One would think Broncos Country would be used to the heart-stopping games by now, but some things never get easier. Despite entering as 13.5-point favorites, the Broncos barely edged out the Chiefs in a one-score victory. Still, a win’s a win. Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its Week 16 player grades, highlighting the best and worst individual performances.
Offense
Best
- OT Mike McGlinchey: 87.0
- QB Bo Nix: 82.8
- OG Quinn Meinerz: 80.3
- C Alex Forsyth: 78.0
- TE Adam Trautman: 71.9
Nix’s reputation as a clutch performer continues to grow. Jokes aside about his fear of dogs, he clearly isn’t rattled by high-pressure moments. After Thursday’s game, Nix became the only quarterback in NFL history to record 20-plus wins, 7,500-plus passing yards, and 50-plus passing touchdowns in his first two seasons.
Worst
- FB Adam Prentice: 35.7
- TE Evan Engram: 51.2
- WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey: 53.5
- WR Marvin Mims Jr.: 53.9
- WR Courtland Sutton: 59.0
It was a rough night for Sutton, defined largely by costly drops. He finished 4-for-10 on targets, including a dropped touchdown. Still, there was a bright spot: a clutch 23-yard reception in the third quarter that set the Broncos up to take the lead.
Defense
Best
- DL D.J. Jones: 91.5
- OLB Jonah Elliss: 90.1
- DL Malcolm Roach: 82.1
- DL Eyioma Uwazurike: 77.3
- OLB Nik Bonitto: 74.2
Though the game was closer than it should have been, the defense’s performance was unfairly judged. Kansas City managed just 148 total yards of offense, and their only touchdown came off a short field following Nix’s interception. It was a lower-than-usual sack total for the unit, though Elliss and Dondrea Tillman (50.6) each recorded one, per PFF.
Worst
- CB Pat Surtain II: 44.1
- OLB Dondrea Tillman: 50.6
- DL Zach Allen: 52.6
- LB Justin Strnad: 60.7
- CB Jahdae Barron: 61.2
Surtain was clearly hurt by a questionable pass-interference call, even though the ball appeared uncatchable. According to PFF, he allowed three catches on four targets for 32 yards. He also finished with five total tackles and one missed tackle.
Special Teams
- ST Reese Taylor: 81.9
- LS Mitchell Fraboni: 51.4
- KR Marvin Mims Jr.: 60.7
- P Jeremy Crawshaw: 60.9
- K Wil Lutz: 63.9 (FG) 60.0 (KO)
It was a bounce-back performance for Lutz, who converted both of his field-goal attempts and all of his extra points. With the game coming down to the wire, it was reassuring to see him return to form after last week’s miss against the Jaguars.
With one more regular-season game, the Broncos now hold the fate of being the No. 1 seed in their own hands. They will host the Los Angeles Chargers at home with kickoff scheduled for 11:00 a.m. PST.