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The Denver Broncos pulled off another record-setting one-score victory by beating the Carolina Panthers 26-21 on Sunday.
It wasn’t a great performance, and the injuries the Broncos have suffered on defense definitely hurt. Thankfully, the Broncos are hitting their bye and will benefit from a two-week break.
Overall, the Broncos' offense did well against Carolina, despite some third-quarter struggles, but the defense acquitted itself well with timely takeaways and some big-time plays in crucial moments.
On defense, the grades reflect the high variance of individual play. The defensive grades also show how badly injuries hurt the Broncos in Carolina, with three of their four worst-graded players being backups.
Offensively, things were much better, and the Broncos got another good game overall from their offensive line and most of their skill players, with two of their three lowest-grade players barely below average (average being the 50-point starting spot).
With that said, let’s get to Week 9's player grades.
Adkins played only 18 snaps, but 13 of them were as a run blocker, where he excelled, just as he has for most of the season. It would be great to see Denver use and trust him more as a blocker at the position, and even tap into his underrated ability as a receiver, instead of consistently rolling out a tight end they overpaid.
The Broncos continue to fall prey to the sunk-cost fallacy over in Adam Trautman when starting Adkins, and playing more, would provide much better returns in the run game.
Now, Bonitto didn’t lead the team in pressures, but his impact was immense because of the attention the Panthers were forced to give him. He consistently pulled help to his side and still created pressure, muddying up the pocket.
While Bonitto typically has issues in the run game, he wasn’t one of the main culprits behind the Broncos' run-defense issues this week, and his strip-sack at the end of the fourth quarter sealed the victory.
It was great to see Nix come out and attack deep on the first two plays of the game. He dropped back 38 times, took one sack, and went 25-of-37 with an average depth of target of 8.1 yards.
Even after Nix threw an interception, which was a terrible decision against cover-2, he didn’t shrink back into his shell for the rest of the game. He licked his wounds, played it safe for a while, then came out swinging, leading back-to-back touchdown drives to retake the lead, and never relinquished it.
I wrote in last week's grades that Nix's confidence was clearly coming back; after this game, is there any further debate on the subject?
Allen had a monster game, and the Broncos' run-game issues were hardly on him. He wreaked havoc against the Panthers' offensive line and led the team with three pressures.
Allen's run defense was strong and mostly consistent, with the Panthers actively trying to work away from where he was lined up.
Strnad is the coverage backer for this defense, and he did quite well. He got away with being a little early on contact that could’ve drawn defensive pass interference (the no-call is the right call, but by the letter of the rule it could have been thrown), and that play led to a game-changing Devon Key interception. Strnad also did well against the run, though his lack of size at the second level was an issue.
Bolles actually led the Broncos in pressures allowed with three of them, but he made up for it in the running game, where he was the best run blocker on the offensive line, and it wasn’t even close. While it wasn’t perfect, Bolles's run-blocking play was darn near textbook.
Powers is getting a lot of heat for bad plays that weren’t even his fault. He allowed a single pressure in the passing game, and while he isn’t much of a mover in the run game, he is a technician and allowed a few good-sized runs because of his ability to seal his blocks.
It wasn’t perfect by any means, with a couple of plays he'd like to have back, but the Broncos' left guard turned in a good overall game.
It's a shame Moss suffered a concussion after 17 snaps, because he was playing well. He picked up a big stop and allowed only one of two targets to be caught for 11 yards, and he nearly made a great interception on his other target.
With Bryant back from injured reserve, Nix gets one of his safety blankets back. When things get muddy in the pocket, or Nix needs a reliable catch to move the ball, he has increasingly turned to Bryant, which helped him lead the Broncos in receiving yards against the Panthers.
When Moss exited the game, Bryce Young painted a target on Barron, and he hit the bullseye multiple times. Barron was targeted 11 times, allowing seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.
The touchdown Barron allowed could raise a lot of questions about his football IQ, as it seemed like he thought he was playing a high safety zone instead of a corner.
McMillian had a full box-score game with a sack, three stops, and his coverage numbers, but it was a mess. He allowed all six targets to be caught for 58 yards, and his tackling was an issue, with two missed tackles. His lack of size in the slot was something the Panthers intentionally attacked in both the pass and run game.
After a goal-line stop against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos gave him more playing time, but this game showed why he is a depth piece. His downhill run fills were consistently off, and his coverage left him out of position far too often. He allowed both targets to be caught, and they went for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Engram had a few big receptions, including a 19-yard catch-and-run on a delayed tight end screen, but he finished with 33 yards. He isn’t dynamic with the ball in his hands, and his athleticism has dropped off, which hurts his ability to be a consistent mismatch weapon. Maybe that's why the Broncos called the Arizona Cardinals about Trey McBride.
If Mims can deliver consistent effort, he could be a good wide receiver and not just a gadget-type player. Alas, his effort remains a problem. When he's on the field and the ball isn’t going his way, it's obvious off the snap. There were a few times the Panthers' defense took advantage of Mims’s effort tells.
This wasn’t a terrible game for McGlinchey, as he allowed only one pressure in the passing game, but his run-blocking inconsistencies continue to be a problem. He struggled to contain defenders and generate push, and it's tough to watch because he's always been a better run blocker than a pass protector.
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