Throughout the entire 2018-19 season, BSN Denver will be giving you game grades from every Denver Broncos contest. Evaluating all the starters and beyond to give you a better look at the team’s strengths and weaknesses on a game-to-game basis.

The Denver Broncos offense hit a new low in Week 17 on their way to a 23-9 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Here’s how everyone fared.

Standouts from the game:

Von Miller: A-

• Von did a fine job defending the run early, crashing in from outside to make plays, none bigger than his TFL on 3rd-and-1, yanking Austin Ekeler back for a big early stop.
• Had two quarterback hurries, both coming on the two interceptions as his pressure off the edge rushed Phillip Rivers.
• Heated up late against reserve QB, Geno Smith, getting two strip sacks—one nullified because of a defensive holding penalty—as he floated around the edge to get into the backfield and wreak havoc. Too little too late, but still a strong performance overall.

Will Parks: A-

• Parks came up with a big interception underneath, showing nice instincts and recovery speed to come out of his zone and pick off the pass.
• Played excellent coverage all game, allowing one reception for two yards on two targets. Covered tight ends masterfully, blanketing Antonio Gates on a few occasions.
• Tackled soundly all game in space limiting big plays.

Isaac Yiadom: A-

• Yiadom played sticky defense all game in easily his best game as a pro, showing active hands and contesting catches on every single occasion.
• Produced his first career interception in coverage down the sideline, playing the ball perfectly and jumping the route.
• Conceded three grabs for 33 yards but contested everything, was put out on an island allowing a Mike Williams TD on a tough in-cutting route with no help over the top.

Defense

Domata Peko: D

• Peko wasn’t exactly clogging lanes or getting off his blocks against the run in this one.
• Had a nice tip at the line, swatting a pass away.
• Was flagged for unnecessary roughness on Von’s fumble recovery late in garbage time.

Derek Wolfe: B-

• Wolfe combined nicely with Shelby Harris against the run, stuffing gaps and holding LA to short gains up the middle.
• Deflected a pass at the line in an active performance.

Adam Gotsis: C

• Gotsis had an incredibly quiet game despite playing over 60 percent of the snaps.
• He was a non-factor against the run.
• Did generate pressure, forcing the OG into Rivers on an incompletion early but did little else against the pass.

Bradley Chubb: C-

• Chubb was strong against the run, making multiple tackles holding runners to short gains.
• On the other hand, his impact rushing the passer wasn’t there.

Josey Jewell: B

• Jewell had some nice flashes, including a run stuff and a TFL in the dying moments, both times bursting through the hole to get the stop.
• Played solid coverage underneath allowing only one reception to Keenan Allen who got to the sticks on 1st-and-10.
• Wasn’t always the stoutest against the run but was a reliable second line of defense.

Todd Davis: C

• Davis cleaned up the trash with tackles up the middle on short runs and did little else.
• He and Jewell met Ekeler at the line but couldn’t stand up the back who fought forward to get his TD at the goal line.

Darian Stewart: C+

• Stewart played half the snaps and got injured at the very end, he was a sure tackler and underneath cover man who didn’t have many flash plays but even fewer blunders.
• Couldn’t get through on a blitz up the middle down in the red zone opening up the middle of the field for Williams’ TD.

Justin Simmons: B+

• Simmons played the run well and allowed two receptions for 25 yards in a well-rounded performance.

Tramaine Brock: C+

• Brock allowed a couple tough receptions early but was solid in coverage, playing physical defense and sticking with wideouts deep.
• Conceded two receptions on as many targets for 35 yards.
• His worst play came as he couldn’t take down Ekeler out on the perimeter for a potential TFL, letting the RB turn the corner for a big 41-yard gain.
• Combined with Jeff Holland for a TFL late in the game.

Bradley Roby: C+

• Roby seemed to make a point of playing hard against the run, making sound tackles in space, running down plays, and generally showing good effort.
• He was never tested in coverage early but did allow two big receptions by Allen for 40 yards on three targets.
• Got lucky early as Travis Benjamin had him beat on a double move but dropped the potential big gain.

Other noteworthy defensive performances:

Brandon Marshall: D+

• Marshall had some struggles in underneath coverage, looking a bit slow to recover and allowing a couple receptions including one by Williams on 3rd-and-2 in the red zone.
• Got stiff-armed by Melvin Gordon and was a non-factor on run defense.

Shelby Harris: B

• Harris played well against the run, with a run stuff as a result of sitting back and playing disciplined ‘D’, and combined with Wolfe for two more tackles around the line.
• Generated pressure with Von up the middle on 3rd-and-20.

Jeff Holland: B

• Holland was quietly very good, playing active run defense and was the catalyst on two separate TFLs chasing plays down.
• Created penetration with regularity showing promising upside.

Offense

Garett Bolles: D+

• Bolles fell apart in a brief stretch, first getting flagged for a massive hold that nullified a Devontae Booker TD run and then on the next play as Joey Bosa came off the edge, on a blatant foul.
• Allowed a QB hit on a 3rd-and-14 dump off, getting beat off the edge on a stunt.
• Conceded penetration in the backfield on what could’ve been a TFL but Booker spun out of the tackle in a sloppy performance.

