Broncos Player Grades from Barn-Burning Win Over Browns

How did the individual Denver Broncos grade out on Monday Night Football?

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Cody Barton (55) celebrates his interception with linebacker Justin Strnad (40) and defensive tackle Jordan Jackson (94) and safety Devon Key (26) in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos made it to their bye week with an 8-5 record, with a firm grip on the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture. The Broncos are riding high after emerging on top in a barn-burning 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns.

When the Broncos return from their bye week, they will take on the Indianapolis Colts, who sit two games behind Denver and will also be coming off their bye week. If the Broncos can continue to handle their business, like they did against the Browns, they could clinch a playoff spot here in a few weeks. 

As for Denver's game against the Browns, some concerning moments kept this game close, especially with the defensive struggles. The Broncos had their worst game of the season, even with multiple pick-sixes.

The Broncos offense struggled to move the ball consistently, but they found a way to win, largely thanks to some individual performances. So, let’s get into the grades for those individuals. 

Quarterback

• Bo Nix | Grade: 68.5

Nix started the game hot, but it faded away as he struggled with the pressure the Browns were generating. This led to issues with the offense, including multiple off-placed throws.

Nix was able to settle down, as the Broncos also figured out ways to counter the pressure the Browns were getting, leading to him having a good game overall. 

Running Backs

• Jaleel McLaughlin | Grade: 67.6
• Javonte Williams | Grade: 38.2

It's been a long time since the Broncos had a 100-yard rusher in a game, and McLaughlin looked like he would get it with how he was playing. He didn’t dance around but saw the lane and hit them with speed and quickness, picking up 84 yards on 14 carries. As for Williams, he continues to see a lot of snaps for a player who hasn’t had a positive impact outside of three games this season. 

Wide Receivers

• Marvin Mims Jr. | Grade: 66.9
• Courtland Sutton | Grade: 64.5
• Devaughn Vele | Grade: 61.5
• Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 54.3
• Troy Franklin | Grade: 52.1

It was good to see Mims add that explosive element to the offense while Sutton was mostly reliable, outside of one early drop, helping the passing game be somewhat dynamic. While Vele didn’t have much of a receiving impact, with one catch for 16 yards, he did exceptionally well as a blocker.

While the Broncos could have used Josh Reynolds's return because Humphrey and Franklin have been unable to find a consistent spot in the pecking order, they decided to waive Reynolds instead of activating him off injured reserve. Hopefully, they can find a way to get consistency from Franklin and Humphrey. 

Tight Ends

• Nate Adkins | Grade: 74.3
• Lucas Krull | Grade: 58.7
• Adam Trautman | Grade: 41.5

Adkins had the best game of his career and did an excellent job as a blocker. Krull made some plays as a receiver, but he remains an issue as a blocker. As for Trautman, this was one of the worst games he has had in a Broncos uniform. 

Offensive Tackles

• Mike McGlinchey | Grade: 68.5
• Garett Bolles | Grade: 48.9

While McGlinchey had a good game, especially as a run blocker, Bolles struggled on the other side. There were some negative plays from Bolles where the chipping tight end failed to help or created a disadvantage for Bolles.

However, Bolles' struggles in one-on-ones against Myles Garrett, where he had done well in previous matchups. This was the first terrible game from Bolles this season. 

Interior O-Line

• Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 78.9
• Ben Powers | Grade: 63.2
• Luke Wattenberg | Grade: 45.3

Meinerz and Powers did well in the middle, with the former continuing to be one of the best guards in the NFL. Wattenberg had a lot of issues against the Browns' interior defensive line. While penalties don’t get factored into grades, he had an egregious penalty that was uncalled for on his part. 

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Defensive Line

• John Franklin-Myers | Grade: 72.6
• D.J. Jones | Grade: 64.7
• Zach Allen | Grade: 54.5
• Malcolm Roach | Grade: 43.8

The Browns' offensive line has been bad all season, but they did the job against the Broncos' defensive line. Franklin-Myers and Jones had some big plays, but they were mostly shut down, while Zach Allen and Malcolm Roach were practically shut down completely. 

Outside Linebackers

• Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 74.4
• Nik Bonitto | Grade: 73.5
• Dondrea Tillman | Grade: 65.5 
• Jonah Elliss | Grade: 60.1

It took a while for the Broncos pass rush to get going, but they eventually did. Cooper ended with eight pressures, and Bonitto ended with six.

Bonitto also added one of the pick-6s for the Broncos defense. Tillman had some great plays against the run, while Elliss had some good moments but looked like a rookie for most of his snaps. 

Linebackers

• Justin Strnad | Grade: 63.5
• Cody Barton | Grade: 58.6

While Barton had the final interception to seal the game for the Broncos fully, he was consistently out of position or late to rotate throughout the game. Barton has made multiple big plays this season, but the Broncos have done a lot to cover up his bad play.

As for Strnad, he doesn’t quite have the splash plays Barton does, but he has been more reliable and consistent. 

Cornerbacks

• Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 76.7
• Patrick Surtain II | Grade: 68.5
• Levi Wallace | Grade: 17.2

McMillian came up with some big plays, with multiple pass break-ups and a pick-six to all but seal the game for the Broncos. Surtain continued to be a lockdown corner.

Those two performances were needed as Wallace played so terribly that the Broncos may as well have had 10 men on the field. The Broncos may have done better with 10 players than they did with Wallace out there. 

Safeties

• Devon Key | Grade: 65.6
• P.J. Locke | Grade: 47.5
• Brandon Jones | Grade: 34.5

Jones ended up leaving the game with a groin injury, but he was having a lousy game before that, while Locke was inconsistent with his rotations and coming downhill against the run. After the Baltimore game, it was easy to write off Key, but he filled in nicely for Jones to close out Monday night's win.

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