Broncos Player Grades in 26-7 Win Over Bucs

How did the Denver Broncos grade out in Tampa?

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) drops back against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos got the upset on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, emerging victorious, 26-7. Everything was clicking offensively for Denver, and the defense kept up its strong play since the start of the season.

The Broncos showed what they can do when things are clicking, which could be the spark they needed to turn their season around. However, this is a young team, and the consistency of playing at that level remains to be seen. 

The Broncos played well collectively, so we can dig into how they looked at an individual level with the player grades. The overall play is the culmination of almost everyone executing well individually. Everything was firing on all cylinders. 

Let's dive into Week 3's player grades. Remember, in order to qualify for a grade, a player must have at least 20 snaps.

Quarterback

• Bo Nix | Grade: 73.7

The rookie quarterback had his best performance of the season. It was arguably the best rookie quarterback performance of 2024 thus far. His footwork was better, though there were still issues, but his decision-making and reads were what many expected when he was drafted.

It was good to see Sean Payton weaponize Nix's athleticism and running ability more against the Buccaneers than the Broncos have in the first two weeks. 

Running Backs

• Javonte Williams | Grade: 22.6

While Williams did well as a blocker and a receiver, his running ability has continued to be an issue. He had five rushes for 12 yards and a fumble on the day.

Williams' vision issues continue to be a hindrance, which is crucial for running backs, especially when facing stacked boxes. 

No other running back received enough snaps to qualify for a grade.

Wide Receivers

• Cortland Sutton | Grade: 69.9

• Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 65.2

• Josh Reynolds | Grade: 62.1

The Broncos' receivers had a good game despite struggling to get separation. All three of these receivers had a positive receiving EPA, and Reynolds was the only one in the positive before this game.

Sutton and Humphrey did well as receivers but also stood out as blockers. 

Tight Ends

• Nate Adkins | Grade: 62.5

• Adam Trautman | Grade: 61.7

There was a severe issue with blocking from the tight ends in the first two weeks, even when Greg Dulcich was removed from the equation. Trautman struggled but played a good game, blocking 28 of 46 snaps.

Adkins finally had a game to justify keeping him around with his blocking performance. 

Offensive Tackles

• Garett Bolles | Grade: 65.4

• Alex Palczewski | Grade: 58.7

Bolles was an issue for the first two weeks and was coming off a performance in which he allowed Alex Highsmith to control the game. Bolles allowed two pressures against the Buccaneers but no sacks and had his best game as a run blocker in a few seasons.

There was also a concern over Palczewski, who played well, but the Broncos gave him a ton of help with chips and tight ends being kept in. 

Interior O-Line

• Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 68.8

• Ben Powers | Grade: 61.5

• Luke Wattenberg | Grade: 59.2

Meinerz struggled in the first two weeks, but he was dominant as a run blocker in Tampa and held up in pass protection. Powers also had a strong game, holding up in pass protection and doing well as a run blocker.

Wattenberg did have some issues, but he was above average overall, and not having to face Bucs nose tackle Vita Vea did make his life easier. 

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Defensive Line

• Malcolm Roach | Grade: 70.3

• D.J. Jones | Grade: 69.5

• Zach Allen | Grade: 66.7

• John Franklin-Myers | Grade:  62.7

The Broncos' defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage. It wasn’t all perfect, and they did have hiccups against the run, but Allen was living in the backfield as a pass rusher, and both Jones and Roach were clogging gaps in the middle.

Franklin-Myers had a good game, but he was the bigger issue against the run on the defensive line. 

Outside Linebackers

• Dondrea Tillman | Grade: 65.6

• Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 58.6

• Nik Bonitto | Grade: 53.8

• Jonah Elliss | Grade: 35.4

What a showing by Tillman. He was causing chaos in the backfield as a pass rusher but did have some missteps as a run defender.

Cooper is solid and reliable, and the Broncos should be looking at getting an extension done sooner rather than later. Bonitto and Elliss showed issues against the run, but the former had some excellent pass-rush moments.

Elliss showed he still has much growing to do, but he also faced a tough matchup with Bucs right tackle Tristan Wirfs. 

Inside Linebackers

• Cody Barton | Grade: 67.2

• Alex Singleton | Grade: 51.1

The Broncos needed Barton to have a game like this, as the linebacker position was a concern over the first two weeks. He provided some stability at the position.

Singleton continues to be a solid linebacker with issues in certain coverages. He also had another two missed tackles and is tied for the most missed tackles among all linebackers in the NFL. 

Cornerbacks

• Riley Moss | Grade: 74.4

• Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 65.3

• Patrick Surtain II | Grade: 61.2

The performance of these corners should be applauded. They faced their most challenging trio of receivers yet this season and essentially shut them down.

McMillian was targeted 10 times and allowed eight catches, mostly on underneath throws, with 57 yards gained. He also did well against the run, though he did miss four tackles.

Moss allowed four catches for 22 yards, with a pass broken up and forcing the game-sealing fumble. As for Surtain, he has been worth every penny in his contract, allowing a single catch for eight yards and taking Mike Evans out of the game. 

Safeties

• Brandon Jones | Grade: 76.2

• P.J. Locke | Grade: 53.1

Jones came up in a big way with an excellent play for an interception and picking up a game-sealing fumble. He also came down against the run well and handled his coverages.

Locke did well in coverage, but his play against the run was full of misses, including two missed tackles.

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