Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week
After a dynamic performance to close out the season for the Denver Broncos, wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was awarded AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor for Week 18. Hauling in five receptions on six targets, Jeudy accumulated 154 receiving yards against the Los Angeles Chargers as well as 39 rushing yards on three carries.
Sparking the Broncos’ offense to life at the end of the second half, Jeudy hauled in a 57-yard reception down the left sideline to help set Denver up to score right before halftime to tie the game 17-17. Adding an additional 50-yard reception later in the game, Jeudy provided the down-the-field spark and explosiveness an offense featuring Russell Wilson desperately needs to function at its highest level.
With his outburst in Denver’s season finale, Jeudy became the first Bronco to win AFC Offensive Player of the Week since Phillip Lindsay way back in Week 13 of the 2018 season. Perhaps not surprising given how dreary the Broncos’ offensive performances have been in the team’s recent history.
Falling just short of 1,000 receiving yards on the season with 972, Jeudy has had an up-and-down career to date. With injuries, dropped passes, and some questionable social media posts, Jeudy found himself reportedly on the trade block as the Broncos team floundered it’s way through this season.
With no deal materializing, Jeudy would continue to flash his first-round talent but never fully put it all together. The talent was obvious with how he was able to separate, but the positive results were sporadic.
Coming to a boiling point in a game the Broncos were getting absolutely embarrassed in at home versus the Kansas City Chiefs, down 27-0 at one point, Jeudy made contact with an official while expressing his frustration about a play he believed he was interfered with by a Chiefs defender.
Jeudy was not ejected from the game (he was later fined) and that was a good thing for him and the Broncos. He would finish the game with eight receptions and 73 yards and an insane three touchdowns.
Stacking solid performances together from that game on, Jeudy exploded in Denver’s season finale, which earned him his Week 18 accolade. Now entering the offseason after a frustrating 2022 campaign, Broncos Country and Jeudy should be as enthusiastic about the trajectory of the former Alabama product.
Given how he played down the stretch, it should be a no-brainer that the Broncos will be exercising the fifth-year option on Jeudy when the time comes this offseason. Whatever offensive scheme Denver is running next season, expect Jeudy to be a very large part of it, catching balls from Wilson.
It may not materialize into a high-volume passing attack given the style of offense Denver will likely need to run to maximize the skill set of Wilson, but if the passing game can remain half as explosive as fans saw Week 18 while increasing efficiency, Jeudy very well could wind up emerging as one of the better weapons in the NFL next season and going forward.
Follow Mile High Huddle on Twitter and Facebook.
Subscribe to Mile High Huddle on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!
