Broncos Player Grades in 34-18 Win Over Raiders

How did the Denver Broncos grade out in their third straight win?

Oct 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) celebrates his interception in the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos got themselves to a 3-2 record by beating the Las Vegas Raiders, who came to the Mile High City hoping to extend their winning streak to nine games. The Broncos put the kybosh to that possibility wining 34-18.

It wasn’t a consistent game for the Broncos,  especially on offense, but they found a way to get it done in the second half and walked away with the win. 

Both units produced some great moments, but many exceptional individual performances were also recorded, and the player grades reflected this. This week was some of the highest grades I've handed out in the past few years, as a few players put this team on their back, almost literally, to get the Broncos to victory. 

Quarterback

• Bo Nix | Grade: 63.1

This was a terrible start for Nix, who looked uncomfortable and unsure on the field. He was making questionable reads, failing to read pre-snap pressure, adjusting his blocking, or calling out blockers.

However, Nix bounced back in a big way by finding comfortability and making better reads with the ball. Best of all, the rookie showed some fire on the sideline by going toe-to-toe with Sean Payton about a play Nix changed that ended up being a dropped touchdown by his college teammate, Troy Franklin. 

Running Backs

• Javonte Williams | Grade: 65.3

• Jaleel McLaughlin | Grade: 47.3

It has been a great two weeks for Williams after he was one of the NFL's worst running backs in the first three weeks of the season. He has impacted the Broncos' offense as a runner, receiver, and blocker.

The Broncos will need him to keep this up if they want to be serious about making a playoff push. McLaughlin is quick and bursty, but he left yards on the field with questionable vision on some of his runs. 

Wide Receivers

• Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 64.8

• Courtland Sutton | Grade: 60.5

• Josh Reynolds | Grade: 51.7

Humphrey and Sutton have built up chemistry with Nix, and it is reflected in their performances in games. There are still timing issues, but those are being worked on.

As for Reynolds, he hasn’t been what the Broncos wanted. He doesn’t seem to have the chemistry down with Nix, and his effort remains questionable. 

Tight Ends

• Adam Trautman | Grade: 63.1

• Nate Adkins | Grade: 41.7

The Broncos need a playmaker at the position. Trautman did alright as a blocker, while Adkins struggled, but neither them, nor Lucas Krull, brings the Broncos the receiving prowess they need. 

Offensive Tackles

• Garett Bolles | Grade: 68.2

• Matt Peart |  Grade: 61.1

• Alex Palczewski | Grade: 52.3

This was one of Bolles's better games in his career. He didn’t allow a single pressure, did an excellent job in the run game, and his one penalty against him was bogus.

Peart did well when he stepped in for Palczewski, who went down with an injury, which was nice as he struggled in this game during an extremely tough matchup against Maxx Crosby.  

Interior O-Line

• Ben Powers | Grade: 67.4

• Luke Wattenberg | Grade: 60.2

• Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 54.4

This was a game for Powers that many were expecting to see from him consistently when the Broncos signed him, so hopefully, he can keep up this high level of play. Wattenberg did well against some tough matchups and won a bit more than he lost before getting hurt.

Meinerz roughly started the game, but he found his groove and finished the game on a solid note despite injuries happening on both sides of him. 

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Defensive Line

• Zach Allen | Grade: 79.2

• Malcolm Roach | Grade: 78.8

• John Franklin-Myers | Grade: 72.8

• D.J. Jones | Grade: 70.3

The Broncos' defensive line did well overall. They weren’t consistent enough to start the game, but they found their groove and started playing consistently as a unit.

Allen is the room's leader, opening the door for everyone else. Roach has been a great find with his play in the middle and showing more as a pass rusher than anyone was expecting. Franklin-Myers and Jones were the most inconsistent of the group, but both turned in a high-quality game. 

Outside Linebackers

• Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 77.3

• Nik Bonitto | Grade: 66.5

• Jonah Elliss |  Grade: 41.6

Cooper has started the season hot, and the Broncos need to reward him with a sizeable contract extension soon. He has been the most consistent player in the room as a pass rusher or run defender.

Bonitto is still impacting as a pass rusher, but his run defense remains problematic, with few good plays to outweigh the overwhelming bad. Elliss had a great block on an interception return that should have the Broncos move him to tight end, as it was better than anything the Broncos have gotten from the position. All joking aside, Elliss struggled defensively as a pass rusher and a run defender. 

Inside Linebackers

• Justin Strnad | Grade: 75.6

• Cody Barton | Grade: 53.6

The Broncos defense hasn’t skipped a beat since Alex Singleton got hurt and Strnad replaced him. In fact, it would be easy to say they have been even better, though the sample size is still relatively small. Barton had a rough game against the Raiders and is showing more issues in coverage while lacking consistency against the run. 

Cornerbacks

• Patrick Surtain II | Grade: 91.6

• Riley Moss | Grade:  80.2

• Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 49.2

What is there to say about Surtain? He had a phenomenal game and the best game from a Broncos corner since Champ Bailey.

Moss has developed into a good corner opposite Surtain, who can handle the extra attention he gets. Moss finally made an opposing quarterback pay with an excellent interception. McMillian was a bit rough, but he faced tough matchups in coverage, and he did well against the run for the most part. 

Safeties

• Brandon Jones | Grade: 69.8

• P.J. Locke | Grade: 48.7

There were some questionable plays from Locke outside of the big catch-and-run touchdown he gave up on the Raiders' first drive. There was another play in coverage where he was in the proper position and broke up the pass.

Overall, Locke grade was heavily impacted by that first touchdown catch he gave up. Jones was consistent in all phases, as he has been all season. 

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