teams is a good thing, though. Allen’s motor helped him contribute to a couple tackles.

Jonathan Harris: B — Harris was strong in the run game, moving blockers to the side to hold down the line of scrimmage. 

Matt Henningsen: A — Henningsen was in full control for almost the entire game, and a lot of it looked easy, like when he shedded a backup guard to get into the backfield, or when he stunted around Tyler Lancaster for a pressure up the middle on 2nd & 13. He was strong in the trenches, disengaging from blockers to tackle running backs. He was almost always around the ball, but he wasn’t perfect. He was washed out of the way on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter. He also had the running back in his arms on the game-winning two-point conversion, but I think it was a good play just to stand him up at the line of scrimmage, and it should have been up to his teammates to get him down.

Elijah Garcia: A+ — Garcia put together a pair of sacks in a three-play span, and those catapult his grade. He also had pressures on a 3rd & 13 and to start the final drive. He also jumped offside… but Thomas Incoom jumped first and was credited for the penalty. I’m giving him the A+, but I’m hesitant because of the jump.

Jordan Jackson: A — Jackson had a good night. He had a great rush in the fourth quarter. He batted a ball at the line of scrimmage. He drew a holding. He made a strong tackle in the trenches.

Tyler Lancaster: C+ — The nose tackle moved better than I expected. He flowed with one run and fought off a blocker for a tackle at the line of scrimmage. He also was pushed backward on a QB sneak. In his defense, there were three blockers to just one of him.

PJ Mustipher: A- — Mustipher was all over the field, despite not registering a sack or tackle for loss. He flowed incredibly well for a 325-pounder. The Cardinals couldn’t keep him out of the backfield.

Outside Linebacker

Randy Gregory: B — Gregory only played 10 snaps, but he made his presence felt. He held the edge of the defense well, including on the first play from scrimmage when he disengaged from the tackle and dragged the running back down for a 1-yard run. Gregory didn’t make much noise in the passing game and was totally held in check when competing with sixth overall pick Paris Johnson Jr. 

Jonathon Cooper: B- — Like Gregory, Cooper’s impact was felt primarily in the running game over 13 snaps. He disengaged from blockers easily to shut if running games, and he provided strong backside pursuit when the ball went the other way. Veteran tackle Kelvin Beachum handled Cooper in the passing game. He was chipped often.

Nik Bonitto: B+ — Bonitto’s half-sack came on a speed to power rush, when Bonitto was able to dip inside and finish off the tackle after another rusher forced the quarterback to step up in the pocket. He had another great pressure against Paris Johnson Jr. that probably would have been a sack, if the offense wasn’t running a screen. He had another great jump later on, but the tackle was able to push him to the ground when he turned the corner. 

Thomas Incoom: C– — Incoom dodged a lineman and got into the backfield for what should have been a four-yard tackle for loss. But he missed the tackle. Still, it was a good play to bust up the run. He also disengaged from a blocker to force a quarterback to slide after a two-yard scramble. An offsides penalty knocks his grade down.

Marcus Haynes: C+ — Haynes had a strong inside rush that created a pressure. He also came within a foot of a sack on a stunt. The Broncos needed more from him in the running game.

Chris Allen: C — Allen had a hit on the quarterback on a third down and he cleaned up a tackle for loss, but he also gave up a run to his side when he lost contain.

Inside Linebacker

Josey Jewell: C+ — Jewell missed his first tackle attempt of the game. He could’ve forced a 3rd & 7 after a short pass, but instead the Cardinals converted a 3rd & 3. He communicated well all night and had a great block on Essang Bassey’s interception.

Alex Singleton: A+ — This grade might be too high, but I’m standing by it. In just 11 snaps, Alex Singleton flashed over and over again. The big play was when he timed a blitz perfectly and came untouched between the tackle and tight end for a third-down tackle for loss. But there was so much more. He read a tight end leaking into the flat late, and crashed in to make a tackle for a one-yard gain. On another run, two pulling blockers were coming to his side of the field, and he delayed his burst into the backfield so they couldn’t see him behind the left tackle, and then he cut inside to grab the running back’s legs and stop the run for two yards.

Drew Sanders: C+ — It was an uneventful night for the Broncos’ third-round pick. He had a good read in the running game and got through the gap, which forced the runner to head to a different hole. He saw a quarterback scramble and charged forward to force a slide after a two-yard gain. Sanders lined up over a guard just before one snap, but was pushed to the side, opening a hole that allowed an eight-yard run.

Justin Strnad: B+ — Strnad’s best work—as you might expect—came on special teams. He made the tackle on the opening kickoff, and made another tackle on a kickoff later in the game. He was solid in the passing game, including reading a screen as it developed and making the tackle. He likely would’ve had a PBU on a drag route if Jordan Jackson hadn’t batted the ball at the line of scrimmage. He got stuck on a few blocks. He did well to charge a scrambling quarterback and force him to slide before the sticks. 

Seth Benson: B- — Benson showed off a solid feel for playing in traffic. He also cleaned up a tackle for loss. He pressured a quarterback on a rollout, and if he had one more step of speed he could’ve forced a third-down incompletion.

Cornerback

Damarri Mathis: B+ — Mathis didn’t show up in my notes much, since he wasn’t targeted in the game. That’s a good thing for a cornerback. His low point came when the Cardinals threw a screen his way, and an offensive lineman blew him up near the sideline. There wasn’t much he could do.

