KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Here’s a look at whose stock improved or declined after the Broncos’ 16-14 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.
Stock Up
RB Audric Estime: When the Broncos drafted Estime in the fifth round of the 2024 draft, head coach Sean Payton said the former Notre Dame standout had the potential to be an early-down running back. Estime showed glimpses in the loss, recording 53 yards on 14 carries and averaging 3.8 yards per attempt. Estime has the speed and strength to rack up yards. He’s averaged 5.1 yards on 29 carries so far as a rookie. Denver has been seeking more production from its running backs. Estime showed he could be the answer if given the opportunity.
OLB Nik Bonitto: Denver’s third-year outside linebacker was explosive off the edge. Bonitto had a sack, three quarterback hits and six pressures, including three in under 2.5 seconds, according to Next Gen Stats. In the last five games, he has collected four sacks and 21 pressures. Bonitto is one sack away from matching last season’s total of eight.
DE Zach Allen: After Allen was shut down by Baltimore’s offensive line last week, he made an impact against the Chiefs, who entered Week 10 with 16 sacks allowed and the NFL’s third-lowest pressure rate at 26.3%. He had four pressures and notched his fifth sack of the year in the first quarter. Denver didn’t get the outcome it had hoped for, but Allen and the defensive line did everything they could to give the Broncos a chance.
WR Devaughn Vele: Denver’s rookie wideout is emerging as a reliable third-down target for quarterback Bo Nix. Three of Vele’s four receptions came on third down, including a 6-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. The former Utah pass-catcher finished with 39 yards while averaging 9.8 yards per catch.
Stock Down
Third-quarter offense: The Broncos need better offensive production in the third quarter. On 11 plays, Denver was unable to build on its four-point halftime lead. The Broncos were held scoreless and collected 22 yards to start the second half. They had the same issue last week. Denver had -2 yards on six plays while the Ravens scored 14 unanswered. This season, the Broncos (57.4) are 29th in total yards in the third quarter and last in passing yards (28.1).
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WR Courtland Sutton: Sutton wasn’t bad. Six catches for 70 receiving yards and a touchdown is a modest performance for Denver’s veteran wide receiver. However, the dropped pass near the end of the second quarter was costly. If he’d caught it, the Broncos would’ve been in a good position to score three points before going into the locker room. A few plays earlier, Sutton’s penalty issues crept up when he was flagged for offensive offside.
RB Javonte Williams: When Payton hinted earlier in the week that he would make some changes at running back, he wasn’t lying. Williams had one carry for a single yard. Second-year wideout Marvin Mims Jr. had more opportunities in the run game than Williams did, recording three carries for 17 yards. If the Broncos plan to move forward with Estime as their top ball carrier, what’s next for Williams? Despite his struggles in the run game, he has been a solid receiver (31 catches for 222 yards) and could be used on third-down situations, similar to Samaje Perine last season.
Center Alex Forsyth: Forsyth getting bull-rushed on the blocked field goal attempt in the closing seconds wasn’t the first time Kansas City did that to the second-year center. He got knocked back on an extra point attempt and kicker Wil Lutz’s 60-yard field goal attempt that was short. In the biggest moment of the game, the Chiefs doubled up to knock Forsyth on his back before linebacker Leo Chenal deflected the ball to keep his team’s perfect record intact.
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