Broncos Individual Player Grades For Week 6 vs. Titans Revealed
The Denver Broncos won their second game on the season in a solid defensive performance. It was a struggle offensively, and the Tennessee Titans defense gave the Broncos issues.
Denver has a tough battle coming on a short week and they need to be better offensively, while defensively, they need to cut down on the mistakes and inconsistencies.
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
Phillip Lindsay, RB: 92.5
Lindsay not only has gotten back to 2018 form, but he has improved upon it. His injury last year caused him to change some things and he has gotten used to those changes. It has paid dividends so far this year. His vision and toughness have been a huge boost for the Broncos offense. As a receiver, he is solid but his hands aren’t the most natural and he added another drop in this game.
DeMarcus Walker, DE: 91.3
Walker had a huge day as a pass rusher and is looking more and more like he can be a starter on this defensive line. His run defense is solid but if he can be more consistent in this department, it’ll be hard to not make him a starter.
Alexander Johnson, LB: 89.9
Denver made a switch at linebacker last week and Johnson has played great football. His play against the run, and what he brings as a blitzer, has been a huge boost. There are issues in coverage, where he just looks lost at times and has to be put into his proper place, but that will come with more experience.
DaeSean Hamilton, WR: 87.6
It was a good game for Hamilton, especially with Emmanuel Sanders' exit in the second half. There were a couple runs that Hamilton missed his block, but otherwise, he did his job. As a receiver, he ran good routes and did a good job of getting open. His routes were clean and crisp, and should be seeing an increase in usage.
The Bad
Will Parks, DB: 17.0
With Duke Dawson out, Parks stepped in as the nickel corner and played a really bad game. He was beaten in coverage multiple times, looked weak against the run and continued to miss tackles. If Denver has to rely on Parks against the Chiefs next week, it could be a really long night for the defense.
Davontae Harris, CB: 24.2
Only thing that kept Harris from having the lowest grade on the day were a couple of heads-up plays. One of the positive plays was going to make a tackle and keeping the receiver short of the first down. However, he was picked on in coverage and got bailed out by bad quarterback play multiple times.
Elijah Wilkinson, RT: 27.7
Denver has an issue on the offensive line and it is the right side. Wilkinson continues to be the weakest link as he gives up consistent pressure and fails often in the running game. Each snap he takes at tackle just proves he is an offensive guard playing tackle. Thankfully, Ja’Wuan James is expected back next week.
Ronald Leary, RG: 28.3
The other part of the weak side of the Broncos' O-line is Leary, who continues to make rookie mistakes out there. He struggles handling stunts and twists and lacks the awareness to pick up delayed blitzes. While his run blocking is typically solid, he really struggled against the Titans.
Other Grades Of Note
Mike Purcell, NT: 85.4
Watching Purcell play, and really control the middle of the line, makes you wonder why he wasn’t playing earlier. After an outstanding game against the Chargers, he followed that up with another good game. Both lines he's faced over the last two weeks are a bit weak on the interior, so it could be a benefit of that, but there is no denying how strong he looks.
Derek Wolfe, DE: 80.3
The veteran has been struggling this year, but really stepped up against the Titans. It was just in time, and against the perfect matchup. Right guard is the weak spot of the Titans O-line and Wolfe was able to exploit that with a good game against the run while adding two sacks.
Garett Bolles, LT: 79.8
Ever since Week 2, Bolles has been playing really good football. It isn’t all perfect, but he is looking like a capable left tackle for the NFL game. This game was one of the most consistent games of his career.
Noah Fant, TE: 47.5
It was a rough game from Fant as a blocker and as a receiver. He had been showing progress through each game, but this contest was a step back for him. It is typical for rookie tight ends to struggle, but the Broncos could really use him putting things together quickly.
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