Here’s a look at which players improved their stock or watched it decline after the Broncos’ 26-7 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.
Stock Up
RT Alex Palczewski: With Mike McGlinchey on the injured reserve list, Palczewski — a second-year offensive lineman — held his own in his first career start at right tackle. He allowed only one pressure, as quarterback Bo Nix wasn’t sacked on 39 dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. As a whole, the Broncos’ offensive line delivered their best of the season. Denver’s interior offensive linemen — left guard Ben Powers, right guard Quinn Meinerz and center Luke Wattenberg — did not allow a single pressure against the Buccaneers. Left tackle Garett Bolles allowed two pressures.
Safety Brandon Jones: Against Tampa Bay, Jones showed he has the potential to be a playmaker on the back end. He recorded an interception in the first quarter before recovering a fumble in the fourth to help secure the win. Jones has adjusted smoothly to Denver’s defense, ranking third on the team in total tackles with 19.
WR Courtland Sutton: Nix-and-Sutton buddy ball was in full effect. After having five catches for 64 yards despite having a team-high 16 targets in the first two games, Sutton found a groove against Tampa Bay. He had seven catches for 68 yards on 11 targets. In the first half, Sutton had four catches for 55 yards, including a 22-yard catch on the first play of the game.
CB Riley Moss: Denver’s second-year cornerback deserves a round of applause. In his third career start, Moss gave up four catches for 22 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. Against Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin, Moss gave up two catches for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Stock Down
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RB Javonte Williams: Williams’ starting job could be in jeopardy. The former North Carolina standout had five carries for 12 yards and fumbled the ball in the second quarter. Meanwhile, running back Tyler Badie went off for 70 yards on nine carries, including a 43-yard run in the fourth quarter. At this point, Denver might have to give Badie carries as the top running back. He has more rushing yards (86) than Williams (52) despite having fewer attempts. Nix has had more rushing attempts result in a first down (11) compared to Williams with two.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin: McLaughlin did his best Kyrie Irving impression — snatching a defender’s ankles before scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. McLaughlin’s overall body of work, however, wasn’t impressive. He had five carries for seven yards while averaging 1.4 yards per carry. There have been a few instances this season where McLaughlin showcased his burst, which made him an intriguing player in the running back room. But he has yet to deliver on a consistent basis, especially in the last two games where he combined to rush for 13 yards on eight carries.
TE Greg Dulcich: Denver’s tight end has yet to make his presence felt on offense. After Dulcich dropped two crucial passes in the loss to Pittsburgh, he didn’t have a single catch in 17 offensive snaps on Sunday. Dulcich has five catches for 28 yards through three games. If the Broncos want to build off their offensive performance against Tampa Bay, they will need to get him going.
Offensive line discipline: Despite the encouraging effort from the Broncos’ offensive line, they still struggled with penalties. In the second quarter, Denver was at Tampa Bay’s 14-yard line when Bolles was flagged for holding. Two plays later, Powers was penalized for an illegal block in the back. The Broncos settled for a field goal but the two penalties cost them a chance of scoring a touchdown.
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