Broncos Player Grades Are In: Chiefs' Blowout Exposed Serious Concerns

The Denver Broncos had a rough and rude awakening in their season opener.

The Kansas City Chiefs blew out the Broncos 31-10 on Monday Night Football. The Broncos definitely made a statement in Week 1, but it was far from the message they hoped to send.

The Broncos missed 24 tackles per Pro Football Focus, while Next Gen Stats credited them with 28 and a 29.5 missed-tackle rate. Adding insult to injury, Denver had no answers for the Chiefs on either side of the ball.

The Broncos were outclassed, outcoached, and out-prepared by the Chiefs, resulting in one of the worst-graded games since I began my grading system a decade ago.

While this wasn't the 70-point loss to the Miami Dolphins in 2023, this game was, in many ways, even worse. With the Jacksonville Jaguars coming up on a short week, the Broncos have a lot to work on.

For my grades, I evaluate every snap each player takes. They start with a score of 50 and have a +/- of three points per snap, depending on what they do and how well they do it.

Only players with at least 15 snaps qualify for a grade. With that said, let's get into the Broncos' Week 1 grades.

Offensive MVP: Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 70.2

It was a game where most of the offensive line did poorly, except Meinerz. He didn't allow any pressure and was the O-line's most consistent run blocker.

It's a shame Denver didn't trust Meinerz enough to get the job done as a blocker in certain situations, like that 3rd-and-1 where Davis Webb called an empty passing set and threw the ball (incomplete).

Defensive MVP: Que Robinson | Grade: 67.8

Que Robinson pressures Patrick Mahomes. — Que Robinson pressures Patrick Mahomes on Monday night. | Roman Puno / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Robinson had a good game against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs last year. On Monday night, Robinson did it again.

He was the Broncos' best defender on the field, generating three quarterback pressures. He was also one of the more consistent run defenders.

Quarterback: Bo Nix | Grade: 24.5

Nix has started the season poorly in all three years of his career. But this may have been his worst game as a Bronco.

Nix was late on throws; his ball placement was off, he threw a bad interception, and he fumbled three times, luckily losing only one. The most concerning aspect was how frequently he looked lost. He also looked like he was playing in mud up to his ankles.

Nix looked concerningly slow. He was unable to outrun defensive linemen, which is a concern to monitor as he returns from a fractured ankle.

The Positive

Garett Bolles | LT | Grade: 65.1

Bolles and Meinerz were the only bright spots up front. Bolles did well as a pass rusher, though the Chiefs attacked his side with pressure looks.

His run blocking is what hurt his grade, despite some strong blocks for the running backs.

Evan Engram | TE | Grade: 64.3

This might be the first time Engram has made the positive category in the grades. The offense as a whole stunk it up, but seeing him consistently stand out in a positive fashion gives some hope for his involvement going forward.

Nik Bonitto | OLB | Grade: 64.2

Bonitto did well picking up two pressures, but his impact goes beyond the box score. The Chiefs' offensive game plan was built around neutralizing Bonitto and the Broncos' pass rush.

In a game where run defense was critical, Bonitto wasn't a liability out there and actually had some good moments.

Zach Allen | DL | Grade: 63.7

Allen was Denver's lone defensive lineman to have a good game. The Chiefs tried to avoid him in the run game, and he notched three pressures and two sacks.

Allen wasn't perfect, but it was a one-man show on the Broncos' defensive line.

The Negative

D.J. Jones | NT | Grade: 21.6

Jones is a fine player, but longer and more physical interior blockers can handle him with ease. He doesn't have the length or mass to neutralize interior blockers or handle double teams.

Jones was quick to shoot gaps, but the Chiefs were content to let him do it, as it took him out of position, and they exploited his error.

Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 27.4

While Broncos Country and the coaching staff are aware of Singleton's flaws, the team is usually able to cover them in the game plan. They weren't able to do so this time around.

The worst of it was listening to Singleton dismiss the tackling issues post-game, saying Denver will be fine, despite it being a constant issue for three years, though not on the historic scale it was on Monday night.

Adam Trautman | TE | Grade: 28.9

The Broncos had interest in free-agent tight ends during the offseason, but they decided to re-sign Trautman to save less than $1 million per year. Well, he picked up right where he left off last year as one of the worst blocking tight ends in the NFL.

Hey, at least he showed some fight after the catch on one of his two receptions.

Troy Franklin | WR | Grade: 34.6

Franklin saw the field for a hair over 15 snaps and struggled. He became a gadget player, replacing Marvin Mims Jr., who missed snaps due to injury. On a rushing attempt, Franklin showed his inability to read blocks.

He gained five yards but left even more on the field. On a receiving target that would have moved the chains, he was flagged for offensive pass interference after blatantly pushing off.

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