Throughout the entire 2020-21 season, DNVR 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-by-game basis.

In another tough outing on the road, the Broncos couldn’t overcome their injuries against a similarly depleted Atlanta Falcons squad.

After a 34-27 defeat, here’s who stood out good, bad, and beyond with a whole lot of blame to go around for all.

Standouts from the game

Jerry Jeudy: B+

Jeudy had an outstanding game, showing off his speed and rare ability to stop on a dime, getting open at will and generating extra yards after the catch. In a game where he was lined up against fellow rookie, A.J. Terrell, the former Alabama star put the Clemson product in a blender, generating a pass interference flag on top of his 125 receiving yards.

His grade isn’t higher because Jeudy did fumble the ball and had a drop.

Josey Jewell: A

Jewell was on it in this one, seeing plays before they happened and flying all around, making several plays around the line of scrimmage with 1.5 tackles for a loss and two-run stuffs. Against the pass, he only allowed an 11-yard reception, playing well in unison with Johnson over the middle and hit the QB on a key blitz.

Drew Lock: B+

Lock was under pressure constantly and faced a ton of third-and-long situations—unable to convert any of his seven opportunities—trying his best to scramble and make plays on the move. While it took a while to get in a rhythm, Lock converted an impressive 7-of-10 third-down opportunities in third-and-medium or less.

Once Lock got to run more of a two-minute offense, he did a nice job improvising and making nice throws on the move and off-platform. He showed some promising throws in tight windows with his laser over the middle on his touchdown throw to Tim Patrick standing out above all.

Lock limited sacks and escaped pressure in several instances where most quarterbacks would’ve been taken down but he also made his worst decision of the game staring down pressure and trying to do too much on his bone-headed interception over the middle.

On rewatch, it was clear Lock overcame incredibly tough circumstances to make this a much closer game than it should’ve been.

K.J. Hamler: B

Hamler looked explosive in an all-around performance, contributing as a receiver, in the run game and as both a kick and punt returner. He had a ball sail over his head and a drop as he and Lock seemed to still be building chemistry but his impact was certainly felt.

Defense

DeShawn Williams: B

Williams did a nice job swallowing up the run and was active with five tackles—0.5 for a loss—in just 46-percent of the defensive snaps. He also created some pressure with a quarterback hit.

When Williams wasn’t on the field his presence, or lack thereof, was felt as Sylvester Williams struggled to hold up against the run in 45-percent of the snaps.

DeMarcus Walker: C

Walker was asked to do a lot in 58 percent of the snaps and struggled against the run, getting washed downfield and asked to do too much against double teams. He did create a nice penetration for a run stuff and generated a sack.

Dre’Mont Jones: B

Jones made some key plays generating penetration against the run and applying pressure to the quarterback with a sack and another key swat at the line. He too was asked to do a lot holding up against the run and double teams, with mixed results but in 58 percent of the snaps, he had a solid showing.

Bradley Chubb: C-

Chubb was solid setting a strong edge against the run but outside of a single QB hurry didn’t have nearly enough of an impact rushing the passer.

Alexander Johnson: B-

Johnson was involved in all phases generating a run stuff, a QB hurry as a pass rusher, holding up in coverage, and filling gaps well against the run. Outside of getting beat on three receptions by Hayden Hurst for 28 yards, he was rock solid all day. Despite a lack of splash plays Johnson held his end of the bargain.

Malik Reed: C-

Reed quietly was credited with three quarterback hits—though mostly in pursuit, as only one would qualify as a hurry per our standards—but wasn’t tremendously impactful in any way. Reed was outplayed by Jeremiah Attaochu who got a run stuff and seemingly generated as much meaningful pressure despite playing 31 fewer snaps.

Essang Bassey: B

Bassey was tested early in coverage and while he gave up four grabs for 21 yards on five targets, he held up and began to play with more confidence as the game progressed. He made more plays around the line of scrimmage with more aggressive play as the nickel defender getting two TFLs.

Michael Ojemudia: C+

Playing every snap as the de facto No. 1 corner, Ojemudia was tested in a major way, getting targeted eight times and allowing four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown. He played good coverage all game outside of getting undressed on the Julio Jones touchdown and played a physical brand of football.

Davontae Harris: F-

Harris was disastrous and clearly not equipped to play 76 percent of the snaps in the NFL, as Olamide Zaccheaus gave him massive issues. Harris was both too aggressive—getting flagged twice for pass interference—and passive in off coverage, allowing 117 yards on five receptions including a 51-yard dagger of a touchdown.

