MORSE: A Deep Dive Into the Denver Broncos
MORSE's Broncos Breakdown: An In-Depth Look at Denver's Roster and Matchup
Follow us
Follow Us
🕑 Read Time: 8 minutes
Posted Under: Patriots News
HOME > Patriots Blog > Patriots News
The matchup versus the Broncos took a bizarre twist when Sean Payton told the assembled media in his post-game press conference that QB Bo Nix broke his ankle and would be lost for the remainder of the season. That thrust former Patriots Draft Pick Jarrett Stidham into the starting role.
Broncos Offense (w/ Bo Nix at QB)
Overall 342.6 YPG 10th
Passing 223.9 YPG 11th
Rushing 118.7 YPG 16th
Scoring 23.6 PPG 14th
Red Zone 57.9% 13th
#3rd Down 41.2% 10th
| 3WR 1TE | ||||
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| QB | Jarrett Stidham | Sam Ehlinger | Bo Nix O | – |
| RB | RJ Harvey | Jaleel McLaughlin | Tyler Badie | J.K. Dobbins IR |
| WR | Courtland Sutton | Marvin Mims | ||
| WR | Troy Franklin Q | Lil’ Jordan Humphrey | ||
| WR | Pat Bryant Q | – | – | |
| TE | Evan Engram | Adam Trautman | Nate Adkins | Lucas Krull IR |
| FB | Adam Prentice | Michael Burton IR | ||
| LT | Garett Bolles | Matt Peart IR | – | |
| LG | Ben Powers | Alex Palczewski | Matt Peart IR | |
| C | Alex Forsyth Q | Sam Mustipher | Luke Wattenberg IR | |
| RG | Quinn Meinerz | Nick Gargiulo IR | – | – |
| RT | Mike McGlinchey | Alex Palczewski | Frank Crum | |
Jarrett Stidham did not throw a single pass in any regular-season game the last two seasons for the Broncos. Further, the Patriots have a huge advantage of knowing Stidham’s strengths and weaknesses. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2019 in the 4th round, pick #133. He played for Josh McDaniels in New England and then followed him to Las Vegas when McDaniels was the head coach. I have a lot of respect for Denver head Coach Sean Payton’s ability to get Stidham ready for Sunday. The pressure is all on Stidham.
At running back, the Brocos got good news that their top running back, JK Dobbins, will be available for the game. He is coming off IR. He led Denver in rushing with 153 carries for 772 yards, 5.0 YPC, 5 TDs, and no Fumbles. He had 21 runs of 10+ yards on the season. As a receiver, he had 11 Catches on 14 Targets for 37 yards, 3.37 YPC, and 0 TDs. Rookie RJ Harvey has picked up the slack in Dobbins absence. He has rushed 146 times for 540 yards, 3.7 YPC, with 3 TDs and 1 Fumble. Out of the backfiel,d he has 47 Catches on 58 Targets, for 356 Yards, 7.6 YPC, and 5 TDs. Adam Prentice is the Fullback. He had 10 Carries for 44 Yards, 4.4 YPC, and 0 TDs. He is mostly a blocking back, but had 6 Receptions on 8 Targets for 52 YPC, 8.8 YPC, and 0 TDs.
The receiver room took a couple of big hits last week versus the Bills. WR Pat Bryant was ruled out with a concussion early in the game. He is currently listed as Questionable but was limited in practice on Wednesday, which means that he is making progress to play on Sunday. Troy Franklin hurt his hamstring in the game, and he is also listed as Questionable. He was limited in practice on Wednesday. Watch the Broncos Injury Report to see if Bryant practices in a Red non-Contact jersey on a limited basis. That would indicate that he has made progress in the Concussion protocol. This is his second concussion this year, so they may be more cautious with him playing.
