The worst Broncos performance in 2024 yields understandably poor grades

The last time the Denver Broncos found themselves on the receiving end of a flogging in which they lost by more than 30 points, they responded with a second-half rally from a 21-point deficit in Chicago seven days later.

Of course, the opponent was a Bears team on its way to a last-place finish in the NFC North. What looms next Sunday in Arrowhead Stadium is slightly different. Still, it’s not simply about a lesson to be applied toward the next game, but the ones after that for months and years beyond.

“Each week, there are these learning experiences we have. Not only as coaches, but as players [and] a team,” Broncos coach Sean Paytons aid. “There are some games where you’re going to play more aggressively because you feel like that’s what’s necessary to win.

“[Sunday] there were a handful of fourth downs that we wanted to be somewhat aggressive.”

That aggression paid off with a daring play-call for the Broncos’ only touchdown, but backfired on two other fourth-down failures in the first two quarters that left the Broncos chasing by halftime.

But when you allow an opposing quarterback to post a perfect passer rating for the first time in Broncos history during the regular season since John F. Kennedy was President, there is only so much the offense could do, whether it was conservative or aggressive in how it chose to counter a Baltimore offense that paced the league through eight games.

PASSING OFFENSE: C-MINUS

It wasn’t a terrible game for Bo Nix, although his EPA/play was one of his worst single-game figures of the season at minus-.177. And there were no dropped passes, although Nix’s only interception did carom off the hands of Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who took responsibility for it after the game. Courtland Sutton had his second-straight 100-yard game, but there were too many opportunities lost for the aerial attack to merit a strong grade.

RUSHING OFFENSE: D

The Broncos are back to needing a spark from the ground game, which is why the fact that Sean Payton suggested that more opportunities could be coming for Audric Estimé when asked Monday about the potential for giving the rookie more work. Javonte Williams hasn’t had a double-digit yardage carry in two weeks, and Jaleel McLaughlin failed to find much room in averaging 2.0 yards on 5 attempts. The Broncos struggled to create holes as its run blocking had arguably its worst game since September.

PASSING DEFENSE: F

It is what it is. Lamar Jackson and Co. diced up the Broncos defense, with Jackson posting a historically-efficient performance at Denver’s expense. Ja’Quan McMillian, Cody Barton, Riley Moss and Kwon Alexander struggled in coverage. The Broncos got by without P.J. Locke against Carolina, but his absence was felt in Baltimore, never more so than when Zay Flowers escaped from a grasping Devon Key for the touchdown that stretched Baltimore’s lead to 24-10 and launched a run of 24 unanswered points on which the game concluded. Denver’s pass rush got to Jackson just once in 20 pass plays and its pressures were largely ineffective. The things that had worked in Weeks 1-8 barely made a ripple against Baltimore.

RUSHING DEFENSE: C

Vance Joseph vowed to shut down the Ravens’ ground game first, and in the initial 30 minutes, his unit did just that. But after Baltimore took a 24-10 halftime lead, Baltimore pounded away, with the Broncos missing a handful of tackles as Derrick Henry surpassed 100 yards as Baltimore emphasized the ground game after halftime.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

There was little of note for this phase, as the go-for-it emphasis on fourth downs meant that Riley Dixon didn’t see the field for a punt until the third quarter, by which point the Broncos trailed by three scores.