Kareem Jackson: B

Jackson did a great job early making tons of plays around the line of scrimmage and limiting damage on the second level if runs got through to him.

Justin Simmons: B

Simmons did a nice job getting the interception on a deep attempt and getting through on a blitz to force a deflection; he also got beat on a touchdown for the one reception he allowed all day in coverage. Not perfect but a good reminder of how there are few more reliable last lines of defense in the AFC.

Other noteworthy defensive performances

McTelvin Agim showed some really nice flashes as an interior penetrator with a quarterback hurry, swatting the ball at the line in 27-percent of the snaps.

Kevin Toliver II was an upgrade on Harris but still struggled some in coverage outside and didn’t look like the most reliable tackler.

Anthony Chickillo was another pass rusher who underwhelmed in limited snaps.

Offense

Garett Bolles: B-

We’re almost grading on a curve here as Bolles had a fairly clean showing but was also playing against the backup edge rushers on a bad defensive front. He got bull rushed into Lock forcing the QB to scramble out the pocket and didn’t generate much push for the run.

Dalton Risner: C+

Risner allowed pressure up the middle on a key quarterback hit and was beat for another run stop. He had his moments blocking on the move but didn’t step up when a depleted line needed it.

Lloyd Cushenberry III: F

Cushenberry looked progressively more lost as the game went on and struggled mightly blocking in pass protection. He allowed at least four key pressures and was a major culprit, with Schlottmann, on letting one of the best interior pass rushers in the game through unblocked on Lock’s interception.

He was lucky to not have been flagged for a hold and struggled run blocking. As if that wasn’t enough, he snapped the ball prematurely on the game’s final play. A performance to forget.

Austin Schlottmann: F

Schlottmann and the entire right side of the line were disastrous. Grady Jarrett gave No. 71 tons of issues, with at least three key pressures, one resulting in an intentional grounding penalty, another in the interception, another in a QB hit. The refs even took pity on Schlottmann, picking up a holding flag as his impact was lacking in all areas.

Demar Dotson: D

Dotson only played in 30-percent of the snaps and got beat on a tackle for a loss, once Jake Rodgers filled in things got a whole lot worse as the backup allowed the Falcons to generate tons of pressure and was beat on a run stop as well.

Tim Patrick: C

Patrick’s game was full of close calls as Lock targeted him nine times but only connected with him on four of those, as the former Ute should’ve had at least one pass interference flag go in his favor.

Noah Fant: C-

Fant’s impact as a receiver was limited and he was a mixed back as a blocker, allowing pressure in pass protection late.

Phillip Lindsay: F

Lindsay couldn’t get going in the run game, as his struggles running behind a depleted line were obvious. He also allowed a rare sack in pass protection and had a couple of drops in the passing game.

Melvin Gordon: F

Gordon was bad all around, not seeing running lanes and pushing runs outside instead of getting downhill. In the passing game, he struggled to get open and he too had some bad moments in pass protection allowing a quarterback hit late.

Other noteworthy offensive performances

DaeSean Hamilton seems to be finding his role as an underneath safety blanket in three and four wide lineups.

Special Teams: C

Special teams had an uneventful day, which is largely a good thing, as Brandon McManus made his kicks and Sam Martin had a good (not great) day punting. The kick return game left some yards on the field but certainly a passable game.

Coaching: D

Obviously, the coaching staff was faced with a really tough situation with limited practice opportunities and a depleted roster at key positions but this game plan didn’t encourage much faith.

Vic Fangio wasted an early timeout on a punt attempt where it seemed he was about to attempt a field goal but decided against it, wasting a timeout for no reason. He had his hands tied with the injuries in the secondary and probably decided to be more aggressive blitzing too late.

Pat Shurmur is the primary culprit for the poor grade here as the offensive game plan was uninspiring and the lack of rhythm in the play calling was troubling as the OC couldn’t get anything positive going. Everything has to be perfect by Lock for the offense to succeed. There are no easy throws and things only started clicking once the quarterback could improvise more, a real indictment on Shurmur.

It’s also a concern that protection issues crept up again as the line didn’t shift protections leading to at least two wide-open blitzes getting through.

In fairness, it’s easy to be critical of a lack of creativity but poor execution and particularly blocking led to a lot of blown creative looks, as did the constant unfavorable down and distance. The final 4th-and-10 play was emblematic of such struggles in easily Shurmur’s worst game in Denver.