Broncos Individual Player Grades For Week 11 vs. Vikings Revealed
It's a shame that the Denver Broncos walked away with a loss in this one after leading 20-0 at halftime. The Broncos got complacent against a tough Minnesota Vikings team and ended up allowing a whopping 27 points in the second half, while only netting three additional points.
There was a lot wrong with this game, and it all starts with the Broncos' poor play-calling on both sides of the ball in the second half, after seeing near brilliance in the first.
Even though it came in a losing effort, there were multiple Broncos players that really stood out against the Vikings. Some of them in a positive fashion, and others in a negative.
As always, I will reveal the four highest-graded Broncos, along with the four lowest and four others that are worth talking about. The MVP of the game, what his grade was, and why he earned that grade, can be found out in the video above.
This grading system has been honed and adapted for the last five-plus years. Each player starts with a grade of 50, and it will either get raised or lowered based on each snap and the player's impact on the play.
A cornerback on the backside of a run shedding a block will get a slight raise to their grade, but a corner shedding a block in the run path at the point of attack will get a higher raise in their grade, as they have a bigger impact on the result of the play.
The Good
Courtland Sutton, WR: 93.2
What more can be said about Sutton and the game he had against the Vikings? He did everything from catching to running to even throwing. The Vikings didn’t have an answer for Sutton until the second half, but that just let other players get open, though the Broncos weren’t able to exploit that consistently. Sutton is a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL, and if he takes a leap next year like he did this year, Denver will have themselves a top-5 receiver in the NFL.
Phillip Lindsay, RB: 89.5
Against a tough rushing defense, Lindsay really brought it. He only picked up 67 yards rushing, averaging 4.2 yards per carry, but he really took a lot of Minnesota's defensive focus. Just the threat Lindsay presented forced the Vikings defense to be cautious, which the Broncos exploited in the first half. Denver also got just enough big plays from him to remain a threat and a focus for the Vikings.
Shelby Harris, DL: 87.9
Three sacks are great, but one of them being a strip-sack is even better. Harris has had a relatively quiet year, outside of leading all NFL defensive linemen in batted passes. He is a pass-rushing defensive lineman that had one sack and 12 hurries entering Week 11 and his play was up and down. Against the Vikings, he showed those pass-rushing chops, notching those three sacks and applying other pressures.
Dre’Mont Jones, DL: 85.3
Don’t let his game go unnoticed. Jones was great against the Vikings and really applied the pressure on QB Kirk Cousins. That wasn’t all Jones did, though, as he also did really well stopping the run. This defense is perfect for the rookie and uses him to his strengths with great success.
The Bad
Davontae Harris, CB: 25.6
It figures that after giving this Harris some praise over the bye week that he comes out and completely bombs. Cousins and the Vikings picked on Harris in the second half with a lot of success. Harris would have really helped that situation had he came up with an interception that hit him in his hands, but that didn’t happen. There also continues to be an issue as a tackler, which led to Harris getting benched and replaced by Isaac Yiadom.
Elijah Wilkinson, RT: 29.4
It was a tough pass-rushing duo the Broncos had to face, and Wilkinson really struggled. The Vikings edge rushers just didn’t give him problems in the passing game, but as a run blocker as well. Denver has little success running behind Wilkinson because his technique as a run blocker is poor and he tends to rely on his mediocre strength.
Chris Harris, Jr., CB: 33.7
It wasn’t the best day for Harris. He gave up a huge touchdown, though he was supposed to have safety help over the top, and looked complacent against the run. Harris is having the type of year where his stats are a little better than his tape, though not much better, and his reputation has allowed him to be talked about externally as great. Make no mistake, though, this isn’t the Harris the Broncos have had in the past.
Brandon Allen, QB: 48.1
For the first time this year, a quarterback makes these grades. Allen was okay out there, but he missed multiple open receivers and his lack of arm talent showed up multiple times where his receivers had to bail him out. At least Allen graded higher than his completion percentage, which was a putrid 43.6%. Denver had a chance to win this game with less than 30 seconds left, but Allen’s inexperience to stop the clock and his poorly placed throws kept that from happening.
Other Grades of Note
Von Miller, OLB: 79.9
Miller played a really good game, and was a key component in multiple sacks. The star edge rusher also made some big plays against the run, and in coverage. He was facing two tough offensive tackles, who had allowed a combined 25 pressures entering the game, which is top-5 fewest among starting tackles. After this game, those numbers are going to change because Miller had a really good day against them.
Noah Fant, TE: 75.8
As a blocker, no thanks. Fant has shown progress, but there are still major technical issues and an overall lack of strength to his game. OC Rich Scangarello has a fascination with getting Fant the ball behind the line of scrimmage as a rusher, which has gone nowhere. Fant has -12 rushing yards on the season. Fant is an athletic receiving tight end and when he is used as such, he normally shines, just as he did in Minnesota.
Adam Gotsis, DL: 74.8
Gotsis really showed his stuff as a run defender and held his own. He showed why he needs to continue to be part of the rotation. It wasn’t just his game as a run defender that earned him this grade, but of course, his play as a pass rusher. Gotsis got in the face of Cousins multiple times, and on one occasion managed to bat the pass away.
Garett Bolles, LT: 74.3
This grade is going to get me some flack because of the penalties, but penalties are not factored into my grading system. So keep that in mind as you continue to read on. Bolles actually had a very solid day. He gave up a couple of pressures, but for the most part, he held his own against two pass rushers who have been among the best this season. Not only that, Bolles did really well in the running game. There were a good number of plays that the pass rusher he was facing just gave up on the play.
Don't forget to hit the video above for the Broncos' MVP in Week 11.
Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.