Cortland Sutton is a legitimate #1 receiver. On the season, he had 74 Catches on 124 Targets for 1,017 Yards, 13.7 YPC, and 7 TDs. Troy Franklin had 65 Catches on 104 Targets for 709 Yards, 10.9 YPC, and 6 TDs. Marvin Mims added 37 Catches on 5 Targets for 322 Yards, 8.7 YPC, and 1 TD. Pat Bryant had 31 Catches on 49 Targets for 378 Yards and a TD. Former Patriot Lil’Jordan Humphrey is a big target and would fill the 3rd WR role. On the season, he had 9 Catches on 15 Targets for 101 Yards, 11.2 YPC, and 1 TD. Note that the Patriots signed former Denver WR Trent Sherfield to their Practice Squad. This could be to ascertain intel on the Denver passing game.
The Broncos have a couple of good TEs. Evan Engram had 50 catches on 76 Targets for 461 yards, 9.2 YPC, and 1 TD. Adam Trautman is another capable TE. On the season, he had 20 Catches on 23 Targets for 195 Yards, 9.8 YPC, and 1 TD.
The Offensive line for Denver is the best in the NFL, and the best the Patriots have seen all year. It starts with Garrett Bolles at Left Tackle. The 6’3”, 300-pound tackle played at Utah and was selected in the 2017 Draft by Denver in the 1st round (20). His PFF grade for the season is 89.3, 5th of 89 Tackles. For the Regular Season and Post-Season, he didn’t give up a Sack, 6 QB Hits, 15 Hurries, and 21 Pressures.
Left Guard Ben Powers is 6’4”, 310 pounds, and played at Oklahoma. He was selected in the 2019 Draft by Baltimore in the 4th Round (123). His PFF Grade is 62.4good for 39th amongst 81 Guards. In the Regular Season and postseason, he has given 0 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, 11 Hurries, and 12 Pressures in 10 games, including the playoff game last week. Alex Forsyth is listed as the starter at Center, although listed as Questionable here, he has practiced as a Full Participant the last two days. The 6’4” 312-pound Center played at Oregon and was selected and drafted in the 2023 draft by Denver in the 7th Round (259). His PFF grade is 65.6, but he doesn’t have enough snaps to qualify for a ranking.
Luke Wattenberg was the starter but he is coming off IR. They haven’t activated him yet. Wattenberg is 6’5”, 300 pounds, and played at Washington. He was selected in the 2022 Draft by Denver in the 5th Round (171). His PFF grade is 70.9, good for 9th amongst 40 Centers. On the season he has given up 0 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, 10 Hurries and 13 Pressures. If he can go, that will be a big boost to Denver. Sam Mustipher was pressed into duty at Center last week. The 6’2”, 322-pound Center played for Notre Dame and was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent after the 2019 Draft by Chicago. His PFF grade ius 58.7 but doesn’t have enough snaps to qualify for a ranking. For the season, including the playoff game last week, he hasn’t given up a Sack, QB Hit, Hurry, or any pressure.
Now to my favorite Offensive Lineman in the League, RG Quinn (Gut) Meinerz. Fascinating story with Meinerz. He played at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, a Division III program. His Senior season was cancelled due to COVID. He spent that year in the woods at his family camp in Ontario. He cut down trees and hauled them out. He also taught himself how to play Center and perform a shotgun snap. Somehow, he got an invitation to the East – West Shrine game, and it ended up being cancelled. Miraculously, he got a late call to the Senior Bowl.
All he did was dominate the one-on-one reps. He got the nickname Gut because he always wore half-shirts with his gut hanging out. I had an exchange with Evan Lazar, who does a great job with Draft coverage. He didn’t have Meinerz in his top 50 players. He stated that Meinerz was strictly a Center and the Patriots had just signed David Andrews to a long-term contract. This was another mistake GM Bill Belichick made. The 6’3”, 320-pound Guard played for DIII Wisconsin-Whitewater and was selected in the 3rd Round (98) of the 2021 Draft by Denver. His PFF grade is 90.9, 1st amongst all 81 Guards. On the season, he has given up 2 sacks, 5 QB Hits, 19 Hurries, and 26 Pressures. Mike McGlinchey isa 6’8”, 315-pound Tackle who played at Notre Dame and was selected in the 2018 1st Round (9). His PFF grade is 71.7, good for 19th of 89 Tackles.
