Broncos Player Grades from Bad Loss vs. the Lions Revealed
If the Denver Broncos were to lose one of their final four games, this was the game to lose. However, falling to the Detroit Lions makes the Broncos' path to the playoffs much more difficult.
A loss now practically eliminates the Broncos from playoff contention. Though, again, a loss to the Lions was better for their playoff chances than beating them and losing one of their final three games.
The Broncos were close to sweeping the NFC North, but the Lions played much better on both sides of the ball, won in the trenches, and were more physical. It showed the flaws that are still there with the Broncos and how the way they were winning games wasn't sustainable.
However, the Broncos need to figure something out if they want to continue making their playoff push. With that said, let's get to the Broncos player grades for Week 15.
Offensive MVP: Courtland Sutton | WR
Grade: 72.5
Sutton played an almost flawless game as a receiver. His biggest negative plays came as a blocker.
Ultimately, Sutton caught five of six passes for 71 yards and four first downs. His best play came on a shorter catch that he took for extra yards, showing more after-the-catch ability than he has for most of the season.
Defensive MVP: Justin Simmons | S
Grade: 71.2
While he didn't have an interception or a big splash play, Simmons had one of his better games this season. He quickly triggered downhill and filled in well, but he was also all over the place in coverage. The safety made a big pass break-up and came up to help some poor tackling in front of him.
Quarterback: Russell Wilson
Grade: 45.4
There were missed throws and targets throughout the game. Those missed pre- and post-snap reads keep his grade down, though he made a few plays. Overall, there were more negative plays than positives from the veteran quarterback.
The Positive
Jerry Jeudy | WR | Grade: 70.1
There was a lot to like from Jeudy's game, especially after his rough Week 14 performance. However, one drop kept him from being the offensive MVP for the game. He caught the ball quickly and cleanly outside the one drop and used his speed and quickness to pick up chunks of yards.
Jonathon Cooper | OLB | Grade: 69.3
This was a tough matchup for Cooper, but he did well. He led the team with six pressures and picked up a sack. On top of that, he did extremely well as a run defender, outside of a couple of bad snaps.
Quinn Meinerz | RG | Grade: 64.7
The whole offensive line struggled, and that includes Meinerz. However, even on a down night, it was still a good game for the potential All-Pro guard.
Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | Grade: 56.4
There were a few bad plays from McMillian, but his effectiveness as a blitzer and play as a run defender were still up there. His biggest negative play came on a touchdown where he gave too much space to his receiver, leading to a clean catch and a flip into the end zone.
The Negative
Javonte Williams | RB | Grade: 27.3
The Broncos need to consider cutting into Williams' snap and touch counts. While the O-line didn't help matters, Williams has not had the burst or vision to be effective.
It also can help reduce the predictability of when the Broncos use Jaleel McLaughlin by getting him more snaps without forcing the ball to him, as he touches or is targeted on 70% of his snaps since Week 8.
Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 33.7
The NFL leader in missed tackles added more missed tackles to his total. On top of that, his effort was questionable at times. There were multiple plays where Singleton was jogging towards the ball carrier, who was engaged with a teammate, but they broke free for more yards and even a touchdown on one of them. He needs to play to the whistle.
Mike Purcell | NT | Grade: 39.5
There have been a couple of good games from Purcell, but it has been rough for most of the season. The Lions controlled the line of scrimmage, pushing Purcell and the rest of the defensive line around.
Marvin Mims Jr. | WR | Grade: 47.6
Mims is a great athlete, but as he gets more snap counts, you can see there is much work to do to make him a true NFL receiver. His routes have not been great, his vision is poor, and blocking isn't where it needs to be, even for someone his size. What's so concerning is how his vision isn't an issue on returns.
Other Noteworthy Grades
Ben Powers | LG | Grade: 49.2
Powers has been an upgrade at left guard over the previous few seasons, but there are those moments where you wonder what's going on in pass protection. This was one of those games. While it wasn't all bad, he allowed some pressures, including a bad sack. His run blocking was fine, but not nearly as good as it has been throughout the season.
Mike McGlinchey | RT | Grade: 48.9
After a great game handling, Khalil Mack, McGlinchey struggled against Aidan Hutchinson. Like Powers, McGlinchey's run blocking was fine, and he had his moments in pass protection, but his three pressures allowed were rough. He also was flagged for another false start, though that doesn't factor into the grades.
Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 43.1
Surtain is a great corner, but he hasn't been good in zone coverage this year, and the Lions attacked him there. The Lions were unafraid of him in man coverage and came up with a big first down targeting him. Surtain's run defense was alright, though, keeping his grade from being even lower.
Fabian Moreau | CB | Grade: 41.8
Moreau has been fine in coverage, but his play as a run defender is a constant letdown. There isn't much physicality to his game, which has repeatedly led to extra yards. The Lions were able to exploit this a few times.
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