Broncos Individual Player Grades For Week 13 at Chiefs
It's painful to write, but once again the Denver Broncos lost a close one. This time, though, there is more cause for optimism as no one expected a close game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Broncos' players mostly had a good game but not everyone. That leads us to the player grades. As always, don't forget to watch the video above for the MVP of Week 13.
The Positives
Shelby Harris | DL: 89.9
This is a player on a mission and has been playing great football all season. It was good to have him back after four weeks absent and he made his presence felt in a big way. Harris' play has taken a big step forward from last year in every phase.
Graham Glasgow | RG: 88.5
Glasgow was a huge piece in some of the big runs the Broncos managed. He also was sound in keeping the interior defensive line largely shut down as pass rushers. When he left the game due to injury, it was clear the Broncos' O-line took a big hit.
Justin Simmons | S: 86.1
While he didn't have the big interceptions, Simmons still played some tight coverage. Simmons was also quick to trigger downhill and defend against the run.
Dalton Risner | LG: 85.6
Risner really showed off his movement ability when asked to pull and that helped spring some big runs, including the biggest of the season (a 65-yarder that set up Denver's first touchdown). Risner also did very well in pass protection to mostly shut down Chris Jones, who only had two pressures in the game.
The Negative
Austin Schlottmann | RG: 26.9
There really isn't a whole lot to say about Schlottmann's day at the office in relief of Glasgow. He showed promise a year ago but has not taken the steps forward that were needed in 2020. In this game, it was obvious when he took over for Glasgow as the whole line got worse.
Phillip Lindsay | RB: 29.7
Lindsay was not good out there. His burst was missing but even worse was his vision. There were multiple opportunities for a good run but one of those two MIA traits kept it from happening.
Alexander Johnson | ILB: 30.3
His limitations in coverage continued to hurt the team in this one, but to make it worse was Johnson's run defense. He was consistently either washed out of the play or plugged the wrong hole from a bad read.
Duke Dawson | DB: 34.2
Denver sees something in Dawson, but it really hasn't manifested on the field. Outside of a couple of games last season, the product on the field from Dawson has been mostly bad.
Other Noteworthy Grades
Garett Bolles | LT: 81.0
His turn around this season has been amazing. Bolles has shown these flashes of high-level play in previous years but never with this kind of consistency. This was another game of high-level play.
Dre'Mont Jones | DL: 76.8
Jones is really progressing as a player and this was a good game to see his growth. He did very well reading the flow of the play and knowing when to attack and when to hold his position.
Malik Reed | OLB: 53.2
Reed has shown he is a capable pass rusher but his run defense continues to be questioned especially with poor consistency. His future is there as a third rusher but for more, he needs to be a lot more consistent against the run.
Demar Dotson | RT: 49.5
Denver ran the ball well but Dotson struggled. He did do a lot better when Glasgow was out there compared to Schlottmann. The change at guard really had a negative impact.
Don't forget to check out the video above for the MVP!
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
