Broncos Player Grades from Crushing 30-24 Loss to Bengals

The Denver Broncos fell short of securing a playoff spot. Again.

All the Broncos needed was a win or a tie, and they would’ve locked up a playoff berth. Instead, the Broncos lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. With three games left, the Broncos needed one win, and now, with just one opportunity left, they still need that last, singular victory.

If the Broncos fail to make the playoffs, it would represent a collapse, even though they've still exceeded expectations. There would be a lot of blame to go around — from Sean Payton, to the offense, to the defense, to Vance Joseph, and on.

As we sift through the aftermath of Week 17, there were some apparent issues with the Broncos on the field that the Bengals exploited to walk out with the win. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the player grades.

Quarterback

Bo Nix | Grade: 62.8

Nix had one of his best throws on the season with his deep shot that went 67 yards in the air. There were other good throws in the game, some bad mechanics that broke down, and some questionable decisions.

While Nix's interception was due to his arm being hit as he was throwing, it wasn't a great decision as it was into tight coverage through multiple defenders. There was panic in clean pockets, and he sometimes seemed a little gun-shy.

Overall, it was a good game, but some of the progress he'd made over the previous six games seemed to have regressed against the Bengals.

MARVIN HIMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

📺: NFLN | @marvindmims pic.twitter.com/H4EXNfiC06
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 29, 2024

Running Back

Javonte Williams | Grade: 57.3

As the only running back who saw enough snaps to qualify for a grade, Williams only touched the ball twice, which reveals that he's only seeing the field because the Broncos trust him as a blocker. While he had some good moments as a blocker against the Bengals, he also had some issues.

At this point, Williams' pass protection shouldn’t be enough to have him get the most snaps, with Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin being far more dynamic for the offense's success as ball carriers.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Mims | Grade: 76.7
Courtland Sutton | Grade: 64.1
Devaughn Vele | Grade: 61.2
Troy Franklin | Grade: 46.8
Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 46.3

Mims was the hero for the offense with a long touchdown catch and the score that led to the Broncos tying the game with eight seconds left in regulation. When the Broncos needed it, he made the play.

Sutton and Vele each had some catches to help the offense, and they did well as blockers. Humphrey still sees the field despite not being good for the offense recently, and Payton is having issues figuring out how to use Franklin to the best of his ablitities.

🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯@marvindmims | 📺: NFLN
pic.twitter.com/5alBlRhvDZ
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 29, 2024

Tight Ends

Nate Adkins | Grade: 65.3
Lucas Krull | Grade: 41.2
Adam Trautman | Grade: 38.6

Adkins should be the top tight end in the room. He's been a better blocker than Trautman practically all season and consistently makes the second and third effort as a receiver. Trautman struggles as a blocker and doesn’t bring enough to the passing game to remain the top guy, aside from being one of Payton’s guys. As for Krull, it is time for the Krull experiment to end.

Offensive Tackles

Garett Bolles | Grade: 80.5
Mike McGlinchey | Grade: 78.6

Both tackles had a great game, standing out in pass protection and as run blockers. Bolles faced a tough matchup with Trey Hendrickson for most of the game and allowed two pressures, while McGlinchey allowed none. Bolles made up for it by executing better and more consistently as a run blocker.

Interior O-Line

Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 71.4
Ben Powers | Grade: 70.2
Luke Wattenberg | Grade: 65.8

The Broncos' interior offensive line got the job done for most of the game. They each had issues here and there, which led to some negative plays for the offense, but they also had plays to make up for it. It's one of the few times this season where there have been no complaints about the interior trio.

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Defensive Line

Zach Allen | Grade: 84.3
John Franklin-Myers | Grade: 80.2
Malcolm Roach | Grade: 78.7
D.J. Jones | Grade: 61.5

The Broncos' interior defensive line dominated the game, but it's unfortunate that everyone around them consistently let them down. Allen and Franklin-Myers harassed Joe Burrow all game long, combining for 11 pressures and four sacks. Roach and Jones played well against the run but didn’t offer much as pass rushers.

Outside Linebackers

Dondrea Tillman | Grade: 82.6
Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 56.2
Jonah Elliss | Grade: 47.5
Nik Bonitto | Grade: 43.1

Tillman was excellent on his 20 snaps, which included two pressures, a sack, and three stops. He was a difference-maker in his limited playing time.

Cooper had 1.5 sacks but only two pressures, and while he did alright against the run, he wasn’t the threat he had been throughout the season. Elliss once again played like a rookie who was lost at times.

Bonitto had a chance to help with his case for the Defensive Player of the Year award, and he fell flat. While he had one great play against the run, he was a liability for the rest of his rushing snaps, including multiple times of getting washed out by a tight end. It was a quiet night in the pass-rushing department, with three pressures.

Linebackers

Cody Barton | Grade: 53.2
Justin Strnad | Grade: 47.8

The Broncos have issues at this position as teams have figured out how to attack them. While they weren't as bad against the Bengals as they were the week prior, Barton and Strnad are still a glaring issue for this defense.

Cornerbacks

Patrick Surtain II | Grade: 79.4
Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 31.5
Riley Moss | Grade: 22.7

Surtain was excellent, and he did a lot to limit Ja’Marr Chase (three catches for 27 yards when matched up). Surtain presents a strong case to win Defensive Player of the Year.

Around him, though, the secondary was again a liability. Moss and McMillian couldn’t cover much and allowed quick throws to be completed, limiting the impact of the Broncos' defensive front

What a play, PS2!!! 🎮

📺: NFLN | @PatSurtainll pic.twitter.com/lSg2vX6Cvk
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 29, 2024

Safeties

Brandon Jones | Grade: 71.2
P.J. Locke | Grade: 58.7

Both safeties were at least solid, with Jones having a good game to continue a strong season. Locke had some issues in coverage, but he was more consistent in coming downhill against the run than he was last week.

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