Broncos Individual Player Grades For Week 17 vs. Raiders
It was a disappointing end for the Denver Broncos but that was the overall tone of the season. While the Broncos wanted to end the season on a high note with a win against the Las Vegas Raiders, they fell short.
It was a solid game that saw the two teams go back and forth until the final second. A lot of players had a really good game, which is what these grades are here to break down.
The Positive
Jerry Jeudy | WR: 89.7
After a really rough Week 16 game that saw Jeudy drop five passes, he really bounced back in a big way. His route running was hard for the Raiders to handle and saw him get open multiple times. He also made a big 92-yard touchdown play thanks to his route running and speed. This was a game to really show the ceiling that Jeudy has going forward.
Dre’Mont Jones | DL: 86.8
Jones has become a big bright spot for the Broncos this season with his play. It is a shame that he dealt with a knee injury early on because his year could’ve been even better. He has really stepped up against the run, though he still has some issues here that were seen in this game, and he does a lot of damage with his ability to get interior pressure.
Garett Bolles | LT: 83.5
While he was mostly good against the Raiders, Bolles had some whiffs in the running game but he also allowed some pressure. Bolles has been a bright spot for the Broncos this season, and even when his play isn’t great, he still has been one of the best players on offense.
Kareem Jackson | S: 82.3
Jackson didn’t fill up the stat sheet, but he did his job and then some. He shut down whoever he was on in coverage and was only targeted twice, with neither of them caught. His play coming downhill against the run was also good, though he didn’t need to make many tackles because someone in the front seven ended up making in. He was flying around on the field.
The Negative
Netane Muti | RG: 16.1
While he had some big blocks in the run game against the Panthers, but equally bad in pass protection, Muti was just bad in this game. He had a couple of solid blocks, but nothing like the big, flashy ones he had in that Panthers game. Muti was better in pass protection, but still has a lot to work on. It isn’t hard to turn on the tape, focus in on Muti, and see how bad he was. Denver drafted him late and he has plenty of promise, but he needs more time to try and reach that promise because the technical work needed is intensive.
Elijah Wilkinson | RT: 28.4
For whatever reason, the Broncos coaching staff still believes Wilkinson can be a tackle in the NFL. This game highlighted exactly why that isn’t the case. His feet are heavy and slow and so easy for rushers to take the corner on. To stop this from happening, he oversets and just lets them win inside. With multiple pressures given up and some really bad blocks in the running game, Wilkinson continues to be a letdown.
Will Parks | DB: 37.6
The defense played well overall, but some just had some really bad plays. Parks had a bad one in coverage for a big touchdown, but he also missed two tackles which really hurt his grade. Still, he has shown more than enough promise to be a role player in the defense going forward, but will he be retained?
Justin Simmons | S: 40.0
Simmons was mostly solid in coverage, though his interception was being in the right place at the right time. He still had some hiccups with not being in the right spot and biting on play-action to take him away from his positioning. On top of that, he really struggled against the run. Vic Fangio has made changes to how his secondary works, and as far as I can tell, that is a big reason for Simmons’s struggles at times this season.
Other Noteworthy Grades
Drew Lock | QB: 72.9
This game was not a loss because of Lock’s play. While he did have some issues with placement and footwork pop up once again, he was a lot smarter with his decisions than he has been all season long, except for the Carolina game. His reads came quick, he didn’t lock on nearly as much, and he didn’t escape clean pockets but moved to by himself more time. These were proper steps needed from the young quarterback, but they needed to come a lot earlier in the season than they did.
Graham Glasgow | RG: 79.7
While he only played 20 snaps, just barely above the minimum to get graded, he put together a really good game. Glasgow got some good push in the running game but continued to be really good in pass protection. When he was asked to pull, he also showed good movement skills and the ability to find his man while on the move.
Michael Ojemudia | CB: 60.0
Forcing a couple of fumbles will always be a big boost to your grade, even when you allow all three targets thrown your way to get caught. There was a big issue on the deep pass he gave up where it seemed like he was expecting help and didn’t get it. It was a very rookie season for Ojemudia, but he has shown plenty of promise to be that number two corner.
Parnell Motley | CB: 57.2
While he got picked on in coverage, allowing four catches on seven targets, the moxy Motley played with was great. He was fierce out there and brought it every single play. Against the run, he wasn’t afraid of mixing it up and play physical. The touchdown he allowed was actually solid coverage by him, but just a better throw. Maybe he is a piece the Broncos can develop for depth at corner.
For the MVP of the game against the Raiders, check out the video above.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
