Tag: Ja’Quan McMillian

Report: Broncos won’t re-sign CB K’Waun Williams

Following the emergence of Ja’Quan McMillian, the Broncos will not re-sign slot cornerback K’Waun Williams this offseason.

The Denver Broncos will not re-sign cornerback K’Waun Williams this offseason, according to a report from the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. This is not a surprising development, but it’s news nonetheless.

Williams, 32, is one of 15 in-house free agents set to hit the open market next week. The Broncos have already re-signed offensive lineman Quinn Bailey, linebacker Jonas Griffith and wide receiver Michael Bandy, and the team is working to re-sign safety P.J. Locke as well.

Williams won’t be brought back after he spent the entire 2023 season on injured reserve while recovering from an ankle injury. Williams also missed three games due to injury in 2022.

Over the last two years, Williams earned just north of $5 million in Denver. He totaled 44 tackles, seven pass breakups, one sack and one interception with the Broncos. Williams played in the slot in 2022, a position that was filled by Ja’Quan McMillian in 2023. McMillian now appears poised to keep that job in 2024.

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Broncos’ interception leaders from 2023 season

Justin Simmons led the Broncos with 3 interceptions this season and he now ranks seventh on the team’s all-time INTs list with 30.

We continue our look at the Denver Broncos’ statistical leaders from the 2023 season today with a quick list of the team’s interceptions leaders.

It’s no surprise that safety Justin Simmons (three) led the team in 2023. Simmons has now recorded double-digit INTs in each of his eight seasons in the NFL. The veteran safety has had at least three INTs every year from 2018-2023 and he ranks seventh on the team’s all-time INTs list with 30.

Behind Simmons this year was cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian (two) and safety Kareem Jackson (two). Cornerback Pat Surtain, safety P.J. Locke, cornerback Fabian Moreau and pass rusher Jonathon Cooper each grabbed one interception.

The team’s 11 total interceptions this season ranked 19th in the league, so there’s definitely room for improvement going into 2024. Almost half the league (15 teams) totaled at least 15 INTs in 2023 and two teams recorded 22 INTs.

Check out previous lists of the team’s passing and rushing leaders. Here’s a quick look at their interception leaders in 2023.

15 takeaways from the Broncos’ first season under Sean Payton

Here are 15 quick takeaways from Sean Payton’s first season with the Broncos.

After starting 4-11 last season, the Denver Broncos fired first-time head coach Nathaniel Hackett with two games remaining. Jerry Rosburg then took over on an interim basis and the club split their final two games to finish the year with a 5-12 record.

After firing Hackett, the Broncos’ new ownership group wanted to go big, so they agreed to trade first- and second-round draft picks to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a third-round pick and the rights to head coach Sean Payton last January.

While Denver did not qualify for the playoffs, the team did take a step forward in Year 1 under Payton, improving from 5-12 in 2022 to 8-9 in 2023. That marked the team’s best record since 2017. The next step is posting a winning record and qualifying for the postseason in 2024.

So, what did we learn from Payton’s first season in Denver? Here are 15 quick takeaways from the Broncos’ 2023 season.

Broncos and Lions bring diverging defensive trends to a key Saturday night matchup

When the Broncos and Lions face off on Saturday night, it will be a story of two defenses that have changed dramatically.

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When the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions face off Saturday night at Ford Feld in Detroit, it’ll be one team fighting to maintain their division lead (the 9-4 Lions), and another trying to make a dent in the postseason picture after a horrible start (the 7-6 Broncos).

And in this case, we’re talking about two defenses that have gone in decidedly different directions in the second half of the season. That’s a good thing in Denver’s case. The Broncos ranked dead last in Defensive DVOA in through Week 9, and they rank sixth since. It’s even better for Vance Joseph’s defense against the pass — a team that ranked 32nd in Pass Defense DVOA through Week 9 now ranks third.

In the Lions’ case, it’s no bueno. Detroit started the season ranked eighth in Defensive DVOA through the first nine weeks, and they rank 28th since. The Lions ranked eighth in Pass Defense DVOA in the first half of the season, and they’re stuck at 28th since.

How can two NFL defenses go so strongly in different directions so quickly? Let’s go under the hood.

Chris Harris comments on Ja’Quan McMillian comparison

Ja’Quan McMillian doesn’t have to be “the next Chris Harris” to be an excellent cornerback. “Jmac has been Jmac,” Justin Simmons said.

