Broncos Individual Player Grades for Week 8 vs. Colts Revealed

Which of the Broncos' key performances earned positive grades in Week 8?

It was another bad loss from the Denver Broncos where they held the lead for most of the game, only to squander it in the final minutes, in similar fashion to their loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 2 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. 

This was a tough matchup for Denver against the Indianapolis Colts and some bad coaching decisions played a huge part in this one slipping away.

Breaking down the game, there were a few players that stood out in a positive manner, and others in a negative one. This grading system has been honed and adapted for the last five-plus years. Each player starts with a grade of 50, and it will either get raised or lowered based on each snap and the player's impact on the play.

A cornerback on the backside of a run shedding a block will get a slight raise to their grade, but a corner shedding a block in the run path at the point of attack will get a higher raise in their grade, as they have a bigger impact on the result of the play.

I reveal the highest-graded player, or the MVP of the game only in the video above and explain his grade and reasoning.

The Good

Kareem Jackson, S: 87.1

With Jackson getting into a groove in his role at safety, he has been outstanding for the defense. His play against the run has helped cover some missed plays from the Broncos upfront and kept big plays from happening.

Von Miller, OLB: 85.8

There was a chance for Miller to have an outstanding game, but a few missed sacks hurt that. He still caused a lot of pressure on the quarterback and made some big plays against the run. While missing out on a couple of sacks sucked, especially one that was on the Colts game-winning drive, Miller had his best game of the year.

Courtland Sutton, WR: 84.3

Strong route running, quick hands, and quickness after the catch make Sutton dangerous. There were a couple of bad drops from the receiver, but he made the plays to more than make up for it. With him looking to be the top receiver, Denver is in good hands.

Royce Freeman, RB: 81.0

His vision and burst was great when rushing with the ball. There was a bad third-down drop from Freeman, but outside of that, he played a good game. He was the better running back for the Broncos against the Colts.

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The Bad

Davontae Harris, CB: 43.2

The Colts tried picking on Harris, and it worked at times. He also got beat in coverage a few more times where the Colts weren’t able to exploit him, thanks to the pressure upfront from the Broncos. Harris also got beat up on in the running game with his run defense on the outside.

DaeSean Hamilton, WR: 45.7

The receiver was looking to get a big boost in reps and playtime with the trade of Emmanuel Sanders, but in the first game since, he didn’t step it up. Hamilton has his role, which he typically does very well, but struggled in it against the Colts. His impact in the passing game was also limited.

Garett Bolles, LT: 53.9

The left tackle didn’t have a completely abysmal game, but it was a rough one. He gave up multiple pressures and hits in pass protection. While his run blocking was solid, there were a lot of misses from him.

Todd Davis, LB: 54.5

Davis was good against the run, but in coverage the Colts got him moving. When Davis is used in short zone coverage in the middle, he does well, but the Colts exploited that. He doesn’t do a good job when having to move or run with tight ends in coverage, which gave the Colts chances to move the ball.

Other Grades of Note

Alexander Johnson, LB: 77.7

So quick downhill against the run, Johnson was able to make some big plays. However, his quickness also opened up some lanes that the Colts were able to take advantage of. There were also some occasions where Johnson looked lost in coverage.

Shelby Harris, DE: 74.2

It was a solid game from the defensive lineman. Harris has been the weak link of the defensive line, especially against the run, but he stepped it up against the Colts. There were multiple plays where he blew up the run and made the big play. 

Dalton Risner, LG: 66.0

The rookie looks like a great piece on the O-line, but there are some hiccups each game. He is getting better each game, but still has a ways to go in reading and reacting to pass rush moves and counters. What issues he does have will be worked out as he gets more experience.

Phillip Lindsay, RB: 61.4

There were missed opportunities with Lindsay running the ball. His vision just seemed to be lacking as he missed some open lanes. Even with that, he still put together a really good game for the Broncos.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.