OFFENSE — C-
Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix did a lot of good against Baltimore. This type of game requires even more than that. He overshot Troy Franklin for a touchdown on fourth down in the first half and Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the back of the end zone before halftime — though the Broncos scored after that. That doesn’t take away from a growing list of positives he’s put on tape this year, but it does matter.
The Broncos never got the run game revved up early and then fell too far behind to even try later. They ran just four plays in the span in which the Ravens took the lead from 17-10 to 38-10.
DEFENSE — F
Vance Joseph’s group didn’t get much help from the offense early on when Denver started with an interception and two turnovers on downs. But it may not have mattered regardless given how Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson played. He fileted the Broncos defense from the start, completing 11 of 12 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns to Zay Flowers in the first half alone. Baltimore engineered six straight scoring drives to build a 38-10 lead before the third quarter was out. The Broncos struggled in coverage for really the first time this year and it’s no coincidence Baltimore picked on safety Devon Key with P.J. Locke out due to a thumb injury. The Ravens scored on seven straight possessions after an opening punt, did whatever they wanted against Denver’s to-date stout defense and had Jackson out of the game by midway through the fourth quarter.
SPECIAL TEAMS – C
The Broncos hurt themselves field position-wise without doing anything wrong early on special teams. They gave up one big punt return in the second half, but by that time it represented just a drop in the bucket. Wil Lutz continued to provide steady work in the place-kicking game and Tremon Smith got cut down well short of the 30 on Denver’s lone kick return attempt of the day. Denver had plenty of problems Sunday, but special teams wasn’t really an issue. It just didn’t provide any big positives, either.
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COACHING – F
Payton took an aggressive posture from the start, going for it on fourth down three times in the first half alone. The first two failed and turned into a pair of Baltimore scoring drives. The third hit for a circus touchdown pass from Courtland Sutton to Nix.
Joseph this week said he wanted to start with stopping the run against Baltimore and make Jackson and company beat them through the air. That plan aged like Maryland crab left out in the sun. The real question coming out of this game is how quickly the players can regroup and what the staff can do to make sure it happens between arriving back in Colorado and heading back on the road to face Kansas City next weekend.
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