Ja’Quan McMillian has emerged as an impressive play-making defensive back for the Denver Broncos this season, totaling 42 tackles (including seven behind the line), four pass breakups, three quarterback hits, two interceptions and two sacks over the last ten games.

Playing in the slot, McMillian has reminded Broncos fans and pundits of former Broncos slot cornerback Chris Harris Jr., who was a key member of the team’s famous “No Fly Zone” secondary.

Many fans think of McMillian as a rookie because he was on the practice squad for all but one game last year, but as Harris pointed out on Twitter/X, McMillian is technically a second-year player.

“He’s an Excellent player (playmaker ) but I think I finished top 3 in the league my 2nd year and I played [outside] corner,” Harris wrote on Twitter/X.

(Harris was graded as the fifth-best cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2012, his second season.)

It’s not an insult from Harris, who has praised McMillian this season.

Broncos safety Justin Simmons wasn’t interested in making comparisons, noting that Jmac is Jmac and CHJR is CHJR.

He doesn’t have to be “the next Chris Harris” to be an excellent slot cornerback. McMillian has been exceptional for Denver this season, and fans and pundits have taken notice.

5 takeaways from Broncos’ 24-7 win over Chargers in Week 14

Here are five quick takeaways from the Broncos’ big win over the Chargers on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos went on the road and defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 24-7 on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways after Denver improved to 7-6 with the win.

Studs and duds from Broncos’ 24-7 win over Chargers

The Denver Broncos put on a defensive clinic against the Los Angeles Chargers for their seventh win of the season. These players stood out.

The Denver Broncos bounced back in a big way after a tough loss last week to the Houston Texans with their best all-around effort of the year against the Los Angeles Chargers, beating their AFC West rivals 24-7 on Sunday.

We look at the studs and duds of the big divisional win.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Week 13’s biggest NFL matchups

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys go deep on Week 13’s biggest NFL matchup with tape and metrics.

It’s time for Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season, including three Thanksgiving games, and the league’s first Black Friday contest ever. Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most important matchups:

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys: Can Seattle fix its passing game, and deal with a version of Dak Prescott that might be the best we’ve seen?

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans: The underrated players who are at the heart of Denver’s drastic defensive improvement over the last five games.

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles: How both of these teams set up future plays with current plays, and a throw from Brock Purdy you have to see to believe. Also, Jason Kelce might be playing the best football of his Hall of Fame career.

Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers: This Super Bowl I “rematch” comes at a time when Packers quarterback Jordan Love is coming into his own as a franchise quarterback.

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars: We have not talked enough about the 9-3 Jaguars on both sides of the ball. We would like to apologize, and go deep on Jacksonville’s pressure packages, and how they get their receivers open with scheme.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

5 Broncos who deserve to make the 2024 Pro Bowl

These five Broncos players should make the Pro Bowl this season. Denver also has a few players worthy of honorable mentions.

Fan voting for the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl has opened and several Denver Broncos players are worthy of national recognition.

The Pro Bowl Games will feature a flag football game again 2024 with Peyton Manning (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC) returning as coaches. Last season, Elis’s NFC squad defeated Peyton’s AFC team at the Pro Bowl.

Last year, cornerback Pat Surtain was the team’s only representative at the All-Star game. Surtain is likely to make the Pro Bowl again this season, and he might be joined by several teammates.

In addition to Surtain, Denver’s secondary also features star safety Justin Simmons, who previously made the Pro Bowl in 2020.

On offense, guard Quinn Meinerz has been turning heads this season and wide receiver Courtland Sutton keeps scoring touchdowns. The Broncos also have a key special teams player worthy of a Pro Bowl nod.

Honorable mentions: Quarterback Russell Wilson, defensive lineman Zach Allen, cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, outside linebacker Baron Browning, running back Javonte Williams and fullback Michael Burton.

WATCH: Brian Baldinger breaks down key Broncos plays from ‘Sunday Night Football’

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger had praise for Russell Wilson, Courtland Sutton, Quinn Meinerz and Ja’Quan McMillian after Sunday’s win.

Just as he did last week, Brian Baldinger returned this week to break down key plays from a Denver Broncos victory on Twitter/X.

Here are the NFL Network analyst’s film takeaways from the Broncos’ 21-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Week 12.