The Broncos dropped their seventh game in eight outings on Sunday, this time to the Carolina Panthers. The 23-10 loss leaves the Broncos with a 3-8 record.
Here’s how the Broncos graded out…
Offense
QB Russell Wilson – D
After a hot start in Klint Kubiak’s first game as play-caller, Russell Wilson put up a disappointing performance in Kubiak’s second outing.
Wilson completed 19 of his 35 pass attempts for 142 yards and a touchdown. He picked up eight yards on the ground on two carries. He was frantic in the pocket and took nearly 3 seconds to throw the ball on average, which was the third-worst mark of his Broncos career.
RB Latavius Murray – A-
Latavius Murray gave the Broncos their first 20-yard run of the season, which went for 52 yards. It was Murray’s longest run since a 54-yarder against the Browns in September of 2015. I didn’t know he had that in him.
Murray was nothing special in the rest of the game, but a 50-yard gain (especially in this offense) is worthy of an A.
WR Courtland Sutton – C+
A touchdown ball hit Courtland Sutton in the hands but he didn’t hold on. He is now tied for the league lead with eight dropped passes this season. His six catches for 75 yards led the team, though.
WR Kendall Hinton – C-
A C- for Kendall Hinton might seem too harsh, but he played the full No. 2 wideout job and picked up 35 yards on five catches. That’s solid work but not quite up to NFL standards for the role. Still, it’s plenty enough for Hinton to stick in the NFL for quite awhile.
WR Brandon Johnson – B+
Brandon Johnson stepped up into the third wide receiver role but didn’t find much production… outside of his first NFL touchdown. The volume wasn’t there for the youngster—he had 10 total yards—but the touchdown salvages his day.
TE Greg Dulcich – D
For a couple of weeks, Greg Dulcich was the breakout star in Denver. Over the past three weeks, he’s fallen back to earth. He hit a knew low with 11 yards on three catches. He also hit a new low in the blocking game, by letting a defender blow right past him and stuff a run.
LT Calvin Anderson – D+
The fill-in tackle gave up a pair of pressures and one of the Broncos’ 10 quarterback hits allowed. It was a rough day for Anderson, but it wasn’t the worst performance from a Broncos lineman.
LG Dalton Risner – C-
None of the Broncos’ linemen had a good day but Dalton Risner held his own better than the rest of them. He gave up a lone hit on Russell Wilson.
C Graham Glasgow – D
The Broncos’ veteran center wasn’t able to hold his ground against ta strong Carolina front.
RG Quinn Meinerz – C-
The second-year guard gave up a sack on Sunday, which was his third of the year. That ties last year’s total despite playing about 30% less pass-blocking snaps. The base pressure numbers are still an improvement over his rookie campaign but Meinerz is trending in the wrong direction after a hot start to his season. He sealed the hole on Latavius Murray’s big run and that saves his day.
RT Cam Fleming – D
Fleming’s three pressures allowed were the most on the team. On a day defined by chaso in the backfield, they sting even more.
Defense
DL Mike Purcell – C-
Purcell was at the center of a weak defensive front from the Broncos. He was pushed around more often than usual and only made two tackles. The unnecessary roughness penalty knocks his grade down. Getting Russell Wilson’s face on the sideline doesn’t count for anything, positive or negative.
DL D.J. Jones – C+
DJ Jones was on the field on Sunday and, though he wasn’t necessarily bad, he doesn’t have much to show for it. He helped out with a couple of run stuffs but that’s to be expected when you play 38 snas of football.
DL Dre’Mont Jones – B+
Dre’Mont Jones mauled a guard on his way to his lone quarterback hit but didn’t provide much in the way of resistance against the Panthers. His seven tackles are notable though and help his grade significantly.
OLB Baron Browning – C
Baron Browning flew around the edge for a pressure but left the game without much to show for it. He only had a handful of opportunities as a pass rusher but make any plays of note in the running game.
OLB Nik Bonitto – C-
The rookie earned one of the Broncos’ two quarterback hits in the game. He deserves credit for that play but he was basically invisible for the rest of the game.
LB Alex Singleton – A-
While the defensive line struggled, Alex Singleton was stellar at the second level. Outside of a lone missed tackle, Singleton did just about everything you could ask for him. He finished with eight tackles and a few more were right at the line of scrimmage.
LB Josey Jewell – A
Everything about Singleton applies here too, plus Jewell forced a fumble and made a tackle behind the line of scrimmage. The Broncos linebackers stepped up.
CB Pat Surtain II – D+
Pat Surtain had a second rough outing. It started with a touchdown allowed to DJ Moore in one-on-one coverage on a crossing route in the end zone, and escalated when he let Moore pull in a ball for a 50-yard gain down the sideline. There’s no reason to hit the panic button, but Surtain is not playing at the top of his game.
CB Damarri Mathis – B
The rookie stepped up on Sunday. A run-heavy gameplan made his job easier—except for on his two missed tackles—but one catch and eight yards allowed will always be impressive.
S Justin Simmons – C
It’s easy to get caught up in Justin Simmons’ nine tackles but only one of them stands out as a really good play and another missed tackle takes away a couple of points. He made a couple of mistakes in coverage, too.
S Kareem Jackson – B+
Just when the veteran seemed to be losing a step, Kareem Jackson bounced back with a solid performance. He wasn’t exposed in coverage and he tied for the team lead with four run stops.
Special Teams
K Brandon McManus – C-
56-yard field goals aren’t easy, but any miss is going to knock the grade down. The opening kickoff just about bounced out of bounds, but didn’t, otherwise this grade could have been disastrous.
P Corliss Waitman – A
7 punts. 367 yards. 2 inside the 20. No touchbacks.