Ja’Quan McMillian: A — McMillian played extensively in the first preseason game, and he played well overall. The big play came when he blitzed and sacked the quarterback. He limited gains on the catches he allowed, like a three-yard hitch to the boundary, except for one play, when he dropped too far in zone coverage and a late drag route into his part of the field came free on a third down. Earlier, he made a great play with Josey Jewell, communicating and seamlessly trading man coverage responsibilities on the fly against crossing drag routes. He made two good tackles. If he could have gotten a hand on a punt that one-hopped into the end zone, he would have earned aperfect grade.

Essang Bassey: B — This is one of the toughest grades of the day. Essang Bassey caught the Broncos’ only interception, which wins him plenty of points. But the receiver slipped on the break and that made the play simple, so I’m holding a couple of points back since the ball fell into his lap. The return was great, though, for what it’s worth. Outside of the interception, Bassey didn’t have a bad night, there were just a handful of plays where you would have liked just a little more from him. Like on a third-down throw to the sticks, when Bassey was in tight coverage and made an immediate tackle that limited the gain to five yards. But he gave up just enough ground to give up the first down. On another 3rd & 5, he sat in outside leverage against Rondale Moore (one of the league’s fastest receivers) in the slot. The decision made sense, since his safety help was in the deep middle of the field. But Moore ran a slant and picked up 13 yards and a first down. On a 3rd & 8, Bassey got caught in a pick and his man was open on an out route, but the quarterback missed. I might have been too harsh with my grade.

Tremon Smith: D- —At various points, I loved what I saw from Tremon Smith. Most of the Cardinals’ completions were to open targets, but whenever Smith was involved, at least for most of the game, there was a tight window. He had a great cover on a corner route early on in the night, and another one on a deep comeback. But there were too many flaws. He gave up a big gain on a dig in the final drive when he stumbled out of the break. He also had a great cover and block on a punt return. 

But he was called for a holding penalty and a pass interference, which came on 3rd & 14. He also locked up a receiver down the sideline and into the end zone on the final drive, and offensive pass interference could have been called. If any of those three potential penalties had been called differently, Smith’s grade might have been very different. The biggest flaw, by a wide margin, came on the final play of the game. Smith was supposed to be guarding the boundary in the end zone, knowing the Cardinals needed 18 yards to score. But he left his assignment and created the window for the touchdown.

Smith made some mistakes, but much of what went wrong came from bad breaks. He could certainly have a bounceback performance next week.

Faion Hicks: B+ — Faion Hicks wasn’t perfect—in fact I didn’t have him forcing a single incompletion—but the catches weren’t a problem. One was a short hitch on 3rd & 13. Another was a four-yard out on 2nd & 17. Two balls fell incomplete because of poor quarterback play.

Delonte Hood: D+ — Hood was beaten on a shallow post for an eight-yard touchdown, and that play is doing the bulk of the work in his grade. He also gave up a 16-yard dig. On the bright side, he had a great tackle in space and forced an incompletion on a deep fade in the final drive.

Safety

Caden Sterns: C+ — Sterns held his own, but he didn’t quite capitalize on three plays, and those hold him back. On one play, Sterns was playing a robber zone on 3rd & 3, and decided to help out with drag route that was already well-covered. Since he vacated the middle of the field, the quarterback was able to scramble for a first down. On another play, he showed great anticipation slicing through the trenches but missed the tackle at the line of scrimmage, which cost the Broncos three yards. The final play was when he played deep coverage and shut down a receiver running down the sideline. He forced the incompletion, but it looked like he might have been able to pick the ball off.

Kareem Jackson: B — Jackson’s best play of the game was his first play, when he approached the line of scrimmage late and penetrated the backfield to help create a run stuff.

PJ Locke: C+ —Locke made a couple of nice plays, like coming in late with a shoulder to put the final touch on a tackle, or when he helped to contain a screen. 

Delarrin Turner-Yell: B– — Turner-Yell had a solid outing. He had a couple of nice pops, including on a kickoff. He could’ve saved a couple of yards if he’d wrapped up, but he circled back around to help with the tackle. He also flew in to help with a first-down tackle at the line of scrimmage. A bad angle on a 13-yard run, and then allowing a nine-yard catch on the next play, keeps his grade modest.

JL Skinner: D+ — Skinner just about made a great play, penetrating into the backfield on 3rd & 3. But he missed the tackle. He also lost the tight end on the sideline on a 3rd & 5 scramble drill. It should have been an easy cover. On another play, he had a good cover over the middle and popped the receiver at the end of the play.

Devon Key: B — Key had a great block on a punt return and also showed some pop on a ball short of the sticks on the final drive. I think he should have been able to help out more on the two-point conversion, but I’m not confident enough to dock his grade significantly.

Special Teams

Kicker

Brett Maher: F — Maher missed a 47-yard field goal wide right. Then his 52-yard attempt was blocked. He made his only extra point attempt.

Elliott Fry: D+ — Fry missed a 50-yard field goal but made a 55-yarder. He made his only extra point attempt.

Punter

Riley Dixon: D+ — Dixon’s first punt was awful. It landed 40 yards downfield, but some backspin caused it to bounce the wrong way and it finished 32 yards from where it started. He bounced back with a couple of nice punts, 56- and 47-yarders, but those weren’t enough to erase his first try.