Broncos Player Grades: Plenty of Blame to Go Around in Loss to 49ers

Try as they might, the Denver Broncos couldn't pull off another comeback win against the San Francisco 49ers, falling 24-14.

The Broncos played it close and tough until late in the game, trailing 14-17, before 49ers tight end George Kittle sealed it with a massive 56-yard catch-and-run to paydirt.

Denver's performance had some good showings and a few bad ones. This week's grades will highlight the best and worst.

Offensive MVP: Pat Bryant | WR | Grade: 69.9

Hopefully, Bryant's lower-leg injury isn’t long-term, though early indications aren't promising. He once showed off his elusiveness with a big catch-and-run to set the Broncos up in good field position, though that was the play that hurt him.

Bryant was also doing well as a blocker, and his overall ability as a big riser would be missed if he were out for multiple weeks.

Defensive MVP: Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 83.4

It feels weird to write up Singleton as the best defender in a game, but he had a great game against the 49ers. He had a few negative plays, but he flew downhill against the run and played a big role in the Broncos' overall success in containing Christian McCaffrey, especially with multiple defensive linemen having issues.

Denver limited Singleton's exposure in coverage by changing his role, and I can't help but wonder whether that could’ve been the difference in his play.

Quarterback: Bo Nix | Grade: 47.6

Look, a 5.3 average depth of target, which is below the league average, and 5.1 yards per attempt is not good. Nix couldn't push the ball, and while it wasn’t all his fault, he shoulders a fair amount of the blame.

Nix worked off reads quickly when pressure wasn’t even threatening, and moved into pressure, making poor decisions and off-target passes. He looked spooked out there, and his averages reflect it.

The Positive

Jahdae Barron. — Jahdae Barron lays the hit. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 81.6

Surtain also exited this game early with an injury, but hopefully it isn’t severe. He's a difference-maker; when he left, the 49ers adjusted what they were doing when he was on the field. Denver didn’t miss him too much on the field because Surtain's replacement played well, but it was a small sample size. Hopefully, the star corner is back soon.

Jahdae Barron | CB | Grade: 80.5

Barron has been questionable on the field since his rookie season, but in his limited action against the 49ers, filling in for Surtain, he played well. He was tough against the run and played well in coverage, including some tight, consistent coverage. This was the first time Barron has looked like a legitimate starting-caliber corner.

Zach Allen | DL | Grade: 78.9

If you factor in his special teams play, Allen would be the defensive MVP thanks to his blocked field goal. He's had a monster season, filling up stat sheets with his best all-around campaign so far. If Allen can keep this level of play up, he could push for the NFL's best defensive lineman.

Quinn Meinerz | OG | Grade: 68.4

The Broncos' blocking was questionable, but aside from a handful of plays, Meinerz played a great game. He blocked well in both the run and pass game and sustained blocks to make it easier on the ball carrier.

Jaylen Waddle | WR | Grade: 65.3

Waddle's touchdown came off an excellent play design that gave him the opening, but the route left little room for error. He ran it perfectly. There were some questionable effort plays and a bad drop, but Waddle was mostly a positive impact for the Broncos.

Garett Bolles | OT | Grade: 58.9

Bolles had a rough day with penalties, but his play was sound. He had some miscues in the run game with the looks the 49ers gave the Broncos, but he handled it about as well as he could, given the O-line's other issues with blocking.

The Negative

Que Robinson | OLB | Grade: 30.2

Robinson is explosive, but he needs to get stronger for the NFL. The 49ers were able to shut down his explosiveness, and he didn’t have an answer for it because he doesn't have the strength to add non-explosive moves to change things up.

Ja’Quan McMillian | CB | Grade: 32.4

If this were the 2010s, McMillian could have a 10-plus-year career as a nickel corner, but as offenses shift to bigger slot players, his lack of size and athleticism can be exploited. With him being in the final year of his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent, his market will be interesting to watch.

Jonah Elliss | OLB | Grade: 38.7

Elliss is almost the polar opposite of Robinson. Elliss doesn’t have that explosiveness in his game; the strength and technique are there, but he isn’t that initial threat, and it changes how blockers handle him. The lack of explosiveness with Elliss was exploited by the 49ers.

Evan Engram | TE | Grade: 39.1

Engram isn’t cutting it as a receiver; he still seems to have chemistry issues with Nix, and his blocking remains a liability. Denver took a shot on Engram to improve its tight end room and got burned. The 49ers, like the rest of the NFL, no longer fear Engram, and how they played him proves it.

Luke Wattenberg | C | Grade: 41.4

One has to wonder whether Denver regrets the Wattenberg extension that locks him in through the 2027 season. He had a few games last year where he looked like a legit top-five center, but outside of that, he's been bottom-10. To start this year, he looks unplayable, but the Broncos are forced to play him because of his contract.

J.K. Dobbins | RB | Grade: 43.5

Dobbins's lack of explosiveness, combined with terrible vision, led to a pitiful game against the 49ers. He had 40 yards on 11 carries — with a long of nine yards — meaning 10 runs for 31 yards. He added a pair of catches for 12 yards, but he's supposed to be the force in the running game, and he only compounded bad blocking with terrible vision and slow-moving feet.

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