Denver Broncos Week 16 Player Power Rankings: Mistakes, Miscues, and Mediocrity

Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers on October 13, 2024, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO.
DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 13: Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Chargers on October 13, 2024, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. (Photo by Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire)

The Denver Broncos fell 34-27 to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, after squandering an 11-point halftime lead to their divisional rivals.

In the first half, the Broncos looked to be well on their way to clinching their first playoff birth since 2015, but it quickly turned into a Jim Harbaugh coaching masterclass highlighted by the first successful free-kick in the NFL since 1976.

Justin Herbert carved up Denver’s stalwart defense both through the air and on the ground in the second half. 

It was a sloppy game from the boys in orange and blue as they repeatedly extended Charger drives with poorly timed penalties. That said, the Broncos undoubtedly got the short end of the figurative refereeing stick multiple times, but ultimately, the lack of any offense in the second half sunk any chances at victory.

Let’s take a look at some of the individual performances from Denver’s Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Last Week’s Power Rankings

No change at the top as Pat Surtain II continues to strengthen his case for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Surtain has been so dominant this season that targeting him in coverage has resulted in a passer rating of 39.1. The passer rating of throwing the ball into the turf every single time, instead of throwing at Surtain, would be 39.6.

Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto continue their back-and-forth battle for the No. 2 spot on our list as Allen claims the spot this week after offering one of the few strong individual defensive performances from this defense against the Chargers.

Allen proved once again how valuable he is in the run game, consistently disrupting the Chargers ground attack with his presence.

His Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade supports that point as they ranked him as the 11th-best interior defensive lineman against the run in week 16.

Nik Bonitto was virtually invisible against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night.

For the first time since Week 9 Bonitto failed to record a sack as he managed just one pressure, his fewest since Week 2.

While Casa Bonitto may have been on holiday in Week 16, expect a rebound game in a possible playoff-clinching bout on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals and current NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson.

While rookie cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine performed solidly in his place, even notching his first career interception, the weeks Riley Moss has missed with injury have highlighted just how vital the former third-round pick has become to this team.

Moss is set to make his return Sunday where he will have his work cut out for him as the Broncos attempt to slow down Joe Burrow and the high-flying Bengals in a pivotal matchup.

Working against one of the best defenses in the league Garett Bolles once again provided lockdown security for Bo Nix.

If he can continue to stonewall defenders and avoid penalties, he will be key to the Denver Broncos’ playoff hopes.

On a day where the defense looked uncharacteristically permeable, Brandon Jones continued to be an anchoring force in the secondary.

Jones has shown an ability and willingness to get down and dirty in the run game as well, leveraging his 6-foot, 191-pound frame to tally a team-leading 10 tackles against the Chargers. 

Ja’Quan McMillian has quietly become one of the best slot cornerbacks in the league. 

According to NextGenStats (NGS), McMillian has faced 87 targets this season, the most by any slot cornerback and third-most by any player.

He has allowed -4.0 receptions over expected (5th-fewest among slot corners), including -3.3 in his last two games. McMillian has allowed a 60.9% completion percentage as the nearest defender this season, the 7th-lowest among slot cornerbacks (min. 20 targets).

Over the seven routes he was matched up against Ladd McConkey on Thursday, McMillian allowed just 1 reception for seven yards.

While it wasn’t a flashy performance, Courtland Sutton continues to be a much-needed veteran presence in the room. 

He has obvious chemistry with Bo Nix but he needs to show he can consistently be dominant if he’s going to be the WR1 going forward, which is something the Broncos will likely have to make a determination on this offseason. 

While he protected the ball well, this past outing was a mediocre performance for the rookie, as he struggled to move the ball against the Chargers’ Jessie Minter-led defense.

He badly underthrew Marvin Mims on what should have been a walk-in fourth-quarter touchdown. Controversially, no flag was thrown and the Broncos would end up punting the ball back to the Chargers, who would take the lead on the ensuing drive.

Whether it was the scheme, defense, Nix being uncomfortable, or a combination of all as he was limited to check-downs, screens, and scrambles as his only forms of offense. He’s going to need to do more in what could be a shootout against the playoff-hungry Bengals.

What a turnaround for Marvin Mims this season.

Hailed as an elite deep ball threat out of college, he had spotty play in his rookie year. 

Coming into his second season, many expected him to take a step forward and cement himself into the classic Sean Payton “Joker” role. Early in the season, that looked like a pipe dream as he struggled to find a consistent role in the offense. 

But over the last few weeks, he’s battled back turning himself into the most explosive part of the Denver Broncos offense. Sean Payton is starting to open up the playbook for Mims and is scheming up ways to get him the ball in space, allowing him to do what he does best.

Honorable Mentions: DJ Jones, Malcolm Roach, Jonathon Cooper, Mike McGlinchey, DeVaughn Vele
Dropped from Top 10: Mike McGlinchey (9th last week), Jonathon Cooper (10th last week)

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Liam Hammer