Broncos Player Grades For Week 5 vs. Steelers
The Denver Broncos took to the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in hopes of overcoming their first loss. However, things went badly for Denver almost immediately as the Steelers were able to march down the field and score quickly.
There was a lot wrong with the Broncos' performance with most of it being the team shooting itself in the foot over and over again. In Pittsburgh, the Broncos put up their worst grades of the season and the first 'Dud of the Week.'.
It was a messy performance reflecting a lot of issues this team currently has from top to bottom. If Denver cannot figure out its problems quickly, the season could quickly go into a downward spiral after its 3-0 start.
Before I get to the individual player grades, here are a few quick notes about how grading works. Each player starts with an average grade of 50.0 and with each positive play, his grade goes up. With each bad play, it drops.
Just how much a player's grade fluctuates depends on his overall impact on the snap. After all, missing a block away from the play isn’t as costly as the lead blocker completely whiffing and letting the run get stopped for a loss.
The Positive
Mike Purcell | IDL | Grade: 78.7
Through the first four games of the season, Purcell was solid for Denver, but he had a big day in Pittsburgh. While it isn't reflected on the stat sheet, Purcell was great against the run; it just so happened that everyone else around him failed. It was clear that he doesn't offer much as a pass rusher, and in his nine pass-rush snaps, that didn't change.
Tim Patrick | WR | Grade: 74.3
Patrick didn't get much action early on, but he quickly turned that around. He's been a big-play machine for the Broncos and often provides a spark for the offense when it is needed. With the injuries to Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, Patrick should be a more significant part of the game plan from now on.
The Negative
Noah Fant | TE | Grade: 21.2
The former first-round pick is quickly falling from grace with significant issues as a blocker and struggles getting separation. The Broncos need more out of Fant, and the team just hasn't gotten it so far this season. While he did have a couple of nice plays against the Steelers, it was short of what Denver needed, especially with the injuries it's sustained to its receiving corps.
Dalton Risner | OG | Grade: 28.5
It was a tough matchup against a formidable Steelers' defensive line that controlled the Broncos' interior offensive line. Risner struggled to hold his own, which has become the norm for him dating back to last year. If he can't turn it around, Denver may need to make changes on its O-line because so many issues come back to Risner when he is out there.
Graham Glasgow | OG | Grade: 30.0
After doing an admirable job in Weeks 1 and 3 before getting hurt, Glasgow was bad against the Steelers. He was controlled at the line of scrimmage in the running game. His pass protection, which usually is a strength, was an issue for Denver in this one.
DeShawn Williams | IDL | Grade: 42.8
Last year, Williams showed he could be a depth piece on the defensive line, and for most of this season, it has been much the same. However, in this game, he struggled against the Steelers' banged-up O-line and showed he isn't quite ready to be a starter. It was one bad game from Williams so far this season, and hopefully, he bounces back.
Kareem Jackson | S | Grade: 48.5
Jackson has been a good contribution on the Broncos' defense for the season, minus a small handful of plays against the Baltimore Ravens, but he had a bad game against the Steelers. There were multiple plays in coverage; he was out of position, and he wasn't his usual self in the run game. He typically is excellent coming downhill against the run, but Jackson was not himself — from hitting the wrong holes to getting caught up with blockers.
Shemar Stephen | DL | Grade: 49.3
While Stephen had played well for Denver in his action in the games prior, this game saw the caliber of play he put on tape with Minnesota that saw him jettisoned. Overall, it wasn't terrible, but not great either. He was just another guy that was able to do the basics of what he needed to do.
Other Noteworthy Grades
Courtland Sutton | WR | Grade: 69.1
While he had the most receiving yards for the Broncos, he wasn't the highest-graded player because of his inconsistent blocking. In his first two seasons, Sutton's run blocking drew much attention because it was solid and reliable. However, as he is still recovering from his ACL injury, Denver needs him to regain that form to help hold up the outside running plays.
Garett Bolles | OT | Grade: 65.6
There will be many who point to his penalty, but Bolles' play was strong overall. He didn't allow a single pressure and did well as a run blocker. It wasn't quite the level of play Denver got from him last year, but it was still a more than solid showing and encouraging in the wake of his Week 4 struggles.
Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 59.9
The rookie was still the starter as the Broncos had Ronald Darby inactive, but Surtain struggled. While he did make one of the more significant plays on defense, he still allowed 3-of-5 targets to be caught, with one also dropped, and all three caught went for a first down. The bigger issue was what Surtain showed as a run defender, and for being a physical corner, he sure hasn't shown it in that aspect.
Caden Sterns | S | Grade: 58.2
After two games of serious flashes of potential, Sterns crashed back to Earth a little in this one. Unfortunately, while the game was better than average, it was only barely so. He garnered a season-high number of snaps the Steelers found ways to deal with him.
Dud of the Week
Kyle Fuller | CB | Grade: 7.4
There isn't much to say that isn't already obvious to most Broncos fans. Fuller was beaten multiple times by the Steelers and in critical situations that could have gotten the defense off the field. Denver has to consider benching Fuller with Darby coming back because he has struggled for most of the season.
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