Broncos Individual Player Grades For Week 15 vs. Bills
The Denver Broncos are officially eliminated from the playoffs after their blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos started off alright but collapsed not long into the game.
There wasn't a Bronco who really had a great game, but some players did better than others while a few turned in a poor performance. Let's break down who was who.
For the MVP of this game, make sure you check out the video above. This week features a first-time MVP for this season.
The Positive
DeShawn Williams | DL: 79.8
Williams showed he is stout against the run and rarely got pushed around by the Bills offensive line. That was about all he showed as he got mostly shut down when he was tasked with getting after the quarterback.
Noah Fant | TE: 75.3
Early on in the game, Fant was looked really good with his receiving ability. However, his play as a blocker was poor, as he often whiffed on blocks or just outright got beat.
Garett Bolles | LT: 74.4
It was a solid game from Bolles, though far from his best on the season. There were times he struggled in pass protection, but managed to hang in there long enough and saw much of the same as a run blocker.
Will Parks | DB: 72.1
Parks played with a vengeance against the Bills and had a couple of huge plays early on in the game. If the game stopped at the half, he would have been the MVP, but it didn't and he the handful of bad plays in the second half cost his grade.
The Negative
De'Vante Bausby | CB: 27.2
The Bills just picked on Bausby as he was targeted 13 times, relinquishing nine catches. His play is largely determined by matchups. With Bausby's playstyle, he had a terrible matchup against the Bills receivers, which is why he was so exploitable.
Phillip Lindsay | RB: 29.5
As a runner, Lindsay did alright but not great. He missed some lanes to pick up extra yards, which has become a trend in recent weeks. He also had a huge issue in pass protection, where he ran into Bolles, freeing up his rusher who then got a sack on the quarterback.
Malik Reed | OLB: 30.0
If you want to be a starter, you have to be consistent and that is a huge issue with Reed. He did pick up four pressures, but they mattered little in the game. As for his run blocking, he mostly got worked, which was somewhat understandable as this was a terrible matchup for him.
Dalton Risner | LG: 33.6
Risner got worked in both pass protection and run blocking. He allowed only three pressures but struggled to hold his own. Risner also didn't play a very clean game when asked to pull, which is normally an area he shines.
Other Noteworthy Grades
Melvin Gordon | RB: 64.3
What the Broncos have been getting out of Gordon in recent weeks has been great. This game wasn't as big of a performance, but he was still efficient. He had 15 touches for 81 yards in the game.
Kareem Jackson | S: 60.1
This was a boom or bust game for Jackson as he had five stops but also allowed all five of his targets to be caught. Jackson has had a really good season, but he has had his fair share of issues with positioning.
Shelby Harris | DL: 44.9
Harris has been a monster this year but since he had to miss some time, his play hasn't been the same as it was before. Multiple times he would over-pursue as a run defender and just couldn't get much push as a pass rusher.
Lloyd Cushenberry | C: 40.7
It's been said that Cushenberry has showed improvement of late but the tape doesn't reflect that. In this one, he was punished in pass protection and got bullied as a run blocker. He doesn't have the best length but also doesn't know how to make up for it, which leads to these issues.
For the MVP of this game, make sure you check out the video above. This week features a first-time MVP for this season.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