Overall, the Broncos are the #5 rated Defense in the league:
Overall 278.2 YPG #2
Passing 187.2 YPG #7
Rushing 91.1 YPG #2
Scoring 18.3 PPG #3
Red Zone 42.6% #1
3rd Down 33.8% #2
Denver Pass Rush
Sacks 1st
QB Hits 1st
Pressure 1st
Pressure Rate 2nd
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | |
| LDE | Zach Allen | Jordan Jackson | Matt Henningsen IR |
| NT | D.J. Jones | Eyioma Uwazurike | |
| RDE | John Franklin – Myers | Malcolm Roach | Sai’vion Jones |
| WLB | Jonathon Cooper | Jonah Elliss | Que Robinson |
| LILB | Alex Singleton | Karene Reid | Jordan Turner |
| RILB | Dre Greenlaw | Justin Strnad | Drew Sanders IR |
| SLB | Nik Bonitto | Dondrea Tillman | Johnny Walker IR |
| LCB | Pat Surtain II | Kris Abrams-Draine | – |
| SS | Talanoa Hufanga | JL Skinner | – |
| FS | P.J. Locke | Devon Key | Brandon Jones IR |
| RCB | Riley Moss | Reese Taylor | |
| NB | Ja’Quan McMillian | Jahdae Barron |
It all starts on the D-line. Zach Allen is a 7-year veteran and a very good pass rusher from the 3-4 DT position. The 6’4” 285-pound DT played at Boston College and was selected in the 2019 Draft, 3rd Round (65). His PFF Grade is 62.6, 48th of 134 Interior linemen. For the Regular and Post-Season, he had 38 Tackles, 11 Sacks, 38 QB Hits, and 32 Hurries. DJ Jones is the starter at Nose Tackle. He relies on his quickness at just 6’, 305 pounds. The Mississippi product was selected in the 2017 Draft, 6th Round (198) by San Francisco. His PFF grade is 74.7, 12th amongst all DTs. On the season, he has 39 tackles, 3 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, and 17 Hurries.
John Franklin Meyers rounds out the DL. The 6’4” 288-pound 3-Technique DT played at Stephen F. Austin and was selected in the 2018 Draft, 4th Round (135) by the Los Angeles Rams. His PFF Grade is 61.3, good for 53rd amongst 115 DTs. On the year, he has 25 Tackles, 8 Sacks, 9 QB Hits, and 25 Hurries. The position flexible Malcolm Roach plays a lot at either Left or Right DT, or sometimes at Nose Tackle.
The Linebackers are the strength of this team. Weakside LB is Jonathon Cooper. The 6’4” 257-pound LB played at Ohio State and was selected in the 2021 Draft, 7th Round (240) by Denver. His PFF grade is 66.3, 61st amongst 115 LBs. On the season, he has 50 Tackles, 10 Sacks, 10 QB Hits, and 35 Hurries. Alex Singleton is the Left Inside Linebacker. The 6’2” 240-pound backer played at Montana State and went Undrafted in the 2015 Draft and signed with Seattle. His PFF Grade is 70.4, good for 29th of 88 ILBs. On the season, he has 135 Tackles, 1 Sack, 4 QB Hits, and 11 Hurries.
Dre Greenlaw is the Right Inside Linebacker. He played at Arkansas and was selected in the 2019 Draft, 5th Round (148) by Denver. His PFF grade is 74.8, 19th amongst 88 ILBs. On the season, he has 43 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit, 1 Hurry, and 1 INT. The most feared player for Denver is Strongside Linebacker Nick Bonitto. How Will Campbell is able to handle Bonitto will go a long way to determine how this game will go. Based upon his last two playoff games, it doesn’t look good. TE’s and Backs need to help out Campbell. Bonitto is a 6’3”, 240-pound linebacker who played at Oklahoma and was selected in the 2022 Draft, 2nd Round (64). His PFF Grade is 77.1, good for 22nd of 115 LBs. On the season, he has 46 Tackles, 18 Sacks, 14 QB Hits, and 48 Hurries. Jonah Elliss, a backup Linebacker for Denver, is the brother of the Patriots’ Christian Elliss.
