Broncos Player Grades from Blowout Victory Over Cowboys

Bo Nix | Grade: 84.9

Outside of the interception and a handful of other plays, Nix was exceptional against the Cowboys. He was attacking every level of the field and was smart with his decision-making, and took more calculated risks than Denver had seen out of him over the first seven weeks of the season. 

The Positive 

Troy Franklin | WR | Grade: 79.7

Denver got a massive game out of Franklin, who has proven he is adept at feasting against zone coverages, which the Cowboys run nearly 90% of the time. It was a massive day for the second-year receiver, who had been quiet over the preceding few weeks.

J.K. Dobbins | RB | Grade: 79.5

Dobbins has been a significant addition for the Broncos. He now has a pair of 100-yard rushing games and already has 121 more yards on the ground than the Broncos' leading rusher last year, Javonte Williams.

Dobbins has become a consistent and reliable runner after being more boom-or-bust in the first few games. 

D.J. Jones | DL | Grade: 78.3

Jones has been a massive presence for the Broncos on the interior, causing disruption upfront. While the Cowboys still had success running the ball, it wasn’t at the fault of Jones. 

Evan Engram | TE | Grade: 76.4

This was one of the best games from Engram since coming to the Broncos, as he did well working as a blocker and made some critical catches for the offense. Denver will need Engram to step up again next week against a tough Houston Texans defense. 

Jonathon Cooper | OLB | 76.2 

Cooper had an advantage over Cowboys right tackle Terrance Steele, and while he didn’t pick up a sack, he added three pressures and did well holding up against the run. On top of that, he was close to a massive play where he dropped into coverage and batted a pass that he nearly picked off. 

Patrick Surtain II | CB | Grade: 75.7

This was the toughest receiver-quarterback pairing the Broncos faced all season, and Surtain was a shutdown corner. Unfortunately, he missed the second half and has some concerns over a shoulder injury. 

The Negative

Adam Trautman | TE | Grade: 39.5

With the trade deadline approaching, the Broncos should explore the tight end market — and watching Trautman's highlights is why. There were a couple of good plays, but there was far more bad than good. 

Kris Abrams-Draine | CB | Grade: 47.3

It was a tough ask for Abrams-Draine, and he did well, all things considered. The only issue is how far off he plays his coverages, especially on certain downs where he plays beyond the sticks, but that is correctable and not all his fault. 

Alex Palczewski | LG | Grade: 47.6

The Broncos got good results from Palczewski as a run blocker, but his pass protection can be problematic against better interior defensive linemen. There are many positives to take away from his game that should keep the Broncos rolling with him as their starter. 

Mike McGlinchey | RT | Grade: 49.3

McGlinchey is a great run blocker, but there were some miscues against the Cowboys. His play in pass protection was concerning, especially given the quality of the Cowboys' pass rushers, but he turned in a solid game. 

Ja’Quan McMillian | CB | Grade: 55.9

There is nothing worse than a player grading out positively and ending up in the negatives, but it is also a good thing because it means their side of the ball played so well. McMillian played a solid game, but most of the other defenders played better. 

Riley Moss | CB | Grade: 57.1

Penalties aren’t factored in for grading, but Moss does not get the benefit of the doubt from refs when it comes to defensive pass interference. While the penalties were technically correct, both occurred in ‘let them play’ situations.

The Cowboys clearly emphasized Moss in their game plan and with the refs. Fortunately, outside of a couple of plays, he severely limited the Cowboys' receivers. 

Other Noteworthy Grades 

Dondrea Tillman | OLB | Grade: 72.9

The Broncos' edge rusher got into coverage and gave the Broncos their second interception of the game, and he did a great job turning into a ball carrier and getting the ball in a better position for the offense. Maybe Sean Payton should look at some Tillman reps on offense. 

Garett Bolles | LT | Grade: 72.4

Bolles has been the NFL's best left tackle so far this season, and he kept up his excellent play against the Cowboys. He shut out the Cowboys' pass rushers in pass protection and did a great job with his run blocking. 

Eyioma Uwazurike | DL | Grade: 70.1

Even after the suspension, the Broncos have stuck by Uwazurike, and he's starting to show more consistency, building on the flashes he has had throughout the season. This was the first game of his career where Uwazurike was positively graded for every snap he took. 

Luke Wattenberg | OC | Grade: 65.8

Did the Broncos finally find their long-term center? Probably not, but Wattenberg had a great showing against the Cowboys. The question now is whether he can turn it into a string of great games, even against tougher players.