Here we are again.
The Broncos lost 19-16 to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. The game extended Denver’s losing streak to three games and knocked their record down to 2-4.
Here’s how the Broncos graded out…
Offense
QB Russell Wilson – D
Everything went well early.
Wilson threw great balls to Eric Tomlinson and Courtland Sutton up the sidelines. One was a toe tap and the other drew a third-down pass interference. The quick game was working, with flat throws to Andrew Beck and Greg Dulcich, the latter of which was for a first down. Wilson extended a play with his legs and hit Jerry Jeudy deep downfield for a 37-yard gain. He stepped up in the pocket and hit Greg Dulcich on a wheel route for a touchdown.
But after a 10-for-10 start, Wilson only completed 5 of his final 18 passes.
He missed Jerry Juedy on an out route. He didn’t see Dulcich open at the sticks on third down on three separate occasions. He could’ve hit Courtland Sutton on a dig on the first third down of the second half but rolled out and chucked the ball away instead.
Even the biggest play of the day, a 47-yarder to KJ Hamler, was disappointing. Hamler created a mile of separation but the ball was underthrown and the speedster didn’t have a chance to take the ball into the end zone.
Wilson was under duress for most of the second half but he deserves the majority of the blame for that too. The Chargers sent blitz after blitz and the Broncos’ offensive line was rarely set up properly to counter them. And not only did the blitzers get free runs at the quarterback, Wilson never threw into the space vacated by the blitzer. When Derwin James got his sack, Courtland Sutton was open on a slant right behind him.
Eventually everything will click for Wilson, right?
RB Latavius Murray – B
The veteran running back did his job perfectly; he ran hard, hit the right holes, fell forward and held onto the ball. He didn’t provide anything in the passing game and his contributions on the ground weren’t flashy but 15 carries for 66 yards is exactly what you expect from Murray. The veteran power back did his thing.
TE Greg Dulcich – B+
The Broncos gave their rookie tight end a chance to prove himself in his NFL debut. Dulcich played over 70% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps and essentially took over the roles of Eric Saubert and Albert Okwuegbunam, who played one combined snap.
The big play was a wheel route for a 39-yard touchdown in the first quarter, the only touchdown of the night for Denver. Dulcich showed off the effortless wheels that got him drafted in the third round.
Dulcich only caught one more ball, a five-yard first down in the flat through contact, but he should’ve caught more. On three separate occasions, Dulcich found himself open in the middle of the field on third down but Wilson didn’t throw him the ball. He showed a great feel for space, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson keeps an eye out for him in chain-moving situations after checking out the tape.
In the blocking game Dulcich wasn’t great. The Broncos ran back-to-back bubble screens in the first quarter and both plays were blown up because Dulcich couldn’t handle his man.
WR Courtland Sutton – C-
The Chargers had an obvious plan to not let Courtland Sutton carry the offense and it worked. Sutton finished with two catches for 14 yards.
That isn’t the full story though. Sutton also drew a key third-down pass interference on the first drive of the game. He was also wide open on a third down just after halftime on a ball that was thrown away instead.
It was a tough night but the defensive scheme and Russell Wilson didn’t make things any easier.
WR Jerry Jeudy – C+
Jerry Jeudy’s 37-yard, first-quarter catch was exactly what the Broncos need. It’s the type of explosive play he was brought to Denver to contribute.
There just wasn’t enough, though. Jeudy finished with three catches for 54 yards on seven targets.
He and Russell Wilson still aren’t on the same page. Just before halftime, Jeudy ran a fade to the end zone. Wilson lobbed the ball over his head to the back pylon. Jeudy turned around in the front of the end zone and never saw the ball. After halftime, Wilson tried to hit him on a dig and Jeudy ran a post. The chemistry is not there yet.
Jeudy struggled as a blocker. That’s to be expected at this point, though. Here’s a fun clip of him trying to block Khalil Mack, but without ever looking at Khalil Mack:
WR KJ Hamler – C+
Hamler provided the biggest play of the day and it should have been even bigger. He blew past the defense and had an easy route to the end zone. It would’ve been a 75-yard touchdown, and that play alone would be enough for a third receiver to get a great grade for a game.
But the ball was underthrown. That isn’t Hamler’s fault, but you can’t give him credit for production he didn’t provide. Not every play a receiver makes is capitalized on. After the past two weeks, Hamler knows that better than anybody.
Two catches for 44 yards is a solid outing and it’s good enough for an average grade. The tools are there for Hamler. His hands, feet and speed make you wonder why he hasn’t put up bigger numbers. I’m not selling my stock yet though. He seems to have solidified the wide receiver three job and I think the best is yet to come.
