The Denver Broncos defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 16-9 on Sunday afternoon, but the team was also eliminated from NFL playoff contention due to other results in the AFC. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.
1
Jarrett Stidham was ... fine
Making his first start for the Broncos after the team benched Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham was fine. Not great, not terrible. He had several passes behind his receivers, but that’s not too surprising given that Stidham had not worked with the first-team offense until last Wednesday. The 27-year-old quarterback went 20-of-32 passing for 224 yards with one touchdown, numbers that aren’t too dissimilar to a typical Wilson game in 2023. The difference is, Stidham is getting paid $3 million this year compared to Wilson’s $22 million. Stidham probably isn’t the long-term answer for Denver, but he would be an affordable short-term option.
2
Lil'Jordan Humphrey stepped up at WR
With Courtland Sutton (concussion) and Marvin Mims (hamstring) both sidelined, Humphrey stepped up to lead the team with 69 receiving yards. Most of that came on his impressive 54-yard touchdown catch. That long catch and run proved to be the difference in a game that was decided by one touchdown.
3
Jaleel McLaughlin continues to outpace Javonte Williams at RB
As has been the case for the last several weeks, McLaughlin looked better than Williams on Sunday. The rookie running back rushed eight times for 44 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and caught three passes for 18 yards. Williams rushed 15 times for 41 yards (2.7 yards per carry) and caught three passes for 17 yards. We’re hoping that Williams will have a bounce-back year in 2024 once he’s another year removed from his serious knee injury, but McLaughlin looks like a better RB at the moment.
4
Broncos need more from their pass rush in 2024
Jonathon Cooper recorded the team’s only sack on Sunday, giving him a team-high 8.5 sacks in 2023. Having their leader in sacks below the double-digit mark (with one game to go) is certainly not an ideal scenario for Denver. Nik Bonitto has seven sacks in 2023 and Baron Browning (who missed Sunday’s game with a concussion) only has a half-sack in his last five appearances (3.5 overall in nine games). Bringing in a productive pass rusher should be a high priority for the Broncos in 2024.
5
The Broncos did not deserve to make the playoffs this season
If a few results went their way, the Broncos could still be in playoff contention going into the final week of the season. Denver is not a playoff-caliber team, however, and the Broncos probably would have been embarrassed if they managed to squeak into the postseason. Denver squandered multiple opportunities this year in very winnable games, and a .500 record (with one game left) is a fitting record. The Broncos are an average NFL team that needs a lot of improvement if they’re going to make the playoffs in 2024.
