Tag: Jaleel McLaughlin

8 players did not play in Broncos’ loss to Chargers

Eight Broncos did not play against the Chargers on Sunday, including injured CB Riley Moss and injured RB Jaleel McLaughlin.

Eight members of the 53-man roster did not play in the Denver Broncos‘ 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

Broncos quarterback Zach Wilson*, cornerback Riley Moss (knee), running back Jaleel McLaughlin (quad), cornerback Levi Wallace, linebacker Levelle Bailey, offensive tackle Frank Crum and defensive lineman Matt Henningsen were inactive on Thursday.

*Wilson was inactive but still dressed as an emergency third quarterback. Jarrett Stidham, Denver’s primary backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham, also did not play as Bo Nix took every snap on offense, giving the Broncos eight total players who did not see the field. Stidham has only appeared in two games this season.

Broncos who did not play in Week 16

  1. QB Zach Wilson (*emergency third QB)
  2. CB Riley Moss (knee)
  3. RB Jaleel McLaughlin (quad)
  4. CB Levi Wallace 
  5. LB Levelle Bailey 
  6. OT Frank Crum
  7. DL Matt Henningsen
  8. QB Jarrett Stidham (active)

Following Thursday’s loss, Nix and the Broncos will look to bounce back when they go on the road to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos 31-13 win over the Colts on Sunday

The Broncos got an important 31-13 win over the Colts on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

The Denver Broncos improved to 9-5 on Sunday with a 31-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Here are five quick takeaways from the win.

1. The ground game continues to struggle: Before exiting the game with a quad injury, Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin rushed seven times for 21 yards. Javonte Williams was even worse, rushing six times for 15 yards. Denver quarterback Bo Nix ended up leading the team with 23 rushing yards despite losing two yards on kneel-downs to secure the win. The Broncos have to get more from their backfield down the stretch.

2. Injuries are piling up: The two most notable injuries for Denver are those to cornerbacks Pat Surtain (ankle) and Riley Moss (knee), but those aren’t the injuries to monitor this week. McLaughlin (quad) and defensive lineman D.J. Jones (finger) are also ailing, and guard Quinn Meinerz (shoulder) also left Sunday’s game before later returning. Playing on a short week, the Broncos’ medical staff will do its best to get the team’s banged-up players ready to go by Thursday.

3. Nik Bonitto for Defensive Player of the Year: Surtain has a case as well, but voters have demonstrated in the past that they love sacks. Bonitto now has 11.5 sacks on the year plus a 71-yard pick-six and a 50-yard fumble-six. Bonitto is now the first player to record at least 10 sacks and two defensive touchdowns in the same season since J.J. Watt in 2014. Watt won DPOY that season.

4. Bo Nix was resilient: The rookie certainly didn’t have a great game, throwing three interceptions. Nix, as usual, never hung his head. The quarterback bounced back and ended the day with three touchdown passes and four scoring drives. There will be plenty to learn from following Sunday’s game, but winning an ugly game is nothing to scoff at. Nix is working through his rookie growing pains and the QB is still trending in the right direction despite the turnovers against Indy.

5. The Broncos are legit: Denver has clinched its first winning season since 2016 and with a win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, the Broncos can clinch a playoff berth in Week 16. Sean Payton has the club just one victory away from their first postseason appearance since Denver won Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. With a play-making defense, the Broncos are the kind of team that could make some unexpected noise in the playoffs.

After facing the Chargers in Week 16, the Broncos will go on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 before closing out the regular season at home against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.

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Brian Baldinger breaks down Broncos’ best players vs. Browns

Brian Baldinger broke down film of the Broncos’ top performers against the Browns on Monday.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a complete team effort on Monday Night Football earlier this week.

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger recently took to Twitter/X to review the film of some of the team’s biggest contributors in Monday’s win. Up first is Baldinger’s review of quarterback Bo Nix’s 93-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Mims:

Up next is Baldinger reacting to Nix going right back to Courtland Sutton after the receiver dropped a pass:

Baldinger then reviewed Jaleel McLaughlin’s impressive performance:

Up next is praise for guard Quinn Meinerz, tackle Mike McGlinchey and tight end Adam Trautman on Javonte Williams’ touchdown run:

Baldinger also praised cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, who has been one of his favorite players all season:

And last but certainly not least, Baldinger broke down Nik Bonitto’s big game:

Denver now has a bye this week before hosting the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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Jaleel McLaughlin heating up in Broncos’ backfield

Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos’ backfield in carries and rushing yards in the two games leading up to the team’s bye week.

It’s been the Jaleel McLaughlin show in the Denver Broncos‘ backfield over the last two weeks as the second-year back has led the team with 21 carries for 128 yards.

During that same period, Javonte Williams had 12 carries for negative one yard (that’s not a typo) and Audric Estime had six carries for 27 yards. Williams remains a key blocker and a capable receiver on third downs, but McLaughlin has been the team’s top runner over the last two games.

