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6 Winners, 8 Losers in Broncos 28-10 Loss to Bucs

The Broncos fell to the Bucs 28-10. In a slopfest for Denver, who were the biggest winners and losers?
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The Denver Broncos losing streak has snowballed to three games as the team has limped out to an 0-3 start. The latest aggressor? The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady, who trounced the Broncos soundly, 28-10. 

For what it's worth, Brady now has a .500 record in Denver all-time. Ah, what could have been. 

It was an ugly performance for Denver from start to finish. It was a defeat, which makes it more difficult to find the individual winners, while the losers bracket has stacked up. Here's what I've got coming out of Week 3. 

Winner: Brett Rypien | QB

Rypien entered the game for the Broncos final offensive series after Vic Fangio had seen enough from Jeff Driskel. Rypien went 8-of-9 for 53 yards passing, moving the Broncos 60 yards. 

Rypien's final throw came on 4th-&-1 from the Tampa Bay 13-yard line and it resulted in an interception but the second-year QB acquitted himself well. Was it good enough to earn the starting nod this week at the New York Jets? We'll know by Monday morning. 

Winner: Shelby Harris | DL

Harris was a whirling dervish for the Broncos, and one of the few bright spots on defense. He tipped a pass on third down and sacked Brady twice. That one-year deal Harris is playing right now seems like a beggar's bargain. 

Winner: DeShawn Williams | DL

It's a most moral victory, but in his first real game as a Bronco, Williams played well. He tipped a pass on third down, like Harris, and finished with two tackles (one solo). 

Winner: Noah Fant | TE

I know, I know. Fant dropped three passes, so how can he be a winner? Well, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur got the memo: feed Fant. The second-year tight end received 10 targets, hauling in only five of them for 46 yards. 

Clearly, the focus was to get Fant involved early and often and the Broncos did just that, which makes him a winner in Week 3. He made a few good plays but those drops are going to sting. But Fant can't let them linger. 

Winner: Jerry Jeudy | WR

Jeudy led all wide receivers with nine targets but like Fant, only was able to haul in five. He finished with 55 yards receiving. Not bad for a rookie wideout playing with sore ribs. 

Winner: Garett Bolles | LT

Bolles did get a holding penalty called on him on the Broncos final possession but it was off-setting, thanks to a Bucs penalty on the same play. Outside of that one snafu, Bolles played a heck of a game and was the one consistent offensive lineman for Denver. But when Bolles is your shining example upfront, you know you've got problems. 

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Loser: Jacob Bobenmoyer | LS

Bobenmoyer's missed block allowed the Bucs to block a punt, which set Brady up with 1st-&-Goal from Denver's 10-yard line. Although he deserves some credit for tackling Patrick O'Connor, the man who both blocked and recovered the punt, it was a bad day at the office for Bobenmoyer. Denver is already ruing its decision to let Pro Bowl long-snapper Casey Kreiter walk in free agency.

Loser: Jeff Driskel | QB

Driskel was atrocious in Week 3. He wasn't accurate as a thrower and was sacked five times, four of which were on him for holding onto the ball too long and not throwing it away. After he surrendered a safety (for the second straight week), Fangio had seen enough. For as admirable as Driskel's performance was last week in relief of the injured Drew Lock, he was just as bad in what is likely to be his one, single, solitary start for the Broncos. 

Loser: Broncos' O-Line (Minus Bolles)

Elijah Wilkinson was once again a sieve at right tackle, begging the question: if Fangio is willing to rip the band-aid off and replace a struggling quarterback in-game, why not a right tackle? Unfortunately, the Broncos' interior trio was just as bad on Sunday, with Dalton Risner, Lloyd Cushenberry, and Graham Glasgow stinking it up against the Bucs. 

Loser: Josey Jewell | LB

Jewell was exploited in coverage all game long. He relinquished multiple big receptions, mostly to tight ends, and got flagged for a pass interference penalty that stil saw Bucs tight end O.J. Howard make a David Tyree-esque catch. Brady knew how vulnerable the Broncos were in the middle of the field and he exploited that weakness with gusto. 

Loser: Justin Simmons | S

After redeeming himself in Pittsburgh, Simmons had another rough game in Week 3. He got beat on a deep shot down the middle of the field and allowed a goal-line fade to be completed to Mike Evans for pay-dirt. Simmons is not living up to his franchise-tag billing thus far. 

Loser: Michael Ojemudia | CB

Ojemudia was nowhere near as bad in Week 3 as he was in Pittsburgh but he was still lackluster. He failed to wrap up on the goal-line on Tampa Bay's first possession following the blocked punt, allowing Chris Godwin to out-muscle him and score. The rookie cornerback also relinquished multiple receptions but in his defense, the Bucs have a talented arsenal of weapons. 

Loser: Pat Shurmur | OC

Once again, Shurmur makes the loser's list. In Week 3, the Broncos play-calling was suspect as Shurmur let the game get away from him. The Broncos called just eight designed run plays to their 16-million-dollar running back Melvin Gordon, despite nothing working in the passing game. Shurmur has been dealt a bad hand in losing his starting QB and No. 1 wide receiver, but he's not playing it with the expert discernment of a veteran coach. 

Loser: Jurrell Casey | DL

Outside of Harris' two sacks, the Broncos were completely unable to pressure Brady. Fangio called a few blitzes that always looked the same (a delayed blitz up the A-gap with Alexander Johnson). Missing in action in the pass rush was Casey, whom the Broncos acquired via trade from Tennessee this past spring. Casey is yet to notch a sack this season, and failed to make a notable play again in Week 3. 

UPDATE: Turns out Casey was hurt. He suffered a bicep injury in Week 2 and exacerbated it in Week 3 to a full tear. He's done for the season

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.