Broncos Player Grades for Week 8's 21-17 Win Over Jaguars

While the playoffs still seem out of reach, the Denver Broncos pulled off a much-needed win in London over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The product wasn't perfect, but there were changes made by the Broncos' coaching staff that worked out for the better on the offensive side of the ball.

As for the defense, Denver struggled to contain the Jaguars' running game but came up big in the passing game. In the modern NFL, stopping the pass is integral to overall success, which is what the Broncos did.

So, let's jump into the grades, but first, for a quick rundown of how my grading system works, click here.

MVP(s)

Offense: Greg Dulcich | TE | Grade: 77.5

Dulcich has been great for the Broncos' offense, and his athleticism significantly boosts the tight end room. His blocking technique still needs work, but he will win reps in an ugly fashion because he gives each rep 110%. For example, against the 2022 first overall pick, Trevon Walker, Dulcich had a massive block that he won ugly to keep the lane cleared for a touchdown run.

Defense: K'Waun Williams | CB | Grade: 79.5

Williams had an outstanding game, keeping all three passes he was targeted on from being caught, with one interception and another pass was broken up. His play as a run defender is tough to handle from the slot because he plays it so quickly. There was a missed tackle from Williams and he was called for a penalty that was enforced on a new rule (the penalty doesn't factor into the grade). Otherwise, his game was nearly perfect.

Quarterback

Russell Wilson | QB | Grade: 55.9

It's tough to watch Wilson sometimes with his poor reads, locking onto receivers pre-snap, panic in the pocket, and holding the ball too long. However, when he sped up his game and made the easy reads before making the throw, what Denver got out of Wilson was the best, by far, this season.

Denver made changes for the second half, and the offense improved before going away from it, leading to a trio of three-and-outs series. Wilson must accept what he can and can't do and allow the offense to play to his strengths. This offense looks legit and can put points on the board when that happens.

The Positive

K.J. Hamler | WR | Grade: 73.4

Hamler is similar to Dulcich, whose blocking technique is ugly, but he gives each blocking rep everything he has. Denver used Hamler's speed on offense when the Jaguars didn't have a player to match and got some decent production out of him. There were also reps where he was open but didn't get looked at by Wilson for one reason or another.

Josey Jewell | LB | Grade: 71.8

Jewell reads plays so well and has great instincts to be in a good position. You don't worry about him overpursuing plays, as it rarely happens. There were times he got caught on blocks or stuck in traffic against the run, but it didn't occur frequently.

Jerry Jeudy | WR | Grade: 70.5

There were questions about how to fit Jeudy with Wilson, and this game showed how you make that pairing work, especially when they're on the same page. Jeudy can be a legit threat, but he has to be more consistent with timing off the snap. In addition, his blocking is a mess, and his effort isn't there, which holds the offense back some.

Dre'Mont Jones | IDL | Grade: 70.2

While Jones is boom-or-bust against the run, he consistently booms as a pass rusher. He is emerging as a legit top-10 interior pass rusher in the NFL, as among interior defensive linemen with at least 150 pass rush snaps, Jones is ninth in pass-rush win rate, fifth in pass-rush productivity, and tied for the second-most pressures.

D.J. Jones | IDL | Grade: 68.2

Jones has been huge against the run, and even though the Broncos struggled to slow the Jaguars on the ground, their successes mostly came with Jones on the sideline. Jones was not on the field on the two biggest runs this season, including a 49-yard run by the Jaguars.

Graham Glasgow | IOL | Grade: 58.7

It wasn't great when Glasgow was starting at right guard, but he did alright for the most part. It was better than what the Broncos were getting from the other two interior offensive linemen.

Glasgow had to take over at center against the Jaguars after Lloyd Cushenberry III exited with an injury, and the unit looked improved. Glasgow still has work to do, and some communication errors come from him not having many reps at center, but he showed he needs to be the starter there for the season.

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The Negative

DeShawn Williams | IDL | Grade: 31.2

When Williams takes the field, teams like to target him in the run game. While he has had his moments, it's mostly been successful for the Broncos. Rookie Matt Henningsen has consistently looked better, though the sample size is smaller.

Jonas Griffith | LB | Grade: 31.9

Griffith still makes some great plays, but there seems to be a lot of overthinking. The farther teams attack the outside, the worse Griffith gets. However, he does his best defending runs between the tackles.

