The Broncos offense isn’t always what you want it to be.
At the end of games, it can be dominant. For the other three quarters, not so much. It’s hard to get a grip on what the unit is, except that it is defined by its inconsistency.
The grades through the bye week reflect that.
BRONCOS GRADES BY OFFENSIVE POSITION GROUP
QUARTERBACK: B-MINUS
If Bo Nix were graded on, say, the fourth quarter alone, we’d be talking about an A. Nix ranks seventh in the NFL in fourth-quarter EPA-per-play. But in quarters 1-3, he ranks 27th. No statistic better illustrates the gap between Captain Clutch in the final moments and an ordinary passer for much of the game.
His deep-ball accuracy is down, and that’s the spot from which much of his production decline stems. Remedy that, and the Broncos could have a Super Bowl offense.
RUNNING BACK: B
J.K. Dobbins by himself would have given this group an A, but as a group, RJ Harvey’s work to find his form, Tyler Badie’s drop rate and an incomplete ledger for Jaleel McLaughlin — who has played in just two games so far this season — bring the grade down to a solid “B.”
Harvey has the NFL’s second-lowest success rate among 54 running backs with at least 50 rushing attempts this year (37.7 percent); by comparison, Dobbins ranks 20th with a success rate of 53.6 percent.
Harvey will get plenty of chances to improve; if he grows and kicks up his form, this could be back to an “A” by Week 18.
WIDE RECEIVER: B-MINUS
Courtland Sutton is having a year that looks much like his first season with Nix at quarterback, although his drop rate — one every 12.3 catchable passes — is a bit higher than you’d like, but an improvement over last year.
Pat Bryant has shown promise; his 15-catch, 231-yard season is typical of a third-round rookie. Thirteen of his 15 receptions have moved the chains, the highest such rate among Broncos wide receivers.
It’s a different case for Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr., whose success has come in spurts. Just nine of Mims’ 22 catches have resulted in first downs; for Franklin, it’s 24 of 46. Failed screen passes account for some of the issues.
There is room for growth here, and it would start by involving Mims as a ballcarrier and being more intentional about getting him the football
OFFENSIVE LINE: A-MINUS
It’s not quite as dominant as it was last year, sapped by injuries to Ben Powers and Matt Peart, forcing the Broncos into No. 3 option Alex Palczewski at left guard. Quinn Meinerz has also been dealing with an illness and does not rank in the NFL’s top 20 interior offensive linemen in pass-block win rate, per ESPN Analytics.
But Garett Bolles (No. 7) and Mike McGlinchey (No. 12) are top-tier tackles in pass-block win rate. Pro Football Focus ranks the entire line as No. 1 in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency; ESPN Analytics places the line No. 4 in pass-block win rate and No. 8 in run-block win rate. Powers didn’t allow a sack in five games prior to his injury. Luke Wattenberg ranked seventh among NFL centers in pressure rate allowed, per PFF data.
The Broncos’ O-line remains the club’s finest position group on that side of the ball.
TIGHT END: C-MINUS
Denver’s tight-end room has more pass-catching production than it did last year thanks to the arrival of Evan Engram, but he has yet to get untracked in the way that some had hoped prior to the season. After notching 365 yards on 47 catches in nine games last year, he has 260 yards on 32 receptions in 10 games played this year, along with his worst drop rate in five years. Engram entered last week with the NFL’s worst drop rate among 39 tight ends with 20 or more targets.
Adam Trautman is one of the league’s better pass-protecting tight ends, but he has five penalties, more than all but one player on the offense (Wattenberg). Nate Adkins is the best run blocker in the room, while Marcedes Lewis struggled early with a pair of penalties after joining the Broncos.
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