The Broncos opened the season with a 1-0 record — and even better for Denver fans, the Chiefs sit at the bottom of the AFC West. While the win was far from perfect, the defense delivered on its preseason promise, finishing Week 1 as the league’s top-ranked unit. The offense had its struggles, but flashes of potential suggest Denver has room to grow and excel as the season unfolds. Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its Week 1 player grades, highlighting the best and worst individual performances.
Offense
Best Players
- G Ben Powers: 76.9
- G Quinn Meinerz: 76.8
- WR Courtland Sutton: 70.4
- RB J.K. Dobbins: 68.3
- OT Garett Bolles: 68.2
Denver’s offense delivered a largely underwhelming performance, though a few late-game moments stood out. The ground attack surged in the fourth quarter, with Dobbins finding the end zone and RJ Harvey (66.4) breaking out for a 50-yard run. Both are already on pace to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards, a mark no Broncos back has reached since Phillip Lindsay in 2019. Sutton also provided a spark, showcasing the value of his four-year, $92 million extension with a contested touchdown grab that gave Denver its first lead.
Worst Players
- WR Trent Sherfield: 39.3
- QB Bo Nix: 40.5
- TE Adam Trautman: 45.9
- OL Alex Palczewski: 49.7
- TE Lucas Krull: 50.0
The biggest disappointment of the day was Nix. He completed 25 of 40 passes for 176 yards, throwing one touchdown, but also tossed two interceptions and lost a fumble. His overall efficiency was a concern, averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt, and at times, his ball placement suffered from poor mechanics. He’ll look to rebound against the Colts.
Defense
Best Players
- OLB Nik Bonitto: 91.5
- CB Ja’Quan McMillian: 87.2
- LB Justin Strnad: 85.3
- CB Riley Moss: 78.7
- OLB Jonathon Cooper: 74.8
Fresh off a lucrative contract extension, Bonitto showed he was well worth the money. The edge rusher tallied a career-high nine pressures, along with a sack and two tackles. Pat Surtain II (71.4) broke up the only pass thrown his way. Jonah Elliss (68.3) also made the most of limited snaps, recording a sack, a quarterback hit, and a tackle for loss in just 23 plays.
Worst Players
- DL Zach Allen: 48.2
- LB Alex Singleton: 49.1
- CB Jahdae Barron: 50.3
- DB Brandon Jones: 52.4
- OLB Dondrea Tillman: 54.1
With the way Denver’s defense performed, it’s hard to find much to criticize. Per PFF, Alex Singleton missed a tackle and allowed two catches for 34 yards in his first game back from last season’s ACL tear. Barron posted a low grade as well, but came up with the game-sealing fumble recovery in his rookie debut.
Special Teams
- ST Devon Key: 67.9
- K Wil Lutz: 64.9 (FG) 60.0 (KO)
- P Jeremy Crawshaw: 64.3
- LS Mitchell Fraboni: 63.9
- WR Marvin Mims Jr.: 58.7 (KR) 40.7 (PR)
After a preseason filled with questions, Crawshaw silenced critics in his debut, averaging 48.0 yards per punt with all three attempts landing inside the 20. Mims Jr. had a costly muffed punt, but the defense bailed him out, preventing any points off the turnover.
Nix and the offense will look to regroup in Week 2, while the defense gets another opportunity to shine against Daniel Jones. The Broncos hit the road to Indianapolis to take on the Colts this Sunday at 2:05 p.m. MST.