5 Winners, 7 Losers in Broncos' 34-27 Loss to Falcons

The final score doesn't tell the tale of just how badly the Denver Broncos were beaten by the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9. It took 21 fourth-quarter points by Denver in order for the scoreboard to say Falcons 34, Broncos 27 at the final gun.

It was another uneven offensive performance for the Broncos, only this time, it was bereft of the defense keeping things close and manageable. The camel's back of Vic Fangio's defense finally broke in the wake of all the injuries that have stacked up, with the absence of DL Shelby Harris, and CBs A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan serving as the straw.

Falcons' QB Matt Ryan did what veteran NFL signal-callers do, and exploited the Broncos' reeling secondary. By the time Fangio's defense began to stiffen in the second half, too many points separated the Broncos from really having a chance to bridge the gap after the offense failed to launch through three quarters.

Who were the biggest winners and losers? Let's get to it for Week 9.

Winner: Jerry Jeudy | WR

Jeudy hauled in seven receptions (on 14 targets) for 125 yards and a touchdown. It represented the sixth-most receiving yards in a single game for a rookie in team history. Something has clicked for Jeudy and the chemistry he's establishing with his young QB could be a sharp tool for this offense, if OC Pat Shurmur can figure out how to let that young QB just be himself.

Winner: KJ Hamler | WR

Hamler caught six of his 10 targets for 75 yards, while chipping in another 15 yards rushing. Between Hamler and Jeudy, the rookie receiving duo combined for 215 of Denver's 405 total yards. The Broncos are getting a nice return on their first two draft picks of 2020.

Winner: Josey Jewell | LB

Jewell's 10 tackles (nine solo) represented the fourth double-digit tackle game of his career. With not one of the defensive line's day-one starters on the field, the Broncos needed the linebackers to play well to help stop the run. Limiting Atlanta to just 92 yards on the ground, Jewell and company obliged.

Winner: Dre'Mont Jones | DL

Similarly to Jewell, the onus was on Jones to prove he could be stout enough to stop the run. Jones did his part, notching two tackles, while also sacking Matt Ryan and tipping one pass at the line of scrimmage that negated a pass-interference call.

Winner: DeMarcus Walker | DL

Echoing the Jones situation, Denver needed Walker to be more than an interior pass rusher in Atlanta. He stepped up in helping to limit Todd Gurley, posting two solo tackles and a sack.

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Loser: Drew Lock | QB

In truth, Lock was both a winner and a loser on Sunday. The first three quarters of play showed Lock to be a loser on the day but once again, he showed resilience and toughness in the clutch, throwing two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and adding another score with his legs.

Were it not for an ill-timed interception midway through the final frame, Lock may have willed the Broncos back to at least tie this one up. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, so while on one hand, Lock deserves criticism, he also deserves praise, posting just the 10th QB performance in team history where a player threw for at least 300 yards and scored a rushing touchdown in a game.

But it wasn't enough to cancel out another yawn performance through three periods of play. There's the rub.

Loser: Broncos O-Line

This whole unit, to be frank, should hang its head on the flight home to Denver. Garett Bolles was the only O-lineman deserving of a reprieve but the other four guys, five if you include Jake Rodgers who replaced Demar Dotson at right tackle in the second half, were horrendous.

Denver managed to pick up 103 yards rushing, but if you remove Lock's seven scrambles for positive yardage, the Broncos only gained 56 yards on the ground (yes, the QB led the team in rushing). Even counting Hamler's 15-yard gain on a reverse, the Broncos averaged 3.73 yards per rush.

In the first half Broncos' starting five could only pick up 1.1 yards-per-rush when Phillip Lindsay or Melvin Gordon toted the rock. By game's end, they'd improved that number to 2.92 YPC but that was still putrid.

None of this mentions the constant interior pressure Lock faced in Atlanta. The fact that Lock was sacked only once was a testament to his elusiveness. That doesn't exempt Lock for not trusting his protection at times and breaking the pocket early but it does explain it.

Loser: Davontae Harris | CB

The Broncos put their chips in on the wrong Davontae, although De'Vante Bausby's first name is spelled differently. Harris saw his first meaningful action of the season and was left wanting. He was burned multiple times on big plays, including on a deep touchdown, and was flagged for pass interference. He was a liability out there.

Loser: Michael Ojemudia | CB

On one hand, Ojemudia deserves credit for a strong start to his rookie campaign but his last two games have been sub-par. In Week 9, the rookie was definitely the best corner on the field for Denver but he was far from good. Julio Jones put on a clinic, figuratively breaking Ojemudia's ankles on a post-corner route for a touchdown. Like Harris, and all the corners, Ojemudia also struggled as a tackler, compounding his bad day at the office.

Loser: Kareem Jackson | S

Jackson was on the official's radar after he walked the ethical razor's edge last week. Against the Falcons, Jackson was the physical presence he usually is but was flagged for unnecessary roughness on one hit, which cost his team 15 yards and gave the Falcons a possession in plus-territory.

Loser: Bradley Chubb | OLB

Chubb was ineffectual in Week 9 after stringing together four games of excellent play, both as a pass rusher and as a run defender. He posted three tackles (one solo) and was passable against the run but as a pass rusher, Chubb was mostly a non-factor while also drawing a roughing-the-passer penalty. While Chubb didn't have the type of face-palm snafu that fellow rush linebacker Jerry Attaochu had (whiffing on a blind-side hit on the statuesque Matt Ryan), he failed to make an impact in a game where the Broncos really needed him to step up.

Loser: Tom McMahon | STC

McMahan's special teams can't go one game, it would seem, without at least one face-palming lapse. In Atlanta, mercifully, it wasn't a big return but instead an inexplicable illegal substitution on a... kick return. If it's not one thing, it's another for Denver's special teams coordinator and head coach Vic Fangio might be running out of patience.

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.