Throughout the entire 2019-20 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.

Battling until the final second, the Denver Broncos lost the Chicago Bears on Sunday, after besting them in most meaningful statistical categories.

With our usual focus on individual performances, here is how it all went down.

Standouts from the game:

Justin Simmons: A

Simmons showcased elite ball skills all day and was the ultimate security blanket as a last line of defense. He was omnipresent in coverage and against the run coming up with countless big stops.

Garett Bolles: F

You can’t account for -40 yards and get a passing grade, period. Sure, Bolles battled with Khalil Mack, but that wasn’t even the greatest source of his four (!!) holding penalties, as he was flagged while run blocking, sometimes when 10 yards away from the play. When he wasn’t flagged, he didn’t dominate as a run blocker and was severely tested in pass protection.

Kareem Jackson: A

Jackson was a tone-setter, flying around with reckless abandon, disrupting screens and knocking passes out of receivers’ hands. His impact was incredible as he only allowed two grabs for nine yards despite playing every snap.

Emmanuel Sanders: A

Sanders had a big day with a couple of amazing grabs, including his mesmerizing toe-tapping touchdown with a defender draped all over him. When the offense needed him most, he came up with big plays, reminding us all how special he is when healthy.

Defense

Adam Gotsis: D

Gotsis was too often overpowered in run defense and brought little impact as a pass rusher—his lone pressure was nullified by a Derek Wolfe holding penalty.

Shelby Harris: C-

Harris didn’t have a huge impact, good or bad. He was there to pick up a few tackles but struggled to break through and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Derek Wolfe: C-

Wolfe had a true up and down performance, playing tremendous run defense and tallying a tackle for a loss and two more run stuffs. He also was flagged twice for defensive holding, one which nullified a third-down stop, and got blocked on a David Montgomery run on the Bears lone touchdown drive. All in all, he did more bad than good.

Von Miller: D

Von faced extra attention most of the game and had few opportunities to get to Trubisky, though his effort should’ve been better, especially on the Bears final play. He did have a nice run stuff bursting through the line but little else. 

Josey Jewell: C+

Jewell was attacked a couple of times in space on the Bears east-west runs and missed a tackle on a screen. His run defense was solid when he had to stuff gaps coming downhill, and he was reliable in coverage, allowing just three receptions for 28 yards on five targets.

Corey Nelson: C

Nelson’s impact wasn’t felt one way or another in 55-percent of the snaps, which is an improvement over last week.

Bradley Chubb: C-

Chubb had flashes of superb run defense, especially down on the goal line. He was also guilty of over pursing on the Bears lone scoring drive, allowing Patterson and Gabriel to get loose for big gains. His unjust roughing the passer penalty won’t count against him, but he must make more of his opportunities rushing the passer if Von’s going to get all the extra attention.

Chris Harris Jr.: B

Harris was in lockdown mode with a marvelous pass deflection and perfect defense on the only reception he allowed—a terrific contested-catch by Allen Robinson. His grade isn’t higher because he was flagged for holding on 3rd-and-goal, one of the key penalties that cost Denver the game. 

Isaac Yiadom: B-

Yes, Yiadom whiffed on a tackle and wasn’t always perfect, but he impacted the run with a TFL and only allowed three grabs for 25 yards. In a strong performance by the secondary, he did his part.

Other noteworthy defensive performances:

Malik Reed was completely overpowered on the edge allowing a first-down run and was caught in space on a quick dump off, as the Bears picked on him when they could.

DeMarcus Walker did a great job smothering a screen that was almost turned into a pick-six by Jackson. 

Offense

Dalton Risner: C-

Risner had a couple of shaky moments in pass protection and allowed a run stop as well. He was terrific run blocking at the second level and held his own for most of the game in pass pro but wasn’t exactly clean.

Connor McGovern: B

McGovern was tough as nails and fairly stout run blocking, though he did get beat for one run stop. In pass protection, he was the best of the bunch in what has quietly been a strong start to the season for Denver’s center.

Ron Leary: C

The flashes as a run blocker were there, and Leary was an anchor on that right side in pass pro, playing a part in Wilkinson’s success. What killed him were two uncharacteristic holding penalties.

Elijah Wilkinson: B+

It wasn’t always pretty, and while he did allow some pressure, Wilkinson did a nice job sealing off angles for outside runs while playing a mostly clean game in pass protection against the Bears talented edge-rushing duo. You couldn’t ask for much more. 

Jeff Heuerman: D

Two run stops allowed won’t cut it from the veteran tight end who has to be better as a blocker. His impact as a receiver wasn’t enough to raise his grade.

Courtland Sutton: A

Sutton had a modest game statistically (4 receptions for 40 yards on seven targets), but he was tough as nails coming up with big grabs in clutch moments. 

Royce Freeman: B

Freeman ran tough, saw the cutback lane well and was crucial getting momentum going. Had he broken off a couple more big runs he could’ve had a much higher grade, though he made the most of his 16 touches.

Phillip Lindsay: C+

Lindsay flashed some of the magic he can create in the open field with his 3rd-and-15 scamper and had his biggest impact as a receiver, coming up clutch in key moments. He could’ve had a bigger day if not for a few penalties that cost him yards on the stat sheet.

Joe Flacco: B

It wasn’t always pretty, but Flacco played like a true veteran, unfazed under pressure and coming up with crucial third and fourth down conversions despite unfavorable down-and-distance. His lone tipped interception was pretty fluky in a game where he was methodical taking what the defense gave him. The Broncos wouldn’t have been in this one if not for him.

Other noteworthy offensive performances:

Noah Fant was put in a no-win situation having to block Mack one-on-one and conceded a sack, as he again struggled as a blocker. He was much better as a receiver, though still not a true mismatch threat.

Special Teams: B

There weren’t any glaring errors by the special teams, which is step one in achieving a strong grade.

Colby Waldman and the punt coverage were good, Diontae Spencer had one nice return and Brandon McManus‘ missed extra point didn’t count.

Coaching: B

The loss may sting, but the Broncos outgained the Bears by 100 yards, had nine more first downs, and five more minutes of possession. More often than not, that’s a game you’ll win.

Vic Fangio showed tremendous courage going for the two-point conversion with the game on the line and his defense executed the plan almost to perfection, holding Mitchell Trubisky to 90 yards until the final drive. 

Rich Scangarello‘s offense wasn’t always clean, but the play calls in the big moments of the second half seemed to mostly work out.

Penalties have to be cleaned up, but the staff did a much better job after being thoroughly out-coached in Week 1.