Jerry Jeudy Has Become Broncos' No. 1 WR
In the NFL regular season finale, the Denver Broncos came out victorious with a 31-28 victory against the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers. Given how the season unfolded, this is very encouraging.
The Broncos' Week 18 win allowed the team to gain momentum going into the offseason and provided a closer look at several players and their respective roles on the roster. The offense flourished.
There were several deep passes from Russell Wilson. In addition, receivers were getting open and being able to run for yards after the catch. Wilson ended the day with 283 yards passing and three touchdowns.
One player who recorded a career day was wideout Jerry Jeudy, who ended the day with five receptions for 154 yards and three rushes for 39 yards. This performance earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Jeudy capped off the regular season with a career-high (for each statistic) 67 receptions, 972 yards, and six receiving touchdowns, totaling 1,012 scrimmage yards, and 64.8 receiving yards per game. That production came as a result of appearing in 15 games.
Meanwhile, Courtland Sutton also appeared in 15 games this season, and while he did out-pace Jeudy in targets (109-100), he totaled just 64 receptions for 829 yards and two touchdowns. The WR1 dynamic seemed flipped in the final quarter of the season.
The most consistent receiver wearing a Broncos uniform this season, Jeudy is emerging as a household name. One of the skills that made him a first-round pick out of the University of Alabama is his route running skills — his ability to get open quickly. Per Pro Football Focus, Jeudy is the best receiver against man coverage, recording over six yards per route.
Broncos interim head coach Jerry Rosburg sees greatness in Jeudy.
“[Jeudy] is still growing as a player," Rosburg said. "He’s clearly got abilities and he can be a great player.”
Jeudy recognizes that he still has work to do in order to be among the NFL’s best receivers. If the next head coach can scheme to Jeudy’s strengths and provide more opportunities, he can be the top target for Wilson and the offense for years to come.
“I was just taking advantage of opportunities and I did get the ball," Jeudy said on Sunday. "I just wanted to be able to make a play every chance I got so I feel like that is a mixture of physicality and just wanting to score. I just want to be able to bring that spark to the offense.”
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