“He played well,” coach Sean Payton said after a 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns. “We felt like some of the wide zone stuff and tosses were going to be good. He had a lot of good runs. Part of it was the scheme that was successful, or a couple of schemes we have seen other teams have success with that we had success with as well. All in all, it was good.”

McLaughlin has 97 touches for 414 yards and three touchdowns this season. He’s still trailing Williams on the year (162 touches for 705 yards and four scores), but McLaughlin has been trending up in recent weeks.

Fantasy football managers will see how the backfield rotation shakes out after the bye when the Broncos host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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5 takeaways from Broncos’ crazy 41-32 win over Browns

Pat Surtain should have followed Jerry Jeudy the whole game. More takeaways from the Broncos win over the Browns:

The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a crazy Monday Night Football game in Week 13. Here are five quick takeaways following the victory.

1. Jaleel McLaughlin remains the hot hand: Javonte Williams scored a touchdown on Monday, but he ended the day with just four carries for one yard. He now has 12 carries for -1 yard over the last two weeks. McLaughlin, meanwhile, led the team with 14 carries for 84 yards against Cleveland. Denver’s backfield rotation is hard to predict on a week-to-week basis, but McLaughlin is trending up going into the bye.

2. Pat Surtain should have followed Jerry Jeudy: Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph opted to not have PS2 follow Jeudy on Monday, which was a curious decision. With Riley Moss (knee) unavailable, Levi Wallace was repeatedly torched by the Browns. Jeudy finished the day with nine receptions for 235 yards with one touchdown, but on the 34 plays that Jeudy covered him, the receiver totaled just two receptions for 20 yards. PS2 finally started following Jeudy late in the game and it appeared that Joseph also benched Wallace in favor of rookie Kris Abrams-Draine late in the contest. Both decisions should have been made sooner.

3. Courtland Sutton remains Mr. Reliable: Sutton ended the day with six receptions for 102 yards and he now has 42 receptions for 569 yards and three touchdowns over the last six weeks. He remains Denver’s best receiver and a reliable target for rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

4. That was a classic Jameis Winston game: Winston torched the Broncos’ secondary for 497 passing yards and four touchdowns … and three interceptions. It was a quintessential Winston experience. That might sound like a Browns Wire takeaway, but it’s notable for Denver, too, because future opponents might not gift interceptions at that rate. The Broncos easily could have lost Monday’s game if not for a pair of pick-sixes. Fans in Denver will hope that Moss recovers during the bye and is able to return in Week 15.

5. Nik Bonitto is a strong DPOY candidate: Bonitto is the first Broncos defender since Von Miller to record double-digit sacks and a pick-six in the same season. That’s pretty good company.

Bonitto’s 11 sacks this season rank second in the NFL, only trailing Trey Hendrickson (11.5). He’s making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year.

The Broncos will now go into their bye week with an 8-5 record. After the bye, Denver will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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Fantasy Football: 10 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Jeremy McNichols headlines this week’s list of running backs to target on the fantasy football waiver wire.

Happy Thanksgiving Week, football fans.

There are three games on deck this Thursday (Bears-Lions, Giants-Cowboys, Dolphins-Packers), plus a Black Friday game (Raiders-Chiefs).

With four games set to be played before Sunday even arrives, it will be important to set your fantasy football lineups early this week.

Drake Maye (21.7%) is a streaming option at quarterback, Devaughn Vele (1.7%) is emerging as a wide receiver sleeper and Taysom Hill (53%) remains a notable tight end in fantasy.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 10 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 13.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Jeremy McNichols (1.2%): Brian Robinson suffered an ankle injury on Sunday and Austin Ekeler left the game with a concussion. McNichols is left as the next man up for the Commanders.

2. RB Ameer Abdullah (19.3%): Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) were held out on Sunday and Abdullah led Raiders running backs with 14 touches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

3. RB Jaleel McLaughlin (15.9%): The Broncos’ backfield will be hard to predict on a week-to-week basis, but McLaughlin led the team with 44 rushing yards on Sunday.

4. RB Tank Bigsby (33.4%): Coming off a bye, Bigsby should be rostered in more leagues in case the Jaguars lean on him down the stretch.

5. RB Roschon Johnson (17.3%): He has six touchdowns with the Bears this season and while chasing TDs is not ideal, Johnson appears to be one of Chicago’s top options at the goal line.

6-10. Handcuff running backs: Tyler Allgeier (41.6%), Braelon Allen (16.1%), Trey Benson (28.3%), Blake Corum (14.2%) and Ray Davis (12%).

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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5 takeaways from the Broncos’ 29-19 win over Raiders

The Broncos got a big win over the Raiders on Sunday. Here are five quick takeaways.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 29-19 on the road on Sunday, improving to 7-5 on the season. Here are five quick takeaways from Denver’s big win in the AFC West.

1. Good luck predicting the backfield rotation: Two weeks ago, it was the Audric Estime show. Last week, Javonte Williams led the way. On Sunday, Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos’ backfield with 44 rushing yards, although he did get one less carry than Williams. It’s truly a three-headed backfield. That might be frustrating for fantasy football managers, but it’s working for Denver’s offense.

