3 Risers, 3 Fallers from Broncos' 23-7 Loss to Ravens

In an ugly loss, did any Broncos see their stock rise?

In a game where the Denver Broncos were supposed to make a statement and silence the doubters, a rendition of the Keystone Cops was delivered instead. In what was a pathetic showing in front of a hometown crowd, the Broncos allowed a Baltimore Ravens team that needed a record-breaking field goal to get by the Detroit Lions last week, to handle them 23-7. 

The Broncos now look like the part of pretenders and their 3-0 start appears to have been fool's gold and more of a product of poor competition. This team was embarrassed on its home field. 

While there's ample blame to go around, there were some bright spots. Here are Week 4's biggest risers and fallers. 

Riser: Caden Sterns | S

The rookie safety played like a veteran. Sterns made plays to keep the Broncos in the game, even if it was all for not. The fifth-round selection had two sacks and a huge pass break up on three third-down plays to go along with a trio of tackles, two of which were for a loss. Being a playmaker when the team needs it most is a mark of a star. Sterns is definitely on the upswing and as he gets more experience, he could become a playmaker at safety.

Faller: Justin Simmons | S

The writer who said Simmons should be benched immediately is taking a victory lap today. Simmons is the leader of the purported 'No Fly Zone 2.0,' but on Sunday, the term changed to 'Flying the Friendly Skies' on his watch. Lamar Jackson had yet to post a 300-yard passing game this season — until he met a vaunted Broncos' secondary that looked incredible against a couple of rookie quarterbacks in the weeks prior. Simmons got beat on the Ravens’ first touchdown drive by the tight end multiple times and was turned into black toast on a long touchdown by Marquise Brown. Jackson looked more like Dan Marino than a running back as he carved up the hapless secondary.

Riser: Alexander Johnson | LB

Johnson completely wrecked the Ravens' run game early on and forced them to pass. His seven tackles were all made in an effort to shut down the Ravens' prolific rushing attack. Unfortunately, Baltimore's passing game was able to destroy the Broncos in an embarrassing fashion. Blame cannot be placed in Johnson’s direction as he had a solid game in the loss with tenacious tackling.

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Faller: Teddy Bridgewater | QB

The Broncos' offense was downright dreadful in Week 4. It committed mistake after mistake, putting the Ravens in complete control. It is tough to blame the quarterback for all the dropped passes and poor execution, but when it happens across the entire offense, the leader of said offense must shoulder some of the blame. 

The Broncos were horrific in the first half and never recovered as Bridgewater was knocked out of the game with a concussion. His stat line against good competition was the complete opposite of the first three weeks, as he completed less than 50% of his passes with a paltry 4.1 yards per reception.

Riser: Melvin Gordon | RB

The dreadful offensive performance also cannot be laid at the feet of Gordon. He ran hard with a 6.2 yards-per-attempt average on his nine carries. Had the Broncos' offense not been so anemic, his rushing prowess may have been much more useful throughout the game. He also caught the ball out of the backfield with two receptions for eleven yards.

Faller: Broncos' O-Line 

When was the last time the Broncos had a dominant offensive line? 2006? With two starters out, it wan’t entirely unexpected for the O-line to struggle, but the unit's play was deplorable. The Ravens’ defensive line imposed its will all day long, even against the seasoned veterans. 

 No matter who was in at quarterback for Denver, that signal-caller ran for his life all day and the running backs made do with their own effort. The return of the 'Garett Holds' ruined a terrific third-down conversion by Drew Lock and put the kybosh on any hope of a second-half comeback. The entire O-line was about as good as the Broncos’ secondary on this day.

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