Broncos Player Grades vs. Dolphins Reveal Who Quit On the Team

There's a lot of blame to go around for the Denver Broncos' shameful, embarrassing blowout loss to the Miami Dolphins — on both sides of the ball. The Broncos' defense isn't fractured — it's completely broken from the coaching to player execution.

The Broncos scored 13 points on offense, turned the ball over three times, and struggled to sustain drives, which has been a recurring issue. And as we continue the postmortem, it's time for the player grades.

For the first time this season, I'm rolling out the Broncos' biggest duds of the game on both sides of the ball. This may be the earliest I have hit that point in a season since I started doing grades years ago.

Remember, special teams aren't factored in, which needs to be remembered regarding Marvin Mims Jr. There wasn't much positive from an individual standpoint (or collective) in this game, which lowered the number of positive grades while increasing the negative.

Remember, each player starts at 50 and gets graded for each play based on what they do and how they impact the overall play.

Offensive Dud: Adam Trautman | TE

Grade: 31.4

Trautman won the starting tight end job because of his blocking ability to complement the offense. Well, in this game, his blocking was a detriment to the offense.

Trautman's route running was lacking, and he couldn't get himself open promptly. The biggest issue with his game was his blocking, though. Miami attacked him with great success.

Defensive Dud: Delarrin Turner-Yell | S

Grade: 18.5

This was always going to be tough without Justin Simmons, and expectedly, the Dolphins targeted his replacement. Turner-Yell was constantly out of position and unsure of where he should be in coverage.

There were a few good run defense plays, which kept Turner-Yell's grade from being under 5.0.

Quarterback: Russell Wilson

Grade: 39.5

Statistically, this was a fine game from Wilson, but when you watch the film, he missed a lot. To start, over 50% of the pressures were either the fault of the quarterback or the scheme, meaning an unblocked defender, which should be accounted for in pre-snap reads. There were missed throws from Wilson a few times, but not as many as in previous weeks.

That doesn't mean Wilson didn't have some great plays or that he was at fault for the offense as a whole. He missed reads, pre and post-snap, and left yards on the field.

Would those have made a difference in the outcome? Probably not, but it could have easily led to more than 13 points scored by the offense.

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The Positive

Garett Bolles | OT | Grade: 58.9

It was a poor performance from the offense, but Bolles was one of the few who did a solid job. He mostly shut down his assignment, allowing one pressure in the game. Bolles also did alright as a run blocker, but his showing didn't matter much with how most of the offensive line did.

Jonathon Cooper | OLB | Grade: 48.2

Not a single defender had a decent game, but Cooper was closest to it. He read plays well, made a few stops, and mostly held up on the edge against the run. Of those who played enough snaps to qualify for a grade, Cooper was one of five players to earn a grade in the 40s.

The Negative

Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 19.7

Yeah, there isn't much to talk about with this one. Singleton can read runs well, but he is out of place in coverage and doesn't have the speed, quickness, or athleticism to hold up when facing an offense as quick and fast as the Dolphins.

Miami exploited Singleton's limitations and forced four missed tackles.

Randy Gregory | OLB | Grade: 19.9

Denver paid big money for the edge rusher, and now there's a chance the Broncos try to trade him before the deadline. Gregory looked lost on the field against the Dolphins and provided almost no versatility to the defense.

If he doesn't get traded near the deadline, this will likely be his last season in Denver.

Essang Bassey | CB | Grade: 20.1

Similarly to Singleton, Bassey has issues with speed, quickness, and general athleticism. The Dolphins were able to target him in coverage and the run game with great success.

Of course, that could be said about almost everyone on the defensive side of the ball.

Courtland Sutton | WR | Grade: 37.6

Two plays were all it took for Sutton's grade to plummet. Outside of those two plays, his grade was in the high 60s. Ball security. That's what it comes down to. When you fumble the ball twice, losing both, it's inexcusable.

Lloyd Cushenberry | C | Grade: 40.2

Someday, the Broncos might find an upgrade at center. Denver's run game takes one hit after another because Cushenberry is consistently held up at the line of scrimmage or pushed back.

Sure, his pass protection numbers look good, but that's because of how little he engages in a one-on-one matchup. Maybe it's time to see what someone else can offer.

Brandon Johnson | WR | Grade: 42.8

While penalties are not factored directly in my grading, what led to them can. Johnson had two touchdowns called back because of penalties.

One was an offensive pass interference on a pick play, which was a questionable call by the officials, negating a touchdown. However, Johnson didn't play it cleanly, which helped lead to the call. He has to play it better. As for the other penalty, he must make sure to get set.

Other Noteworthy Grades

Drew Sanders | LB | Grade: 27.3

Denver needed to get Sanders on the field, and it was going to be rough. He's still learning to be a linebacker in general and has to do it in the NFL after one year in college.

Sanders' usage was a bit questionable, and he played terribly. The question is, what does he do from here?

Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 38.2

As good as Surtain is, he does have issues in coverage, and the Dolphins were able to exploit it. He allowed over 100 yards receiving on four catches, with one being a touchdown.

On some of those plays, Surtain should've had help, but he played his coverage too loose. The more significant issue was how passive he was as a tackler. He's a physical corner in coverage, but when it comes to tackling, he's like a teddy bear.

Quinn Meinerz | OG | Grade: 43.7

Meinerz struggled in pass protection, allowing three pressures, and got controlled a lot in the run game. He's a solid starter in the NFL, but the Broncos need more.

This was a good matchup for Meinerz to do well, but the Dolphins won the reps more frequently.

Mike McGlinchey | OT | Grade: 47.3

There is something off with Denver's blocking. It may not be only McGlinchey but the blocking alignment.

McGlinchey played alright, but there were a few times he was expecting help and didn't get it. Whatever the issues are, Denver has to figure it out. If it's all on McGlinchey, then maybe it's time to designate a tight end to help him.

Hopefully, my grades in the future won't be this negative. However, I feel like the Broncos are in store for a couple more weeks like this one, so buckle up.

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