Broncos Player Grades From Week 1's Bitter 17-16 Loss to Raiders
It was a game of few possessions between the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders. Each team had six drives, not counting the Raiders kneeling to end the first half. The Broncos lost by a point, making Wil Lutz's missed field goal and extra point even more costly.
While it was a better showing by the Broncos' offense overall, there were still plenty of issues with how things went. Denver produced a short and efficient passing game but didn't have more than a few explosive passing plays on 34 attempts. The run game was highly effective despite Denver's leading rusher only getting 13 carries.
As for the Broncos' defense, they only showed up against the run. Some players played well all around, and others attacked the run well, while a few had a terrible game in both. The Broncos couldn't get off the field and started the game behind with the opening onside kick decision.
Grading System
Before we get to the grades, here are a few quick notes about how it works. Each player starts with a 50.0 grade, which is average, and with each positive play, their grade goes up, and with each bad play, it drops.
Every player gets graded for every snap, and the change in grade depends on how much of an impact they have on the play overall. It's based on all elements, including technique, the assumed responsibility for the play, and execution.
Penalties and special teams are not included in a player's grade, though it may be mentioned in the analysis. To receive a grade, a player must play at least 20 snaps; otherwise, the grades can get wonky. The sample size matters as one big play for or against would lead to a massive swing in the grade.
Let's dive in.
Offensive MVP: Quinn Meinerz | RG
Grade: 78.2
Meinerz was a wrecking ball for the offense out there. He dominated his one-on-ones, generated consistent push, and allowed no pressures.
On one play that he thought was stopped, the running back got him going and still helped make a good play happen. Meinerz's conditioning looked good, and he had more power in his game than he did a year ago.
Defensive MVP: Patrick Surtain II | CB
Grade: 87.2
It was an excellent game from the young corner. Surtain went up against Davante Adams and essentially shut him down. Adams was targeted five times when Surtain was on him.
Adams only caught two targets for 16 yards, and Surtain broke up the other three. As for his run defense, Surtain looked much better there than he did a year ago.
Quarterback: Russell Wilson
Grade: 67.3
Wilson played an efficient game for the dink-and-dunk offense the Broncos seemed driven to execute. There were some great throws from Wilson, but there were plenty of placement issues that still ended in catches.
It was a good game from Wilson, with the Broncos not asking him to do much beyond run the offense, keep the clock ticking, and not turn the ball over. From now on, the Broncos need him to find those big plays or help him by scheming them up better.
As a dink-and-dunk offense, it's practically impossible to win without big plays to keep the defense honest.
The Positive
Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 79.7
It was a monster game from Singleton, who constantly made plays against the run. Sometimes, he read the play, and it seemed like he knew what was coming.
The lack of a run game from the Raiders was mainly due to how Singleton flew around. Only a few negative plays kept him from being the MVP on defense. Oh, and Singleton led the Broncos in total pressures with two. Let that sink in.
Josey Jewell | LB | Grade: 73.8
The linebacker duo was outstanding, and they mesh so well together. Jewell helped Singleton in the run game a lot by taking on blocks.
While Jewell didn't blow up the stat sheet, his instincts, awareness, and football IQ contributed significantly to the defense's success.
Garett Bolles | LT | Grade: 71.9
Bolles lost one snap badly early in the game, but he didn't let it derail him. He bounced back, played a clean game in pass protection with the lone pressure, and did well in the run game. His communication with left guard Ben Powers also seemed to have improved from the preseason.
Greg Dulcich | TE | Grade: 70.5
The Broncos' offense was completely different when Dulcich exited the game injured after the two-minute warning in the first half. While he statistically didn't do much, he executed what he was asked to do well to create openings and mismatches in the passing game.
There is still plenty of work to do as a blocker, however.
The Negative
Damarri Mathis | CB | Grade: 31.2
Everyone knows how terrible Mathis was in this game. He had only a few redeeming plays against the run, and none came in coverage.
If the Raiders needed a play, Mathis was the target. He was targeted nine times, allowing eight catches, seven of which were a first down or touchdown.
Denver needs better opposite Surtain, so you don't waste his outstanding game. Most of the defense played well, but Mathis was the weak link, and it was enough for the Raiders.
Mike McGlinchey | RT | Grade: 38.7
Maxx Crosby didn't take over the game with only one sack but picked up five other pressures, four coming on McGlinchey. McGlinchey did well to keep Crosby from dominating, but he has to cut down on allowing the pressures.
What helped McGlinchey's grade were some wins in the running game, with some coming on Crosby.
Frank Clark | Edge | Grade: 39.8
Denver generated almost no pass rush, but it didn't matter much because the Raiders almost always had a receiver open off the snap. That said, when Jimmy Garoppolo did hold the ball, the Broncos didn't capitalize.
That onus falls on every pass rusher for the Broncos. Clark was a weak link in the run game, didn't maintain discipline with his gaps, and, at times, didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do on the field.
Chris Manhertz | TE | Grade: 47.3
Manhertz was brought in for his blocking ability to help the running game. He seemed like a liability in the run game with how poorly he executed his assignments.
It wasn't always easy with him helping and handling Crosby, but he struggled even when he wasn't asked to do that.
Other Noteworthy Grades
Javonte Williams | RB | Grade: 64.8
This was a good game for Williams, especially after his injury. He wasn't the Broncos' best running back on the day, but he was the best rusher. Williams looked quicker, faster, and, best of all, showed significantly better vision to find the open lanes and not leave yards on the field.
Defense: Zach Allen | DL | Grade: 59.2
There were good moments from Allen as a run defender, but as a pass rusher, he has to do significantly better. He had 30 pass rush snaps with zero pressures to show.
Interior pressure is how you rattle Garoppolo, and the Broncos had an advantage with Allen. The Broncos schemed things up well, but Allen could not win his matchups.
D.J. Jones | IDL | Grade: 56.5
It was such a disappointing game for Jones. He looked slow on the field and, at times, uninterested. There were a couple of good run-defense plays, including two stops. The Broncos' whole defensive line struggled to get after the quarterback, and that is when you need Jones to step up.
Denver needed a solid start to the season. A Week 2 win would be outstanding and would help keep things on track. To get that win, the Broncos need some of these defenders to step up and find explosive plays on offense while not relying on penalties to keep drives alive.
Lloyd Cushenberry | C | Grade: 49.2
The Broncos have wanted to upgrade the center position in the last two offseasons but haven't been able to. Cushenberry showed why against the Raiders. He has no power to his game and got stood up on the line of scrimmage consistently.
Cusshenberry's issues setting his base make it much more difficult to drop his anchor. The worst was his lack of awareness when working on double teams or combo blocks.
That, with his poor timing, saw the Raiders shoot through multiple times. However, Cushenberry's play in pass protection was good enough.
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