Broncos Player Grades for Week 14's Loss to Chiefs

While it was another loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, it wasn't the same-old, typical performance from this Denver Broncos team. Each side did its part, but the Broncos still came up short. A pick-six ended up being the difference-maker in Denver's 10th loss of the season.

The Broncos' offense put up a season-high 28 points, while the defense allowed 27 points and picked off Patrick Mahomes three times. Unfortunately, the Broncos came up a little short when it mattered most, with three of their final five drives being a punt and another ending in an interception.

This team stayed true to its inability to close out games, and this had a chance to be a massive comeback for Denver, literally, as the home team was down 27-0 with less than five minutes left to go in the first half.

No one quit in this game, but all that matters is that it was another loss, and the Broncos are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Some players played great, while others are complicit in why Denver lost its 14th straight to Kansas City.

Let's jump into the grades, but first, if you want a quick rundown of how our grading system works, click here.

MVP(s)

Offense: Jerry Jeudy | WR | Grade: 74.6

This was the best game from Jeudy in his NFL career. He does a great job against man coverage, and the Chiefs kept putting him in that coverage. It led to three touchdowns. His route-running ability was hard for the Chiefs to handle.

Defense: Josey Jewell | LB | Grade: 71.7

Jewell was all over the field for the Broncos' defense and baited Mahomes into a couple of interceptions. Jewell led the defense in tackles and did quite well in coverage, especially when he wasn't caught in a mismatch.

Quarterback

Russell Wilson | QB | Grade: 59.9

Wilson played a solid game and kept fighting until he was knocked out of the game in the fourth quarter, picking up a needed third-and-long in the red zone. He showed, in spurts, what this offense can be, even with all the injuries, when he is playing at the level that was expected when the Broncos mortgaged the future to acquire him.

However, Wilson's costly mistake of throwing a pick-six was the difference in this game. On top of that, the flashes weren't sustained as we once again saw him miss open receivers at the worst time, display poor ball placement, and take bad sacks when the offensive line held up.

The Positive

Marlon Mack | RB | Grade: 70.2

Mack was an explosive back before suffering the injuries he battled through, and he showed his explosive ability on his screen pass. Mack's 66-yard touchdown was a great play call at the best time. He did well following his blockers and using his movement to set them up. Mack did well each time he touched the ball.

K'Waun Williams | CB | Grade: 69.2

After being without Williams for a few games, it was a great return to the field. He got caught once for a 20-yard gain but was only targeted two other times, relinquishing one additional catch for seven yards and the other a pass breakup.

Mike Purcell | IDL | Grade: 67.7

It's a shame a false start took away the big man's touchdown. He had a great game clogging up the middle against a tough interior offensive line. With what Purcell did on defense, he deserved that touchdown.

Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 67.3

Surtain finally got his first interception on a great play by him and only allowed one catch in the game. While he still needs to be more physical against the run, this was a solid game from the corner.

Cameron Fleming | OT | Grade: 65.5

Fleming is credited for giving up one sack, but it is a sack that should fall on the quarterback. Fleming held up his assignment for close to three seconds while Wilson held onto the ball and refused to throw it away. Outside of that, Fleming did a tremendous job in the run game.

Latavius Murray | RB | Grade: 64.3

Murray didn't do much as a runner, picking up 32 yards on only eight carries with an additional three catches for a loss of a yard. However, he was kept in to pass block six times and did an excellent job.

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The Negative

Luke Wattenberg | IOL | Grade: 31.2

Wattenberg was drafted to develop at the center and should have never started at left guard against Chris Jones. Wattenberg was lost when he stepped into the game a few weeks ago, which didn't change much. Denver eventually benched him after multiple mistakes early in vs. the Chiefs. He allowed two sacks, which were both on him, and got destroyed at the point of attack consistently. That should do it for Wattenberg seeing the field this season. The other two players the Broncos tried at left guard were significantly better.

Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 32.5

While Jewell had a great game, the other "bash bro" did not. Singleton was all over the place, but not in a good way. His issues in coverage were on display, and he wasn't disciplined with his run fits.

Justin Simmons | S | Grade: 33.7

Simmons met Chiefs right guard Trey Smith multiple times, and Smith tossed Simmons. Literally. On one play, Smith threw Simmons to the ground with one hand while working against another defender. This was a terrible game for Simmons overall, which may raise questions about his future with the team.

Eric Tomlinson | TE | Grade: 35.2

Tomlinson was brought in to be a blocking tight end, but he has consistently failed there. For most of the season, Tomlinson has been bad for the Broncos.

Greg Dulcich | TE | Grade: 37.7

Dulcich had a chance for a huge game as Denver's second-most-targeted player with seven. Instead, he caught three passes and dropped one. His play as a blocker isn't good enough to overcome a bad day as a receiver.

DeShawn Williams | IDL | Grade: 39.8

Williams has had issues as a run defender all season, and the Chiefs attacked him in the run game. However, Williams was outmatched against the Chiefs' offensive line, and the Chiefs successfully attacked him on the ground.

Other Noteworthy Grades

Netane Muti | IOL | Grade: 61.2

Muti did quite well in a tough matchup. He came in off the bench and was on the practice squad for the season to hold his own against Jones. Muti didn't allow a single pressure and did quite well as a run blocker. While it was more limited, he did better than Dalton Risner has all season. Maybe time to put Muti in full-time.

Quinn Meinerz | IOL | Grade: 51.2

Meinerz is praised for his run-blocking, but he struggled against the Chiefs. He had far more losses than wins as a run blocker, but he held his own in pass protection.

Kendall Hinton | WR | Grade: 48.7

Hinton caught five of six targets, with the lone incompletion being a drop. He has developed into a safety net for the quarterback because of the reliability, which the drop hurts. Denver needs that reliability, plus they require more from him as a run blocker.

Jonathon Cooper | OLB | 48.2

The Broncos picked up 21 total pressures, with Cooper picking up two of them, including one of the two sacks. Outside of that, he didn't do much, and while he has been solid against the run for the rest of the season, he struggled against the Chiefs.

Baron Browning | OLB | Grade: 43.7

Browning picked up four pressures on Mahomes, including two quarterback hits, but he showed he still needs a lot of work as a run defender. All of the Broncos' edge defenders struggled against the run in this one, and while the pressure was great, Mahomes is still dangerous under pressure, which he showed against Denver.

Nik Bonitto | OLB | Grade: 41.1

Of the Broncos' 21 total pressures, Bonitto picked up four. He flashed his potential to get after the quarterback against one of the best at getting away from pressure. The issue with Bonitto, which killed his grade, was how bad he was against the run. He wasn't disciplined enough, and when he was, the Chiefs offensive line moved him at will.

Coaches

Nathaniel Hackett | HC | Grade: 61.2

There were not any mind-numbingly bad decisions from the head coach, and his clock management at the end of the first half worked out great for Denver. Maybe it was the new goatee, but Hackett looked like a legit head coach instead of a middle schooler in over his head.

Klint Kubiak | QB Coach/Play-caller | 64.3

While there were questionable calls, Kubiak called a game that better fit what he had to work with on offense and what Wilson could do. It led to an offense that put up over 20 points for the third time this season, with a season-high. This was a game for him to build up his resume.

Ejiro Evero | DC | Grade: 53.5

It started terribly for Evero and the Broncos' defense, with no matter what the defensive coordinator called, the Chiefs knew precisely how to beat it. Then he began to turn it around, as did his unit, and the Broncos practically shut down the Chiefs' offense for the second half. Well, until Denver needed to get off the field late and couldn't, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock.

Dwayne Stukes | STC | Grade: 39.2

Stukes has been unsuccessful as the Broncos' special teams coordinator. His two big personnel decisions have not panned out, and while it was a better game from those two, the other aspects continued to struggle.

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