Since we played the Jeudy clip, we might as well play a fun Hamler blocking clip, too. The 178-pounder tried to block Derwin James. It didn’t work. He gets an A for effort, though.
LT Calvin Anderson – D+
Anderson only played 19 downs before he was subbed out. As you might expect, they didn’t go well. Anderson let his man cross his face and stop a run to the far side of the field on the first drive. That drive ended when Khalil Mack beat him for a sack.
Small sample size. Tough matchup. Very bad results, though.
LG Dalton Risner – C-
The fourth-year guard was used as a puller a couple of times on the first drive and he served his role well. A pancake just after half was one of his top contributions.
Risner would’ve given up a drive-ending sack if not for a Cam Fleming false start, which bailed him out. He would’ve given up a sack a few plays later, if Khalil Mack hadn’t beaten Calvin Anderson and gotten to the quarterback faster.
C Lloyd Cushenberry – D+
Cushenberry made a couple of mistakes in pass protection. He dropped too far on the deep ball to Hamler, which left him in Russell Wilson’s lap and may have contributed to the underthrow. He gave up a pressure on a would-be end zone shot before the half but was bailed out by a roughing the passer call when his man went low on Wilson.
The bigger problem was the run blocking, though. He was a little too passive letting defenders come to him and he was beat clean for a couple of run stuffs.
RG Quinn Meinerz – A-
The Broncos waited five weeks for Meinerz to return from a hamstring injury and he lived up to the hype.
Meinerz was sharp from start to finish. He was a mauler in the running game for the most part, including when he single-handedly opened up a hole in the second drive of the game. He was a little slow to break off his double-team and get to the second level on a couple of occasions and had one whiffed block, but for the most part he was on point.
As a pass blocker, Meinerz didn’t allow a pressure all night. His ability to pop rushers backward and re-engage in space stood out in particular.
RT/LT Cam Fleming – B-
The veteran tackle started on the right side but was subbed out so that Billy Turner could get some run. When Turner played well, Fleming was reinstalled on the left side after three snaps on the bench. The results were solid.
Fleming opened up a massive hole to start the potential game-winning drive in the fourth quarter with a 14-yard gain. He had another good block on a first-down run in the third quarter.
RT Billy Turner – B-
Turner didn’t wind up in the notepad all that often, which is a good thing for a lineman. He had a nice block sending a rusher to the ground on a spin move on KJ Hamler’s deep ball. He didn’t allow much for pressure but didn’t open up any notable holes either.
Defense
DL DJ Jones – B
The explosive plays weren’t there fo Jones on Monday but it was still a solid night. He had a pressure that forced a third down in the third quarter. He made a heads-up play to sprint over to the fullback at the sticks on the final third down of regulation. HIs tackle forced the Chargers to throw up a hail mary instead of having a chance to keep driving.
DL Dre’Mont Jones – C+
For the second consecutive game, Jones spent significant time rushing from the edge of the defense. He didn’t come away with much to show for it though, and his best rush from the edge—which probably would have been a sack—was quickly negated by a Baron Browning offsides call.
Jones provided a few semi-pressures, chased down a screen and held his ground in the running game for the most part, but his night lacked flash despite increased opportunities. A facemask penalty in the closing minutes of regulation knocks him into the C range.
DL DeShawn Williams – B
Call the SWAT team.
DeShawn Williams had his hands in passing lanes all night. He knocked away a third-down pass that held the Chargers to a field goal. He got his hands on a fourth-down pass that bounced into the air and into a Charger’s hands for a first down. He almost got his hands on another just before halftime.
DL Mike Purcell – C
The veteran nose tackle is great at playing his role. He consistently clogs up the middle. He never gets pushed backward by a lone blocker. He hustles to chase down plays from behind. He even provided a quarterback hit on Monday.
But he was also called for an unneccsarry roughness penalty and for a player who lives in the margins a 15-yarder late in the fourth quarter can tank an otherwise solid night.
DL Matt Henningsen – B
The Chargers’ long drives led to plenty of work for the rookie. He posted a sack, a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss. He made a really good tackle in space that was called back because of a hold. His strength is his key asset at this point but he’s figuring out how to play at the NFL level quickly
OLB Bradley Chubb – B
The Broncos’ premiere pass rusher needed one sack to tie the NFL lead. He came close on a couple of occasions, but didn’t succeed. Chubb provided some pressure but never hit the quarterback. He did earn a roughing the passer call, though.
In the running game, Chubb was mostly solid. He didn’t set the edge on one third down toward the end of the first half but that’s a rarity. Chubb played a solid game but doesn’t have much to show for it.
OLB Baron Browning – A
A sack. A quarterback hit. Two tackles for loss. Two pass breakups. An interception. A fumble recovery.
