Broncos Player Grades in 33-10 Win Over Saints

How'd the individual Denver Broncos grade out in that romping win at Caesars Superdome?

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Cody Barton (55), standing right, celebrates running back an interception for a touchdown against New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler with a duck, duck, goose celebration with his teammates during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

After a short turnaround and a game with an immense amount of emotion behind it, Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos beat the New Orleans Saints 33-10 to earn their fourth win on the season. Without Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos defense put forth a solid game for allowing three points before a garbage time touchdown when some starters had been pulled.

The Broncos offense got the run game going against one of the NFL's worst rushing defenses, but its passing game remained inconsistent. 

The Broncos' Week 7 player grades reflect the performance on the field at the individual level. To get graded, a player must play at least 20 snaps, leading to 13 players on offense and 17 players on defense to qualify this week.

Let’s jump in. 

Quarterback

• Bo Nix | Grade: 62.1

The passing game had issues stemming from footwork and Nix's discomfort in the pocket. However, Payton started using Nix's athleticism to boost the offense on the ground, which needs to continue.

Nix's athleticism and rushing ability got his grade to where it is, but the Broncos need to figure out the footwork and comfort in the pocket. 

Running Backs

• Javonte Williams | Grade: 63.5

This was Williams' best game, as he had his first career game with two rushing touchdowns and the third-highest rushing total. There were some issues in protection, but he almost literally put the offense on his back.  

Wide Receivers

• Devaughn Vele | Grade:  63.1

• Troy Franklin | Grade: 58.7

• Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 56.9

• Courtland Sutton | Grade: 52.1

Issues from the quarterback leading to problems in the passing game made it difficult for the Broncos' receivers to get a good grade. Vele made some plays as a blocker but also had one great catch and run.

Franklin was the most targeted receiver, catching five of six for a team-high 50 yards, with 30 coming on one play. Humphrey was solid, while Sutton wasn’t officially targeted and did fine as a blocker. 

Tight Ends

• Lucas Krull | Grade: 52.6

• Adam Trautman | Grade: 48.9

The Broncos need a legitimate threat from the tight end position. Krull caught three passes for 41 yards, but his blocking leaves a lot to be deserted.

Trautman, the only other tight end to qualify for a grade, is viewed as the blocking tight end, but he has been inconsistent there and doesn’t offer much of anything as a receiver. 

Offensive Tackles

• Garett Bolles | Grade: 76.2

• Mike McGlinchey | Grade: 72.6

The Broncos tackles played an excellent game against the Saints, who have had issues generating pressure. Between the two tackles, Bolles and McGlinchey allowed only one pressure, and both did exceptionally well as run blockers. 

Interior O-Line

• Ben Powers | Grade: 67.8

• Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 63.5

• Alex Forsyth | Grade: 46.7

Powers allowed two pressures in the passing game, but he had an excellent game as a run blocker. Meinerz was clean in pass protection, but his run blocking had some misses.

As for Forsyth, the Broncos need better from him, as he allowed two pressures in the passing game and struggled in the run game. 

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Defensive Line

• Zach Allen | Grade: 64.3

• Malcolm Roach | Grade: 63.2

• John Franklin-Myers | Grade: 62.7

• Jordan Jackson | Grade: 59.5

• D.J. Jones | Grade: 56.5

The Broncos' defensive line controlled the trenches, largely thanks to Allen, Roach, and Franklin-Myers. Jackson and Jones had a solid game, but Jones' poorly timed encroachment penalty took away a massive play by the Broncos defense. It's nice to see the Broncos have a good rotation on the defensive line for the first time in a few years. 

Outside Linebackers

• Nik Bonitto | Grade: 67.3

• Jonah Elliss | Grade: 61.3

• Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 55.2

• Baron Browning | Grade: 47.2

This was one of the best games from Bonitto in his short career. He did well getting after the quarterback, with five pressures, including a sack. He's now registered a sack in five straight games.

Bonitto had some issues against the run, but they were smaller than they had been previously this season. Elliss had a strong game in both phases, Cooper had a down day as a run defender, and Browning struggled all the way around after returning from injured reserve. 

Inside Linebackers

• Justin Strnad | Grade: 81.6

• Cody Barton | Grade: 80.2

• Kwon Alexander | Grade: 63.9

While Barton made big plays, Strnad had an excellent game without the splash. Barton made those splashes but also had some hiccups with his play.

Still, it was the best game from Barton since joining the Broncos. Alexander also put forth quality plays in his first action with the Broncos. 

Cornerbacks

• Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 65.8

• Riley Moss | Grade: 60.2

• Levi Wallace | Grade: 58.6

Without Surtain, the Broncos' corners needed to step up, and they did. Granted, they weren’t facing the toughest matchups, but they still had to do their jobs.

Moss played the Surtain role while Wallace stepped up opposite him. McMillian returned from a rough Week 6 game by having a good game against the Saints. 

Safeties

• Brandon Jones | Grade: 68.7

• P.J. Locke | Grade: 49.6

Jones continues to be a great signing by the Broncos, especially with his play in coverage and working downhill. He blew up a few plays with how quickly he got downhill.

Locke had a rough game in coverage but made a few plays when coming downhill. 

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