3 Inexcusable Takeaways from Broncos' 41-10 Loss to Ravens

What did we learn? That Bo Nix needs the Denver Broncos to get him some help.

Nov 3, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) runs for a gain in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Week 9’s matchup between the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens was the second time this season that Sean Payton faced a Harbaugh brother. The Broncos lost to Los Angeles Chargers and head coach Jim Harbaugh in Week 6.

Week 9 was no different as the elder Harbaugh led his Ravens team to a dominating 41-10 win over a Broncos team that entered the contest overly confident and ill-prepared. The Broncos were coming off of a three-game road winning streak, too.

The Broncos dropped to 5-4 on the season, with the Ravens moving to 6-3 in a highly competitive AFC inching toward the postseason. It won’t get any easier for the Broncos, who have a date with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday in back-to-back road games.

But before the Broncos can shift to Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid, they’ll need to chew on the fact that, as a team, they were outmatched and embarrassed by the Ravens. Instead of earning a signature win that would put the NFL on notice and establish them as contenders, the Broncos looked more like pretenders in a nationally televised game by CBS' top commentary duo, Jim Nantz and Tony Romo. 

What did we learn from Denver's fourth loss of the season? As the dramatic cry for improvement in every phase of this team echoes across Broncos Country, we must review three scathing takeaways from the Broncos' blowout loss in Baltimore.

Time to Consider Trade Options

Nine weeks into the regular season, it’s evident that rookie quarterback Bo Nix is in desperate need of help from offensive teammates who aren't answering the call of duty. The No. 12 overall pick in this year's draft was once again asked to do the heavy lifting for a young Broncos offense that lacks offensive playmakers.

The most exciting play of the entire game for Denver’s offense came on a 4th-&-Goal on the 1-yard line, where Courtland Sutton completed an impressive two-yard touchdown pass to Nix. The 24-year-old rookie quarterback went airborne on a contested catch, scoring the Broncos' only touchdown of the game. Nix finished 19-for-33 for 223 yards passing, with an interception, adding 36 yards rushing. 

On the heels of Sutton's season-high performance last week, the team captain finished the day in Baltimore with seven catches for 122 yards, but most of his production came in garbage time. Still, Sutton now has back-to-back 100-yard receiving games.

Nix was able to connect with eight receivers, but none of them proved to be a dynamic threat against a Ravens secondary that ranked near the bottom of the league in nearly every category. Broncos running back Javonte Williams was the second-leading receiver of the game with just two catches for 42 yards, proving that offensive weapons are still lacking.

Mistakes also reared their ugly head again early for Payton’s offense, as Lil'Jordan Humphrey’s bobbled catch led to a Baltimore interception on the second play of the game. While the game was somewhat competitive in the first half of action, there was a familiar dread that something bad would happen sooner or later.  

Despite posting 319 yards of total offense, the Broncos only scored one touchdown, going 1-of-4 in the red zone and 1-of-3 in Goal-to-Go situations. With only a field goal to speak of beyond that touchdown, Denver went 1-for-5 on fourth-down attempts and converted 43% of their third-down tries.

The NFL trade deadline is 2 pm MDT on Tuesday, November 5, which means Payton had better be working the phones. While I’m not suggesting he recklessly sells half of the team, the veteran play-caller should entertain all options, especially buying opportunities. Instead of giving up draft capital from an already bare cupboard, along with salary cap issues for the rest of this season, perhaps it’s time to explore moving on from the old guard of players. 

Sutton and left tackle Garett Bolles both have lingering questions about the longevity of their careers in Denver after this season, and rumors continue to swirl that teams have been sniffing around the two veterans. Nix’s development is coming along faster than we had anticipated, so it’d behoove Payton and the Broncos to find this young man some weapons sooner rather than later — even if that means losing a fan favorite for draft picks that could lead to upgrades around Nix next spring.

Nix can’t continue to do it all on his own by throwing, rushing, and catching touchdowns for the Broncos. Denver needs to find this budding superstar some help, or the risk of delaying his development grows each week.

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Broncos Defense Humbled by Dynamic Duo

Two of my keys to victory this week centered around dethroning Derrick Henry’s rushing attack and stacking hits on a banged-up Lamar Jackson. Instead, the Broncos defense surrendered a career game for ‘King Henry,’ who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing milestone and earned his 100th career rushing touchdown.

Henry recorded 106 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns against Vance Joseph’s defense, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, which meant Jackson didn’t have to be a designated rusher. Jackson finished just three attempts for four yards in the game.

Jackson was particularly effective in the passing game, going 16-of-19 for 280 yards and three touchdowns as he picked apart the Broncos secondary. The two-time MVP connected with seven separate receivers, but it was Zay Flowers who exposed Broncos defensive backs like Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, and Devon Key. Flowers finished the game with five receptions for 127 yards and two scores in an impressive display of speed and route running.

Many times, the Broncos' nickel and dime packages surrendered huge gains on breaking routes from Flowers. Denver didn't double-team him or provide safety relief over the top. There were also multiple mismatches in which Denver's front-seven rushers, like Jonah Elliss, were asked to cover running backs, tight ends, and receivers, increasing the defensive bleeding. 

In a showdown between one of the league’s most effective offenses against a dominant defense, Denver left the game embarrassed and utterly dominated.

The big question now is how the Broncos defense will respond against the Chiefs in enemy territory next Sunday.

Broncos D & O-Line Share the Blame

As the big men of the offensive and defensive line go, so does the football team, setting the tone for a franchise’s identity. In Baltimore, the Broncos' trench fighters on both sides of the ball were outmatched and, quite frankly, outworked by a Ravens bunch that wanted to impose its will.

The Broncos' offensive line surrendered four sacks on Nix, as the Ravens presented an impressive amount of pressure against Denver’s one-dimensional passing attack. It was Sutton-or-bust for the Broncos in Baltimore.

The Ravens shut down Denver’s rushing attack as Williams led the team in rushing with a measly 42 yards on 12 attempts. Don’t let the 122 total rushing yards in the box score fool you, folks. The Ravens dominated the trenches against a Broncos O-line that had previously been on the rise.

Meanwhile, the attitude-driven, physical players we’re accustomed to seeing on Denver’s defense never showed up. Aside from defensive end John Franklin-Myers' sack, Denver's only QB take-down of the game, the pass-rushing posse was missing in action. Making matters worse, gap integrity and lazy tackling plagued the Broncos' front seven. Zach Allen failed to record a single tackle. 

Rush linebackers Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto surrendered outside containment, allowing Jackson to maneuver and operate outside of the pocket at will. Broncos defensive tackle Malcom Roach was the second leading tackler on the team (four) behind sty Devon Key's five.

The Broncos' defensive and offensive line played so out of character, it's hard to make heads or tails of this game. Was the Broncos' failure to show up a result of reading their own press clippings, or was it a foreshadowing of potential problems in the future? 

One game is an outlier, but two games become a trend. The Broncos can only study the film, take the kick in the behind, and pull themselves off the canvas.

The Chiefs await at Arrowhead.

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