Fine, the fumble recovery was on his fumble.
But still, the Broncos’ second-year linebacker stuffed the stat sheet again.
Browning’s pure speed rush got him a free run around the edge for a sack. At this point, he seems to do that at least once per game. His penchant for jumping offsides is an issue, but the Broncos seem to have found a 23-year-old stud.
OLB Jonathan Cooper – C
The second-year linebacker returned from injury and made a couple of solid moves. He came within a step of a sack on speed rushes around the edge on each of the first two drives. He didn’t make much noise the rest of the way though. His spin move didn’t come close to working on a rush attempt in the second quarter. He tried another rush that was hardly a move at all and was stuffed immediately. He was flattened on one run to his edge of the defense.
Cooper provided a couple of sparks early but didn’t back them up with much substance. His pair of first quarter hits on the quarterback show potential for the future though.
OLB Nik Bonitto – D+
Expanded opportunities. Nothing to show for it.
Bonitto didn’t provide any pressure in his 21 snaps on Monday. He actually dropped into coverage a surprising amount. He gave up a catch to Austin Ekeler on a quick out.
There’s no reason to hit the panic button but we’re due for a couple of flashes at some point, right?
LB Alex Singleton – A
This is the toughest grade of the week. Singleton missed a couple of tackle. He lacked pop on a few key situations that allowed ball-carriers to fall forward, like on a 3rd & 1 Austin Ekeler run. His play in pass coverage was as average as ever. He had some great blitzes but also had a bunch of opportunities.
But he also tied for second in solo tackles in a single game with Derrick Brooks, since the stat was first tracked in 1994, with 19. Two were for a loss. He also provided a hit and a pass breakup. We’re not overthinking this one, Singleton was the key to a stellar run defense and he deserves an A.
LB Jonas Griffith – B
The traits stood out for the 25-year-old.
Griffith mirrored Justin Herbert to the sideline and held a scramble that looked like it could be a big-gainer to six yards. He held up a runner short of the sticks on a third down to end the third quarter. He provided a couple of pressures on the final drive but they didn’t amount to anything.
The processing speed still isn’t quite there, though. Griffith isn’t nearly as bursty in coverage as you’d expect, which showed up when Ekeler beat him on an in route. Again, I think that’s processing.
FS Justin Simmons – B+
Why did the Chargers have long drives? Because Justin Simmons didn’t let them throw deep.
It wasn’t a perfect outing for Simmons—a couple of missed tackles are probably the low point—but he was almost always in the right place, as you’d expect. He had a great pass breakup on the sideline on a third down. He also read a screen well and made a clean tackle.
SS Kareem Jackson – B
A breakup at the sticks on the second overtime drive. A couple of run stuffs. No explosive plays in his area. It was a solid night in the office for the 34-year-old.
CB Pat Surtain – A
Surtain played 67 snaps in coverage and gave up four yards on Monday. Can’t ask for much more than that.
CB Damarri Mathis – F
I hate to do this but there just isn’t another option. The rookie was called for four pass interferences worth 87 yards on Monday. That’s more PI calls than anybody else in the league has earned all season. A couple were ticky-tack calls. At least one no-call could’ve been called.
There was some good—a couple of clean tackles, a diving fourth-down pass breakup, a sticky cover downfield on a third down in overtime—but moving from 0 penalty yards to the second-most in the NFL in one game outweighs all of that.
Longterm, there’s plenty to be excited about. Mathis couldn’t close, but he was rarely out of position. The growing pains will continue as he holds down the starting spot opposite Pat Surtain, but hopefully the rookie will show more flashes too.
CB K’Waun Williams – B-
As usual, Williams’ best work came as a blitzer from the nickel. He provided a pressure that forced an incompletion on the first drive of the game and again on a third down in the closing minutes of regulation. He crashed a screen play with the biggest hit of the night, too.
In coverage, Williams was just a little too generous. He gave up a couple of mid-range catches with some soft coverage. He gave up a conversion on 3rd & 7 on a slot slant late in the third quarter. He salvaged his coverage performance by breaking up a pass that wound up in Baron Browning’s hands for an interception.
Special Teams
K Brandon McManus – A
Three-for-three including kicks from 48 and 51 yards out. An easy extra point. Good stuff from the Broncos’ kicker.
P Corliss Waitman – A
Four-of-seven kicks inside the 20. No touchbacks. A 58-yard bomb. That’s some solid work.
PR Montrell Washington – D-
Montrell Washington dropped the second punt of the game but was able to fall on top of it. When he dropped the punt in overtime, he wasn’t as lucky.
Most of the blame for the second muff belongs to PJ Locke, who was far too close to Washington, but Washington said after the game that it was his fault for not being loud enough.
