Broncos Player Grades for Week 7's Crushing Loss to Jets

Another week and another tough loss for the Denver Broncos, where their offense couldn't get things going. The Broncos were without their starting quarterback, but Brett Rypien came in and had a comparable game to what Denver has gotten out of Russell Wilson all season long.

The defense did alright in this showing, but the Broncos were cracked open for a long touchdown run and allowed drives to be sustained at inopportune times. It was a good showing, but the unit was also helped out by how poor of a performance the New York Jets got out of their quarterback.

There isn't much more to be said about this team that hasn't already been said. With the Broncos falling to 2-5, let's jump into the grades.

For a quick rundown of how my grading system works, click here.

MVP(s)

Offense: Jerry Jeudy | WR | Grade: 69.5

In the first half, the Broncos used Jeudy how he should be, which was helped by the quarterback change. Quick strikes on simple routes got the ball to Jeudy on time and with room to run.

It wasn't all great from Jeudy, and a couple of his catches were near drops, but he showed his quickness to get open and play with the quarterback's timing. This game highlighted why so many had concerns about Jeudy's fit with Wilson.

Defense: Dre'Mont Jones | IDL | Grade: 67.5

For the first time this year, the offensive MVP was graded higher than the defensive MVP, which isn't reflective of each player's respective unit.

Jones dominated the Jets' offensive line as a pass rusher picking up six pressures with back-to-back sacks. It was an outstanding performance there, but his run defense was lackluster.

Jones was overpursuing laterally and getting controlled consistently by blockers. If he could be more consistent against the run, he might actually be a top-10 interior defensive lineman in the NFL.

Quarterback

Brett Rypien | QB | Grade: 48.2

When the Broncos schemed to Rypien's strengths, the offense looked less bad, but they couldn't stick with it. The Broncos ended up having him attempt 46 passes, with most of them being plays he doesn't have the talent to execute properly.

There were some great throws from Rypien, who made good calls at the line with protection. Getting the ball out quicker was also a boost for the offense. But, at the end of the day, the offense was capped because of Rypien's limitations, despite having a similar showing to the much more talented Wilson.

The Positive

Greg Dulcich | TE | Grade: 67.2

The rookie tight end has shown his chops as a receiver and should be involved even more in the lackluster passing game. However, his work as a blocker needs significant improvement, which hopefully comes with time. Nevertheless, even though it is only two games, the rookie is showing why the Broncos coveted him.

D.J. Jones | IDL | Grade: 66.3

Jones is a difference-maker in the run defense for Denver. The Broncos are far more susceptible to bigger runs when he is not on the field.

Unsurprisingly, Jones was not on the field for Breece Hall's big touchdown run. Jones did alright getting pressure, but he is proving his worth as a run defender.

Eric Tomlinson | TE | Grade: 66.1

The veteran tight end had a good game as a receiver and as a blocker. While it was far from perfect, he was more good than bad when blocking the edge and helped keep lanes open for a solid gain. This game was what the Broncos thought they'd get from Tomlinson, which was more than they have extracted from him so far this season.

Andrew Beck | FB | Grade: 64.2

Beck had a good game playing the minimum number of snaps to be graded. As a lead blocker, he had some huge blocks to help keep the running back relatively clean.

Mike Purcell | IDL | Grade: 61.6

Purcell is still a force in the middle of the defensive line, but there is a drop-off to him with Jones coming off the field. That is where Purcell should be a stalwart, as his play drops off when he is moved farther from the center. Purcell was scraping along the line well on the big touchdown run until the rookie Eyioma Uwazurike was shoved into his path.

Damarri Mathis | CB | Grade: 60.5

It was a good bounce-back game from Mathis, who did a much better job as a tackler and avoided being called for penalties. He was targeted six times, allowing five catches, most of which were quick throws to the outside. Mathis did a great job coming downhill and securing the tackle allowing only 23 yards, 20 of which came after the catch.

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The Negative

Lloyd Cushenberry | OC | Grade: 28.2

It is time for a change. Quinnen Williams ate Cushenberry up, especially in the run game, but it doesn't matter who Cushenberry is facing. The Jets targeted him for one-on-one matchups and were successful.

Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 37.8

After picking up all those tackles against the Los Angeles Chargers, Singleton missed four against the Jets. He was overpursuing in the run game, and when he did make the right read, he could not finish. With Josey Jewell missing as much time as he has, Singleton has been consistently exposed on defense.

Jonas Griffith | LB | Grade: 39.2

Both linebackers struggled, and Griffith showed many of the concerns people had entering this season. He has been maddeningly inconsistent all season long, and while you can see the flashes, they are not as prominent as they were in his game action last season.

Courtland Sutton | WR | Grade: 40.2

Sutton is the best receiver on this team, but his performance against the Jets was hard to swallow. He didn't just look bad out there on the field, which could be shrugged off with the poor performance from the unit; his effort was next to nothing almost all game. While he typically brings it as a blocker, he seemed to take it easy more often than not against New York.

Justin Simmons | S | Grade: 42.8

While watching Simmons, he still seems hurt and was rushed back out of necessity. In addition, there seems to be a drop in his speed and quickness from before he was hurt. Adding in missed tackle issues, Simmons has been rough out there.

Billy Turner | OT | Grade: 45.1

Turner hasn't fixed the right tackle issues as many expected, and the play there has actually gotten worse. He was valued because of what he can do as a run blocker, but he has been problematic when Denver tries to run outside the right tackle.

The Broncos need to develop an identity in the running game, so hopefully, Turner can turn it around. His pass protection has been as expected — rough around the edges but solid overall.

Other Noteworthy Grades

Cameron Fleming | OT | Grade: 61.7

It was a solid game from Fleming, who has been a surprise for the Broncos. He was a late signing due to injury, but he has stepped in as a starter and played decently. His game against the Jets was fine in pass protection, but he did a great job as a run blocker, though he did suffer an injury.

Quinn Meinerz | IOL | Grade: 58.8

Meinerz had a good game and did well consistently in the running game. There were some missed blocks, and at other times he got beat, but he did a solid job overall with a tough matchup before him.

Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 48.9

Physical corners should be physical in all phases, which isn't Surtain. He had a great game in coverage, where he actually plays physically, but against the run, it is almost like he can't be bothered. He whiffed on a poor tackle attempt and didn't fight through blocks against the run.

Kareem Jackson | S | Grade: 45.9

Denver has to play coverages to protect Jackson, who has clearly lost a step. His play coming downhill isn't what it used to be, and it does hurt the defense overall. But, with Caden Sterns out with a hip injury, which some reporters have hinted at being a long-term issue this season, Denver is stuck with Jackson.

Coaches

Nathaniel Hackett | HC | Grade: 31.1

There is nothing left to say. Hackett forced the backup quarterback to play in the Wilson-adapted offense. Hackett won't stand up to players but also won't set a plan to play to their strengths, which both go together.

It's time for him to relinquish the play-calling duties, though that may not do much good as player execution is also such an issue. Play-calling head coaches should always hand over those duties to see if it could save their job. Unfortunately, that is where Hackett is.

Ejiro Evero | DC | Grade: 47.9

A developing issue for Evero is the player rotations, especially on the defensive front. Coaches typically don't want to take their four best players on the front off the field simultaneously, but Evero has done that multiple times, including the touchdown run that had both Jones and Bradley Chubb on the sideline.

Keeping players rested is expected, but you've got to improve your rotation so that you avoid handicapping your defense. On top of that, tackling has been an issue all season for Evero's unit, and this defense isn't showing any improvements, and it's the same with its inconsistencies against the run.

Evero has been the best coach by far, and his pressure packages are great, but a couple of improvements could help out the unit.

Dwayne Stukes | STC | Grade: 43.5

Punter Corliss Waitman was a project for Stukes, and outside of one game, it has essentially been a failure. However, the coverage teams have been good, and the return teams haven't been terrible for the most part.

When your project of a punter has as bad of a game as Waitman did, it reflects badly on coaching. Adding a missed extra point from a bad snap and hold, well, it reflects on the coaching.

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