OFFENSE — D
Where to start? The Broncos again started slow — their first possession ended in a Bo Nix interception and they didn’t log a first down for 12 minutes of game time. They again struggled on third down. Their only snap in Chargers territory in the first half was a Javonte Williams fumble. They didn’t make the red zone until early in the fourth quarter.
When they made a rare big play in the first three quarters, it was either negated by penalty (a 46-yard Courtland Sutton catch-and-run) or followed by a mistake of some kind.
Nix entered the fourth quarter 4 of 14 for 27 yards, the pick and a sack. The offense finally got it going on a 95-yard touchdown drive to avert the first home shutout in franchise history.
DEFENSE — C-
The first-possession injury to Pat Surtain II is good for about a full letter grade curve. Losing perhaps the best corner in the game is a recipe for a tough day at the office in and of itself. But no matter the impact of that loss, you can’t let a team that doesn’t have a big-time receiver convert 11 of its first 14 third-down attempts. You can’t give up a 20-play drive. There wasn’t any secret about what Los Angeles would try to do on Sunday and yet the Broncos defense didn’t look capable of stopping the Chargers from the start. They didn’t get much help from a listless offense, but this was not a banner day for Vance Joseph’s group.
SPECIAL TEAMS — C
The good: A trio of Riley Dixon punts that put the Chargers inside their own 20-yard line, including a pair pinned inside the 10. The not-so-good: A third-quarter punt that went just 43 yards and got returned by Derius Davis for 18. Tremon Smith had a productive kick return for the second straight week. On this day, though, those kinds of developments were essentially drops in the bucket. The special teams didn’t contribute meaningfully to an otherwise catastrophic afternoon, which is about the best that can be said about any of the three units on this day. Wil Lutz had a pair of quality tries on a late onside kick, but Denver couldn’t recover either.
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COACHING — F
The Broncos simply cannot take this long to get into gear offensively. They’ve now failed to score in the first half in three of six games this season. And against Las Vegas the lone Denver touchdown in the first half came via Surtain’s interception return.
For as pretty as the opening possession at Tampa Bay looked, way too often this year the Denver offense has had nothing out of the gates and later has to try to dig out of a hole.
Easier to do when you’re trailing by multiple scores, but the Broncos’ rookie offensive skill class showed some promise in the second half. Troy Franklin, Devaughn Vele and Audric Estime combined for 79 of 95 yards on a fourth-quarter scoring drive. The Broncos need to lean more into that going forward, both for this year and for the future.
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