Griffith's play in coverage has also been fine this season for his use. He is a long and athletic linebacker, but he is still putting it together mentally, which was apparent in this game.

Quinn Meinerz | IOL | Grade: 37.2

It was not a good showing from Meinerz, who seemed to get lost in the play a few times. He got beat for five pressures, including two sacks, and blocking stunts is still a concern. Meinerz's run blocking was not up to par, either.

Courtland Sutton | WR | Grade: 37.4

The last few weeks have seen Sutton take a backseat in the passing game. His effort in the run game has also taken a step back and has caused multiple plays to be blown up for a loss or minimal gain. Two of his targets were terrible Wilson throws and decisions based on a lock pre-snap, but his third target was a great throw, and Sutton dropped it.

Kareem Jackson | S | Grade: 40.9

The veteran safety has been bad this season. He has clearly lost a step, and the missed tackles have been consistent and costly. You can live with the missed tackles when a guy makes enough plays, as Jackson has missed double-digit tackles each season in Denver. Unfortunately, the positive plays to offset the whiffs aren't happening with Jackson.

Calvin Anderson | OT | Grade: 45.6

Anderson was the only other Bronco to allow more than one pressure (three). His play has typically been stronger in the run game, but Denver ran eight times his way for a total of 17 yards, mainly because he wasn't holding his own, though he isn't the only one at fault. It's clear why Denver turned to Cam Fleming before Anderson.

Other Noteworthy Grades

Nik Bonitto | OLB | Grade: 42.8

The rookie pass rusher is quick and athletic, but he isn't much of a football player. He did have a couple of great pass rushes, but he was shut down a lot and lacks the strength to break free. It is similar to a run defender, as Bonitto was a liability against the Jaguars.

Bradley Chubb | OLB | Grade: 46.1

This was the worst game from Chubb this season, which could be explained away by all the trade chatter that has been going around. Chubb picked up two low-quality pressures, and his play against the run wasn't the strength it usually it. He was getting washed out if he wasn't getting too far upfield.

Mike Purcell | IDL | Grade: 47.7

Purcell struggled against the run, which was a favorable matchup for him. He got caught on blocks and moved around to open lanes, even in one-on-one situations. Purcell has played good football for most of the season but struggled against the Jaguars.

Lloyd Cushenberry | IOL | Grade: 48.7

Hopefully, Cushenberry heals up okay, and the injury isn't as bad as he looked. However, he shouldn't get his starting job back when he is healthy and good to go.

Before he got hurt, Cushenberry wasn't playing terribly and was on the way to his best game this season. Again, it wasn't great, but just not as bad. The whole unit improved when he got hurt, and Glasgow entered as the replacement.

Billy Turner | OT | Grade: 49.6

Turner allowed a sack but did alright in pass coverage other than that. However, Denver needs him to step up as a run blocker, where he has struggled the most since entering the lineup.

Dalton Risner | IOL | Grade: 54.7

Risner was struggling to start the game by giving help consistently to Cushenberry. After Glasgow entered the game, Risner didn't have to provide the same kind of help, and his play improved significantly.

However, Risner still has significant technical issues and doesn't generate much push as a run blocker, so if the Broncos don't chain wins together, they should look at replacing him for Netane Muti or even rookie Luke Wattenberg for evaluation purposes.

Coaches

Nathaniel Hackett | HC | Grade: 64.8

The passing designs by Hackett haven't been terrible, and we got to see how good they can be when the quarterback is making timely reads. Hackett and OC Justin Outten also had a good adjustment to the offense for the second half.

However, after a successful 98-yard touchdown drive, Hackett and Outten went away from it again, leading to the aforementioned three-and-out drives. Hackett has to learn to stick to what is working and cut out what isn't.

Ejiro Evero | DC | Grade: 59.4

Evero has some great designs to generate pressure, and his coverage is playing great. Work must be done to improve the defense against the run and cut back on the mental lapses the Broncos have. Tackling and penalties have also been consistent issues, and neither seems close to being fixed.

Dwayne Stukes | STC | Grade: 53.3

The punting game was good, as Corliss Waitman had a good day. The coverage units were solid. There wasn't anything spectacular about the unit's performance, but nothing terrible either.

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