Broncos PFF grades: Best, worst players from 38-0 win over Chiefs

Broncos QB Bo Nix (90.3) had a huge game against the Chiefs. View more of the team’s PFF grades here.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Pro Football Focus has released grades for each player’s Week 18 performance.

PFF grades players on a 0 (worst) to 100 (best) scale. Check out the best and worst of Week 18 below.

Best Offensive Players 

  • QB Bo Nix: 90.3
  • G Quinn Meinerz: 87.3
  • WR Courtland Sutton: 83.7
  • WR Marvin Mims: 77.2
  • WR Devaughn Vele: 73.3

A brilliant record-setting performance from Nix and a strong showing from a trio of the team’s receivers. Denver’s offense is hot going into the playoffs.

Best Defensive Players 

  • OLB Dondrea Tillman: 88.4
  • OLB Nik Bonitto: 87.3
  • DL John Franklin-Myers: 81.4
  • LB Zach Cunningham: 78.1
  • OLB Jonah Elliss: 72.1

Tillman and Elliss were excellent backup rotational pass rushers this season with the two players combining to total 10 sacks behind starters Bonitto (13.5 sacks) and Jonathon Cooper (10.5 sacks). The Broncos’ outside linebacker room is in great shape going into 2025.

Worst Offensive Players 

  • OL Alex Palczewski: 47.7
  • TE Lucas Krull: 50.0
  • RB Jaleel McLaughlin: 54.5
  • OL Alex Forsyth: 55.6
  • FB Michael Burton: 59.2

Palczewski and Forysth both had a small sample size of nine snaps and PFF apparently did not like their performances. TE, meanwhile, remains a position of need.

Worst Defensive Players 

  • DL D.J. Jones: 29.9
  • DL Jordan Jackson: 54.5
  • DL Malcolm Roach: 55.8
  • DB Brandon Jones: 58.2
  • LB Drew Sanders: 58.2

The Chiefs only managed 98 net yards of offense, including just 27 rushing yards, so it’s curious to see the defensive line graded so harshly. KC was 1-of-9 on third down and only had the ball for 18:11 compared to Denver’s 41:49.

Special Teams 

  • ST Michael Burton: 80.6
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: 64.3
  • R Marvin Mims: 61.6
  • K Wil Lutz: 65.9 (FG) 56.9 (KO)
  • P Riley Dixon: 59.2

You can view grades for every player on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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