Billy Turner: D

• Turner got going as a run blocker for a brief stretch, moving well laterally and creating push for Royce Freeman to run through, but fell apart with sloppy mistakes.
• Got pushed into the backfield on the opening drive forcing the ball out early.
• Was flagged for holding after getting beat off his inside shoulder on a run block.
• Allowed three different red zone pressures, struggling to hold his ground and getting pushed into the QB.
• Struggled too often at the point of attack and had lots of issues in pass pro.

Connor McGovern: D+

• McGovern also had a holding penalty which put the Broncos out of field goal position early.
• Didn’t look all that quick setting up his blocks on the move and struggled some at the point of attack.
• Was overpowered by Brandon Mebane up the middle, getting tossed to the side and allowing a run stop.
• Allowed a QB hit, getting turned around and letting the DE breakthrough for a delayed hit running down Keenum on 3rd-and-6.
• Dropped the snap on a weird play ending in a TFL on Keenum.

Elijah Wilkinson: D+

• Wilkinson allowed his fair share of penetration up the middle, both against the run and pass.
• Got beat up the middle in the two-minute drill at the end of the half forcing Keenum off his spot, and then on his outside shoulder on a short dump off.
• Struggled to run block but also showed brief flashes of intriguing potential in pass pro with his lateral mobility and ability to recover.

Jared Veldheer: F

• Veldheer did not have a clean game and really struggled against Bosa.
• Had the rare distinction of getting flagged for a false start, conceding a TFL, a sack, and then a QB hit on the botched snap.
• Got beat off his inside shoulder by Melvin Ingram, flushing the QB out the pocket on a 3rd-and-6 incompletion, one of two additional pressures he allowed.
• Struggled to setp up blocks out on the move.

Royce Freeman: C-

•  Freeman had his best game as a receiver and was lined up out wide a good amount, with eight receptions all on short routes.
• He ran tough and disciplined without forcing any runs outside but also struggled to break tackles or make defenders miss.
• Committed a monumental mistake by not securing a lateral pass on the ground which was recovered by the defense and returned for a TD on a back-breaking play

Courtland Sutton: C

• Sutton’s two best plays came as he separated deep on two potential TDs but was overthrown both times—he maybe should have had one of the passes as he stretched out for the acrobatic reception.
• His lone reception came on a fine back shoulder grab for 25 yards, working back to the ball and making a nice play. 

DaeSean Hamilton: C+

• Hamilton, like the rest of the receiving corps, struggled to get open consistently but did wiggle free underneath on a few crucial receptions.
• Set Denver up in manageable field position getting open on a curl route on 2nd-and-15, and then on the very next play with a nice 3rd-and-8 curl, getting open at the sticks and springing forward to convert the down.
• Did a nice job on a post route to shake open on 3rd-and-2 and converted 4th-and-1 on a slant as well.
• Dropped a sure TD down on the goal line.

Matt LaCosse: D

• LaCosse caught a few dump offs all on short underneath routes.
• On a tough contested catch on 3rd-and-goal, the ball tipped out of his hands for a key interception.
• Completely whiffed on blocking Derwin James in space allowing an easy run stop.

Case Keenum: D-

• Keenum overthrew Sutton on multiple deep attempts where the WR had a half step of separation, both plays that could’ve been potential TDs. Both big misses.
• Made a few nice throws on the move and came up with a key third-down scramble and evaded pressure expertly at times.
• Early turnovers were a bit fluky, but he also got lucky to not have more, as poor ball placement could’ve led to at least another interception.
• His best vertical completions came on nice grabs where he just threw it up on back shoulder throws forcing his receivers to make plays.
• Was inaccurate at times and threw an awful pass on the two-point conversion right at the CB for the momentum-swinging ‘pick-two.’
• Inconsistent accuracy and lack of big plays doomed him.

Other noteworthy offensive performances:

Andy Janovich: B

• Jano had two nice grabs, one for 10 yards to the flats converting 2nd-and-10 and another on his wheel route TD, that was easy as pie as the FB was wide open. 

Tim Patrick: C-

• Patrick had two strong second-quarter grabs, first to the sideline fighting for extra yards on a 13-yard gain, and then on a crosser for over 10 yards.
• Had a huge fumble as he was stood up and lost the ball on a bang-bang play as he tried to fight forward.
• Dropped an in-route that was on the money and would’ve been enough to convert the first down.

Special Teams: D

Special teams tried to make an impact with an early surprise onside kick and some great punts from Colby Wadman, who regularly pinned the Bolts deep in enemy territory and was a few bounces away from having an even better day.

The big blemish on the unit’s game came with River Cracraft’s costly kick return fumble.

Coaching: C+

Bill Musgrave implemented lots of multiple-TE formations, used Janovich and Freeman more in the passing game, but just couldn’t find any success. The loss of Phillip Lindsay was definitely felt. 

Joe Woods’ defense played great, and the scheme was perfectly designed as mixing up coverages confused Rivers who struggled mightily early.

Vance Joseph settled on a field goal attempt on 4th-and-goal while only down seven to end the half instead of going all in to try and tie things up. The adjustments at halftime, once again, had a negative impact.