Broncos' Biggest Studs & Duds in 35-33 Loss to Commanders

The postmortem begins on the Denver Broncos' Week 2 performance.

The Denver Broncos have become a pathetic franchise. 

Having been whipped at home by the Washington Commanders, the Broncos are on their way to a seventh straight losing season. The Broncos have a bunch of players who only know how to lose, and it was quite apparent as they were again embarrassed at home, relinquishing an 18-point first-half lead to fall 35-33. 

This week, there's a long list of duds and very few studs.

Dud: Vance Joseph | DC

The Broncos are a joke, and Joseph is the punchline. Why he was hired to be the defensive coordinator is the biggest head-scratcher of the offseason. 

The Broncos screamed out to a huge 21-3 lead, only for the defense to let the Commanders back into the game before the half ended. Joseph took what was a pretty good defense last year under Ejiro Evero and turned it into a wet piece of toilet paper.

Dud: Kareem Jackson | S

The game has passed Jackson by. He's a liability in coverage, and he can't control himself when hitting defenseless receivers. 

Jackson was penalized and ejected in the second quarter of Sunday's game when he launched himself into a helmet-to-helmet hit on Commanders tight end Logan Thomas. After that massive mental mistake, the Broncos were left with two safeties for the rest of the game.

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Stud: Marvin Mims Jr | WR

Mims was electric to start the game. He had a huge 60-yard touchdown reception and ended the game with two catches for 113 and that score. 

The rookie was a huge bright spot in the first half, but then the inept Broncos decided not to go back to him the rest of the game.

Dud: Broncos O-Line

During the offseason, the Broncos' brain trust decided to 'make it rain' with free-agent acquisitions along the offensive line. Throwing money at the problem didn’t work. 

The Broncos' O-line was a turnstile in Week 2, allowing seven sacks and 13 quarterback hits. The unit also failed to open holes consistently in the second half to give the Broncos a rushing attack. 

Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, the biggest spend in the offseason, was the weak link most of the day. He gave up at least one sack, could not handle Daron Payne to start the second half, and was flagged more than once. 

The Broncos should seriously consider trading left tackle Garett Bolles prior to the deadline so they can find an upgrade in next year’s draft.

Stud(s): Nik Bonitto & Jonathon Cooper | OLBs

The two young pass rushers really did their part on Sunday. Bonitto and Cooper combined for three sacks, three tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. 

Alas, it wasn't enough, as the rest of the Broncos' defense allowed the Commanders to slice through them like a hot knife through butter.

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