Broncos Player Grades From Comeback Win Over Jaguars

The Denver Broncos bounced back from a rough first half to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-13.

The Broncos were on their heels in the first half and for part of the second as the Jaguars moved the ball well and played strong defense to stall them. In the end, Denver got it done to get to 1-1 through the first two weeks, winning in the second week for the first time ever under Sean Payton.

The Broncos earned the win on the backs of a few great individual performances on each side of the ball. Conversely, a few players played poorly enough to give the Jaguars an early advantage.

Remember, a player must receive at least 15 snaps to qualify for a grade. These grades to cover every player who received 15 or more snaps, but they are the highlights.

Let’s get into the Broncos' player grades against Jacksonville.

Defensive MVP: Zach Allen | IDL | Grade: 84.2

Allen has been a monster for the Broncos since he signed in 2023, and in a game where most of the defensive line struggled, he was a one-man show, aside from a few plays by D.J. Jones and Malcolm Roach.

Allen did well generating pressure, with four pressures and two sacks (both on cleanup duty), and he also did well against the run, leaving the Jaguars' rookie left guard on skates almost every time they faced off.

Offensive MVP: Jaylen Wadde | WR | Grade: 81.7

Jaylen Waddle lines up. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It only took two games, but Waddle finally showed why the Broncos made a big investment in him.

He truly was a difference-maker, and even when you watch some of the big plays that happened when he didn’t get the ball, you can still see his impact as the Jaguars made an effort to single him out and take him out of the game, but they failed, as he caught eight passes for 138 yards.

Quarterback: Bo Nix | Grade: 71.3

Nix's red-zone interception was terrible, from the read to the technique to the throw, and there also seemed to be a miscommunication with wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who wanted to sit in the window.

But alas, Denver overcame that turnover, and Nix played with a short memory to put it behind him. In the second half, he played great, with only a few off-place throws, one of which led to a great catch by tight end Evan Engram.

The Positive

Justin Strnad | LB | Grade: 80.1

Strnad was terrible against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Broncos needed him to have a big Week 2 game, given the way the Jaguars play offense. Not only was he reliable as a tackler and far more so as a run defender than his counterpart, Alex Singleton, but he was also shut down in coverage.

At the same time, Singleton got picked on and allowed over 100 yards. Denver finally got a great game from a linebacker, and it was Strnad.

Nate Adkins | TE | Grade: 79.4

Quarterbacks often need a security blanket outlet, and Adkins was that for Nix against the Jaguars. He not only made his presence felt as a receiver, catching a game-tying touchdown, but Adkins also played well as a blocker, which is his primary responsibility.

Garett Bolles | OT | Grade: 79.1

Garett Bolles blocks. | Derek Regensburger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

It was a rough day for the offensive line as a whole, but Bolles played well and was consistent and reliable throughout. While he did have a few bad plays — no player is ever going to play a perfect game — he was clearly the Broncos' best offensive lineman out there, and even without the issues from the other four starters, it would’ve been difficult to have a better game than he did.

Nik Bonitto | OLB | Grade: 77.1

Bonitto had a great play against the run, where he set a strong edge at the point of attack, stacking his blocker, and shedding to be part of the tackle. That may have been the best run defense play of his career.

While Bonitto didn’t register a ton of pressures — only two in the game — he created disruption, and Trevor Lawrence was clearly concerned about him, leading to some quick throws that weren’t well-placed or the best decisions. Bonitto also had a strip-sack on Jacksonville's opening possession, recovered by Singleton, erased by a Riley Moss penalty.

The Negative

Mike McGlinchey | OT | Grade: 28.9

Mike McGlinchey pass blocks. — Mike McGlinchey sets for a pass block. | Derek Regensberger / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

There was a clear issue on the right side of the line for the second game in a row. McGlinchey is one of those offensive linemen who typically plays up to competition, but that wasn’t the case.

Josh Hines-Allen beat McGlinchey consistently in both phases, and he had no answer for handling Trevon Walker as a run defender.

Luke Wattenberg | C | Grade: 30.6

Wattenberg's snapping is a growing issue, as he had a few bad snaps that caused issues with the play, including one in a goal-line series that failed on third down because of another bad exchange. He hasn’t had issues like this before, so the Broncos need to figure out what's causing it.

Eyioma Uwazurike | IDL | Grade: 32.5

Uwazurike has been terrible through two games, and he barely looks playable given how much he's struggled. He is getting whipped in the run game, even by single blockers, which isn’t ideal as the biggest player on the Broncos' defensive line.

Add in a complete lack of pass-rush ability, and you get a player who might be seeing less time soon.

Brandon Jones | S | Grade: 37.5

Before his injury last year, Jones was playing poorly, and he seems to have picked up where he left off, despite his interception in the season opener. His play was terrible against the Jaguars and was largely off against the Chiefs.

Jones has consistently been caught out of position, and his tackling and pursuit angles have been questionable. His attempt at being a ballhawk is easy to see, but it doesn't help the defense overall when he does it.

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