CINCINNATI — Here’s a look at whose stock improved or declined after the Broncos’ 30-24 overtime loss to the Bengals on Saturday at Paycor Stadium.
Stock Up
CB Pat Surtain II: Surtain vs. Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was one of the biggest storylines of the game. The All-Pro cornerback lived up to the moment. Surtain lined up against Chase on 43 coverage snaps, allowing just three catches for 27 yards on six targets, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Chase had six catches for 75 yards on nine targets against everyone else. Surtain also forced wide receiver Tee Higgins to fumble and Denver recovered the ball at its 40-yard line in the fourth quarter. Despite Denver’s second straight loss, Surtain improved his case for Defensive Player of the Year.
EDGE Jonathon Cooper: Denver’s edge rusher inched closer to a career milestone. Cooper recorded 1.5 sacks against Cincinnati. He now has 9.5 on the season and is half a sack away from reaching double figures in that statistical category. Fellow edge rusher Nik Bonitto has already eclipsed that mark, currently sitting with 11.5 sacks. The Broncos have six players with at least five sacks.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin: The second-year running back only needed 14 offensive snaps to make an impact. After McLaughlin missed last week’s game with a quad injury, he was among the bright spots on offense for Denver on Saturday, totaling 10 carries for 69 yards. He had four rushing attempts gain 10-plus yards. The Broncos finished with 123 yards on the ground — the most in a game since Week 9.
WR Marvin Mims Jr.: Denver’s speedy wide receiver had eight catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns, marking the second time in four games he eclipsed 100 yards receiving. Mims generated 41 yards after catch and averaged 4.6 yards of separation. He had six receptions with three-plus yards of separation.
Stock Down
CB Ja’Quan McMillian: It was a pretty rough afternoon for any Broncos cornerback not named Pat Surtain II. McMillian gave up five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown to Higgins in the second quarter. Fifty-nine of McMillian’s yards allowed came from wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, according to Next Gen Stats. McMillian also was penalized twice for illegal contact.
Punter Riley Dixon: Dixon picked the wrong game to have his worst performance of the season. He averaged a season-low 41.5 yards on four punts and failed to pin the ball inside the 20-yard line. Dixon booted two punts near midfield during overtime, which gave quarterback Joe Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense solid field position to work with.
HC Sean Payton: The past two games have been rough for Denver’s head coach. Last week, the offense was held to six points in the second half after dropping 21 in the first two quarters vs. the Chargers. In Cincinnati, the Broncos only scored three points in the first half against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The game was littered with questionable decisions. Instead of running the ball on third-and-short during Denver’s first scoring drive, Bo Nix threw a fade to Courtland Sutton that had no chance. As well as Jaleel McLaughlin played, he had only two carries in the first half. And while players defended Payton’s decision to not go for two after Marvin Mims Jr.’s 25-yard TD, it was an odd time for Payton to stop being aggressive.
DC Vance Joseph: Joseph’s defense sacked Burrow seven times and it still wasn’t enough. Denver’s defense has been shaky during the back half of the season and it’s concerning. The Broncos have given up an average of 27.3 points and 435.25 yards in the last four games. They have allowed 100-plus rushing yards in three straight games.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.