Broncos Biggest Studs & Duds in Disturbing Loss to Raiders in Finale

The postmortem continues on another losing season for the Denver Broncos.

With a chance to not only end a seven-game losing streak to the Las Vegas Raiders but also procure their first winning season since 2016, the Denver Broncos got embarrassed in their final outing, losing 27-14.

It was a frustrating way to end a promising season that featured a five-game winning streak and a bunch of hype pegging Denver as a sneaky playoff contender following a 1-5 start.

The Broncos were ugly offensively, and even more so defensively, as Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell was able to eclipse 250 passing yards alongside a 100-yard rushing performance by Zamir White.

What stood out in the final game of the 2023 season? Let's recount the final studs and duds of the Broncos' seventh straight losing campaign.

Stud: Jerry Jeudy | WR

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Arguably the most polarizing player on the Broncos roster due to his lack of production this season, Jeudy came out with a vengeance despite not getting many opportunities with the football.

Jeudy only caught four passes in Vegas, but he led all Broncos receivers with 88 yards, including two huge catch-and-runs. One was the team's first touchdown on an epic play where he broke two tackles en route to the end zone, while the other was in the fourth quarter.

Jeudy showed exactly what he is capable of as a wide receiver, making it even more frustrating that he wasn't a more prolific member of the Broncos offense this season. 

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Stud: Javonte Williams | RB

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After slowing down over the past few weeks, Williams had a really nice game for the Broncos as a pass catcher. He showed the burst and physicality we've all come to know and love as a runner, but his reliability out of the backfield was the linchpin to the Broncos' offense on Sunday.

Williams finished the afternoon with nine carries for just 32 yards on the ground, but totaled seven catches for 43 yards, with a handful of those coming in the second half. It was a great showing from Williams that should breed a lot of optimism for his future as he continues to get healthier following his major knee injury last season. 

Stud: Alex Singleton | LB

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Once again, Singleton was one of the more reliable players for the Broncos' defense, flying around the football field against the Raiders. He was effective as a blitzer, chased down some receivers, and played very well as against the run.

According to the CBS broadcast, Singleton broke the Broncos franchise single-season tackle record this evening with his 13-tackle performance, marking his 13th game with double-digit tackles this season, according to ESPN stats. 

While that could be disputed by future Hall-of-Famer Randy Gradishar, the fact of the matter remains: Singleton is a monster for this defense. 

Dud: Fabian Moreau | CB

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In what was most definitely the worst showing of his season, Moreau was constantly targeted and beaten against the Raiders. Whether it was Jakobi Meyers — who scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter — or Tre Tucker — who was practically uncoverable all night — Moreau was an absolute liability in coverage for the Broncos defense.

While Moreau was a significant upgrade over Damarri Mathis earlier this season, his performance in Vegas showed why he was brought in on a cheap, prove-it type of contract. He's an unrestricted free agent following this season, and it would not surprise anybody to see him in another uniform next year. 

Dud: Cameron Fleming | RT

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It's never an easy task to go against Maxx Crosby, who is one of the premier pass rushers this league has to offer, but Fleming's performance was an absolute disaster. So much so that Crosby was allowed to completely destroy the Broncos' offensive game plan.

Even when Fleming was given help from tight ends and running backs, Crosby was all over the backfield and being disruptive to the timing and flow of the Broncos' offense.

Fleming did have a couple of wins in pass protection throughout the game, but Crosby came off the snap untouched and free far too often. While Crosby was only credited with one sack, his domination of Fleming was one of the biggest reasons why the Broncos lost this football game. 

Dud: Sean Payton | HC

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Say what you will about the timeout called at the end of the first half. That was absolutely the correct decision in that scenario because teams always want to get the ball back if they have the opportunity. Payton took a chance that his defense would get a stop against a backup quarterback, and it bit him in the hind end.

The problem here is failing to recognize the issue with Fleming and his struggles against Crosby. As a play caller, you have to determine the one player that you cannot allow to wreck your game plan. Crosby chewed it up and spit it in Payton's face.

While the play-calling flow was appropriate given the situations at hand late in the game, there were times when Payton tried to dial up longer-developing plays in the first half that led to disaster due to Crosby’s dominant effort. Raiders edge defender Malcolm Koontz also got involved, showing quality ability as a disruptor as a pass rusher as well.

Payton is a dud this week because he failed to recognize the weaknesses of his offensive line and quarterback as well as the strengths of the Raiders defensive line. 

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