Broncos Player Grades from Sweeping 29-19 Win Over Raiders

How did the Denver Broncos grade out in their second and final matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders?

Nov 24, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It was a slow start, but the Denver Broncos pulled out their first win in Las Vegas and their first sweep in a decade against the Las Vegas Raiders. According to the NFL.com Playoff Picture, the Broncos sit with a two-game lead over the Miami Dolphins for the seventh and final seed in the AFC, wth a 73% chance to make the playoffs.

The Broncos can move up the seeding, but they'll need help to do so. 

The Broncos ended up playing a good game against the Raiders, who showed a lot of fight throughout the game. Early on, the Broncos were playing down to the Raiders' level, and the home team was winning that battle.

While the Broncos never played entirely to the standards they've set, which is scary when you look at the results, they did enough to get the win. Some players had a terrible game, but overall, it was replete with average to above-average performances from the Broncos at the individual level.

With that said, let’s get into the grades. 

Quarterback

• Bo Nix | Grade: 81.9

While there were issues finishing drives in the end zone, the Broncos only punted on four of 11 drives. Nix was sharp with most of his throws, although a couple of deep shots were poorly placed, and there was not enough under one of them.

Nix also had issues handling the early pressure the Raiders were bringing. Multiple throws could’ve easily been picked off, but luckily, they weren’t. However, he settled down and had one of his better games in the season, with his grade being the second highest of the season, behind only Week 11's eye-opening performance. Without a running game, Nix proved that the offense could go through him and be successful. 

Running Backs

• Jaleel McLaughlin | Grade: 60.4 
• Javonte Williams | Grade: 21.5

While the Raiders had issues with McLaughlin's speed and burst at times, his vision left some yards on the field, though he was the best back of the day for the Broncos. Whenever Williams touched the ball in this game, it was a waste of a down.

As the Broncos enter the home stretch, they need consistency from their running back room, and Williams is the biggest culprit. 

Wide Receivers

• Devaughn Vele | Grade: 83.4
• Courtland Sutton | Grade: 72.5
• Troy Franklin | Grade: 54.3
• Lil’Jordan Humphrey | Grade: 47.6

Vele and Sutton have shown great trust and chemistry with Bo Nix. When the pocket starts to get iffy, Nix knows he has one of those two downfield ready to make something happen.

Franklin is still limited as a receiver, and that shows up during games, but that doesn’t mean he had a bad game. When Josh Reynolds is back, Humphrey needs to stay on the sideline. 

Tight Ends

• Nate Adkins | Grade: 47.1
• Lucas Krull | Grade: 43.6
• Adam Trautman | Grade: 32.6

Adkins had a blown block for a big tackle for a loss, but he was decent for the most part. Trautman and Krull had issues throughout the game due to their poor attempts at blocking. The Broncos need a legitimate tight end this offseason.

Offensive Tackles

• Garett Bolles | Grade: 82.5
• Mike McGlinchey | Grade: 64.2

Looking at McGlinchey, it's worth remembering that penalties aren’t factored into grades. Outside of those penalties, he played a solid game.

McGlinchey had some losses to Maxx Crosby, but he held the Raiders' premier pass rusher to zero sacks, ending his streak against the Broncos. As for Bolles, outside a small handful of plays, he was outstanding. 

Interior O-Line

• Quinn Meinerz | Grade: 87.6
• Luke Wattenberg | Grade: 59.2
• Ben Powers | Grade: 58.9

John Jenkins on the Raiders' defensive line gave Powers and Wattenberg issues for most of the game. His size and strength were issues for either of them to handle alone, and they even struggled to handle him when double-teaming him.

When they weren’t tasked with taking on Jenkins, Powers and Wattenberg did okay. Once again, Meinerz is showing as one of the best guards in the NFL. 

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D-Line

• John Franklin-Myers | Grade: 67.6
• Malcolm Roach | Grade: 53.5
• D.J. Jones | Grade: 48.6
• Jordan Jackson | Grade: 38.2

The Broncos were missing Zach Allen, though Franklin-Myers tried to carry the unit. Roach and Jones had a couple of plays each, but they struggled throughout the game.

The Broncos' best defensive lineman was Eyioma Uwazurike, who played 19 snaps (20 are required for a grade), but he should see the field over Jackson now. 

Outside Linebackers

• Nik Bonitto | Grade: 72.5
• Jonathon Cooper | Grade: 66.7
• Dondrea Tillman | Grade: 52.5
• Jonah Elliss | Grade: 34.6

Bonitto continues to shine as a pass rusher while being hit-or-miss as a run defender. It's good for him that Cooper has been reliable as a run defender but lacking as a pass rusher over recent weeks.

Tillman was solid as a rotational piece, while Elliss had a terrible game, highlighted by allowing a big touchdown play in coverage. 

Linebackers

• Justin Strnad | Grade: 60.2
• Cody Barton | Grade: 55.7

Neither linebacker had a great game, despite their grades being in plus territory. Barton had a couple of plays to get his grade to where it was from being in the mid-40s, while Strnad had some big plays late to save his grade after a rough three quarters to start the game. 

Cornerbacks

• Patrick Surtain II |  Grade: 81.6
• Riley Moss | Grade: 79.2
• Levi Wallace | Grade: 68.3
• Ja’Quan McMillian | Grade: 39.2

Surtain, Moss, and Wallace all had a good game, with Moss on his way to having his best game on the season before leaving with an injury. McMillian has been a weak spot on the defense over recent weeks, with teams attacking him practically the same way.

Opponents have identified this issue on tape and are exploiting it, and McMillian and the Broncos need to see it and do something to fix it. He can be aggressive in coverage and bite on fakes, with him being slower to recover from them when he goes to his left rather than his right. This is how teams have been targeting McMillian: by getting him in the slot off the left tackle, faking inside, and attacking 10-20 yards downfield closer to the boundary. 

Safeties

When the Broncos have both of their starting safeties, they're so much better as a defense. Jones and Locke are reliable defenders when protecting deep or coming downhill to make the needed play. 

• Brandon Jones | Grade: 80.4
• P.J. Locke | Grade: 77.5

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