Broncos Player Grades From Heartbreaking Loss to Patriots

Talanoa Hufanga | S | Grade: 81.3

The Broncos were out to send a message on defense, and they did. Hufanga was all over the field for the defense, making big plays, but what's more, he cut down on coverage busts.

That said, he did add another dropped interception to his tally. 

Alex Singleton | LB | Grade: 80.7

The soon-to-be free agent linebacker played an excellent game and looked his best in coverage. There are issues with Singleton's game, but his heart and toughness are unmatched, and Denver should look at re-signing him. 

Dre Greenlaw | LB | Grade: 76.5

This was Greenlaw's first game in Denver without a bunch of issues, and it was his best game as a Bronco. Denver mitigated some of his coverage busts by taking him off the field in some obvious passing situations. 

Garett Bolles | LT | Grade: 62.7

The Broncos' offensive line struggled, but when compared to everyone else, they did alright overall. Bolles was the best of the group, allowing only two pressures and doing well as a run blocker. 

Ben Powers | LG | Grade: 61.3

Powers allowed three pressures on the game and also did well as a run blocker. When focusing on the offensive line, there were some major issues elsewhere, with the left side holding up decently well. 

Mike McGlinchey | RT | Grade: 56.2

The right tackle had some issues as a run blocker and allowed two pressures, but still was one of the better players on offense. Both McGlinchey and Powers showed they should stick in Denver for another season. 

The Negative

Adam Trautman | TE | Grade: 21.5

Trautman made one thing clear for the Broncos: they have to find a legitimate in-line tight end, because Trautman can’t handle the job. His blocking was back to being a liability for this offense, and he doesn’t do enough as a receiver to make up for it. 

Quinn Meinerz | RG | Grade: 25.1

Meinerz allowed ix pressures and was consistently beat in the run game. He was outclassed by the Patriots' defensive line, which attacked him the same way again and again, with success each time. This was the first time in Meinerz's career that he had been beaten as severely as he was. 

Courtland Sutton | WR | Grade: 43.7

At one point in his career, Sutton was the guy you turned to to make a play, but he failed to come down with them in this game. Part of the issue is the lack of chemistry with the backup quarterback, but he missed on a couple of passes that should’ve been catches. 

Riley Moss | CB | Grade: 48.2

There was one mistake in coverage in what was otherwise a solid game for Moss, and it came at the worst time. Before that, there were some small issues, but nothing was game-breaking. It wasn’t a great game, minus that one play, but it was still solid. 

Jonah Elliss | OLB | Grade: 50.1

Being a little overaggressive can hurt, as can not respecting the quarterback's legs, and that caught Elliss on the game-clinching first-down run by the Patriots. That play was a bad one from Elliss, and his reaction on the field after the game made it clear he knew it. 

Deondrea Tillman | OLB | Grade: 51.9

The Broncos' backup edge rushers were struggling throughout the game, and Tillman was having issues holding up against the run. He showed a lot of growth from last season to this season, so hopefully he can keep on developing. 

Other Noteworthy Grades

Eyioma Uwazurike | IDL | Grade: 72.4

The Broncos used Uwazurike a lot because the game plan for New England was to run the block out. Uwazurike had some early lane discipline issues, but he settled down. There is a reason he is being considered a John Franklin-Myers replacement next season. 

Jonathon Cooper | OLB | Grade: 70.6

To be blunt, Cooper was a liability for this defense since Week 10, and the Broncos needed him to step up. The Patriots put a lot of focus on Nik Bonitto, and Cooper ended up making some big plays, taking advantage of the attention being on his counterpart. 

Luke Wattenberg | C | Grade: 50.9

It was a rough one in his first game back, with some bad moments but also some good ones. He allowed two pressures, but the Patriots focused on him in the run game, with great success for them. 

RJ Harvey | RB | Grade: 47.6

Harvey entered the NFL with great vision, but in this game, it was like he was blindfolded. He did well on some runs, but he left a lot of yards on the field because he wasn’t seeing the path for bigger gains. Denver has to get more out of him as a runner next year and keep him progressing as a pass protector.

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