The Secondary is led by Patrick Surtain. He is the premier DB in the NFL. Since being selected in the 2021 1st round (9) by Denver, all he has done is be named 1st Team All-Pro twice, 2nd Team once, and named to the AFC Pro Bowl 4 x. In 2024, he was named Defensive Player of the Year. The 6’2”, 202-pound DB played at Alabama. His PFF grade is 72, good for 22nd of 114 CBs. On the season, he has 47 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, 1 Hurry, and 1 INT. Talanoa Hufanga is no slouch either. The hard-hitting Safety stands 6’ 200-pound and hits like a train. He attended USC and was selected in the 2021 Draft, 5th Round (181) by San Francisco. His PFF grade is 71.9, good for 20th of 98 Safeties. On the season, he has 106 Tackles, 2 Sacks,1QB Hit, and 6 Hurries.
PJ Locke is the Free Safety. The 5’10”, 202-pound Safety is a backup, forced into the starting lineup, replacing Brandon Jones, who is on IR. He could be the weak link. The Texas product went Undrafted after the 2019 Draft and signed with Pittsburgh. His PFF grade is 55 and doesn’t have enough snaps to qualify for a ranking. On the season, he has 16 Tackles, 0 Sacks, QB Hits, or Hurries. He has only started the last 4 games, including the playoff win versus the Bills. He did have a good game versus the Bills in the Divisional Playoff game.
Riley Moss is a little suspect at RCB. The 6’1”, 193-pound DB out of Iowa was selected in the 2023 Draft 3rd Round (84) by Denver. His PFF grade is 64.,9 which is good for 49th of 114 CBs. On the season he has 80 Tackles, 1 Sack, o QB Hits,0 Hurries, and 1 INT. Ja’Quan McMillan is one of the best Nickle Backs in the league. The 5’9”, 183-pound NB played at East Carolina and went Undrafted in the 2022 Draft. He signed with Denver following the draft. His PFF grade is 78.3, which is 6th of all 114 CBs. For the season, he had 56Tackles, 4 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, 3 Hurries, and 2 INTs.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| PK | Wil Lutz | – | – | – |
| P | Jeremy Crawshaw | – | – | – |
| H | Jeremy Crawshaw | – | – | – |
| PR | Marvin Mims | Riley Moss | Jahdae Barron | – |
| KR | Tyler Badie | RJ Harvey | Marvin Mims | Jaleel McLaughlin |
| LS | Mitchell Fraboni | – |
Will Lutz has the advantage of kicking in the light air of Denver. He is also a veteran kicker, so the pressure of kicking in the big game should not affect him as much as it might Andy Borregales. Lutz finished the season making 88.2% of his kicks, ranked 17th, slightly ahead of Borregales. Punter Jeremy Crawshaw’s Net Average was 41.1, ranked 21st, and again slightly ahead of Barringer. However, he has the advantage of playing half his games at altitud,e and his numbers should be much better.
Marvin Mims is an excellent Punt Returner, just behind Marcus Jones in 3rd. He also returns kickoffs at 26.3 yards per return, which is ranked 25th. The Patriots Kickoff Return team is anemic since Antonio Gibson was lost for the season. Efton Chism and D’Ernest Johnson are two of the slowest return men I have ever seen.
From our archive - this week all-time:
April 20 - May 5 (Through 26yrs)
Join 2,000+ fans getting exclusive stats, analysis, and insights delivered straight to their inbox every week. Never miss a play.
Denver front 7on D are indeed light. Buff ran on them last week. But that’s what Buff does really well. If the Pats can go heavy with 6 o-lineman and or 2 TE/FB etc and run a bit, that will open some play action. If not, it’ll be tough sledding for the NE offense in that loud environment. On Defense, the Pats have to stop DEN’s run and force Stidham to throw. Denvers offensive line has good stats but it looked like to me Bo Nix movement skills being like a squirrel at elongating plays and avoiding sacks was the… Read more »