2. Maxx Crosby was held without a sack: Mike McGlinchey had a few penalties early in the game, but overall, he did well against one of the AFC’s best pass rushers. Crosby ended the day without a sack, snapping a 10-game streak against the Broncos of recording at least one sack.

3. Zach Allen was missed: Denver’s defensive line — and the entire defense — missed Allen, who was sidelined with a heel injury. Before the game, Allen was spotted in a walking boot. The team’s Week 14 bye can’t arrive soon enough.

4. Courtland Sutton is on a tear: Over the last five games, Sutton has hauled in 36 receptions for 467 yards and three touchdowns. He’s on pace to post a career high in receptions (81) this fall with 1,054 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He has been Mr. Reliable for rookie QB Bo Nix.

5. Speaking of Bo Nix: He’s on pace to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Jayden Daniels has more total yards (3,169) than Nix (2,848), but Nix has more total touchdowns (21) than Daniels (17). Nix has been red-hot in recent weeks and if he keeps this up, accolades will follow at the end of the season.

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What should we make of the Broncos’ running back rotation?

Sorry, fantasy football managers: Broncos coach Sean Payton didn’t provide clarity on the running back rotation.

For several weeks leading up to Week 10, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton had hinted that rookie running back Audric Estime could get more involved on offense.

Estime then led the team in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, and the hype went through the roof. Admittedly, Broncos Wire was at the forefront of the campaign to add Estime in fantasy football leagues. In hindsight, we might have overestimated Estime’s future workload.

Javonte Williams returned to leading the backfield against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11, rushing nine times for 59 yards and a touchdown. Estime got six carries for 16 yards and Jaleel McLaughlin rushed four times for 19 yards.

So, what should we expect from the team’s backfield rotation going forward?

“That’s the $6 million question,” Payton said after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s difficult. We know kind of what we have with those three players and it’s just — it’s always hard to feed three. I’m used to — and it’s easy — to feed two. So we kind of do that a little bit.

“I thought Javonte had some really good runs. Certainly, the game ends and we’re like, ‘Gosh, we’ve got to get Jaleel more touches.’ So it’s a tough, but a good problem to have.”

That answer from Payton won’t provide much clarity.

Payton clearly likes Estime, but the running back has not leapfrogged Williams on the depth chart. It might be difficult to predict the utilization of the team’s three backs on a week-to-week basis.

After the win against Atlanta, Payton said, “We’ll figure it out each week though and kind of plan accordingly.”

Unfortunately, that’s not a very helpful explanation for fantasy football managers. At the moment, though, Williams seems to be the RB1.

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Fantasy Football: Audric Estime seems to be the Broncos’ new RB1

Broncos coach Sean Payton liked what he saw from Audric Estime on Sunday. “I was encouraged. He’ll continue to get more reps,” Payton said.

The Denver Broncos appear to have made a change in their backfield.

After coach Sean Payton hinted last week that Audric Estime would be more involved in the second half of the season, the rookie led the team’s running backs in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“We keep wanting to get him involved,” Payton said after the game. “He is a handful.”

Estime’s production was modest as he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, but if he remains the team’s primary running back going forward, the rookie will quickly become relevant for fantasy football managers.

“I thought he ran well yesterday,” Payton said Monday. “I thought [Marvin] Mims gave us some juice as well. [We’re] just trying to find different roles and different ways to utilize these players. I was encouraged. He’ll continue to get more reps.”

Estime, who was picked by Denver in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft out of Notre Dame, appears to have leapfrogged Javonte Williams in the RB rotation. Williams will likely remain involved in passing situations (he is the team’s best blocking RB) and Jaleel McLaughlin will continue to mix in, but Estime appears to be the new RB1.

This week, Estime will face an Atlanta Falcons defense that ranks in the bottom half of the NFL against the run, allowing 4.5 yards per carry and 129.4 rushing yards per game. Take note, fantasy football managers.

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Sean Payton hints at more playing time for a Broncos running back

Take note, fantasy football managers: Audric Estime could get more carries from the Broncos in the second half of the season.

Take note, fantasy football managers.

During his conference call with reporters on Monday, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was asked if rookie running back Audric Estime could get a bigger workload in the second half of the season.

“I think that’s a good and fair question, and one that I think I would answer, ‘Yes,'” Payton said.

Estime (5-11, 227 pounds) was picked by the Broncos in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft out of Notre Dame. He spent four weeks on injured reserve earlier this season with an ankle injury and he had some hiccups with two fumbles, but Estime’s stock is now trending up.

The rookie got five carries on Sunday, tying his career high. That’s certainly not a big number, but it could increase in the coming weeks.

On a small sample size of 15 carries, Estime has a better yards per carry average (6.3) than starter Javonte Williams (3.8) and change-of-pace back Jaleel McLaughlin (3.9). Estime’s average will likely go down with a larger sample size, but the rookie has earned more opportunities.

Estime is probably worth stashing on your fantasy football bench in case his workload does increase down the stretch.

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