Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos: Full Report Card Grades for Denver
The Denver Broncos (8-3) survived a game with the Miami Dolphins (6-5) on Sunday, winning 39-36 in what was one of the most entertaining games this season.
The Broncos had 450 yards of total offense, including 201 yards on the ground. They also converted 9-of-13 third downs.
Trailing 28-17 in the third quarter, the Broncos rattled off 22 unanswered points to put Miami on their heels. They then fended off a late rally from the Dolphins to preserve a big victory.
The Broncos must now get ready for a trip to Arrowhead Stadium where they will face the Kansas City Chiefs (7-4) on Sunday Night Football.
"The Broncos clinched at least a .500 finish. Denver has just 7 losing records in the last 42 seasons, beginning with the 1973 breakthrough.
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) November 24, 2014"
A win would give the Broncos a two-game lead in the AFC West.
For more on this game, including report card grades for each positional unit for the Broncos, read on.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Peyton Manning looked more like the quarterback Denver fans have been accustomed to seeing on Sunday, appearing much more polished than in recent weeks against New England and St. Louis.
Manning completed 28 of 35 passes, and while he didn't reach the 300-yard plateau he did throw four touchdown passes.
Manning was in complete control of the offense, and though the Broncos used more double-tight end sets than we're use to seeing, he still found his wide receivers for several big plays.
"Peyton Manning has not lost consecutive games since Weeks 2 and 3 of 2012
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 23, 2014"
Manning completed 23 passes for 230 yards and four touchdowns to the wide receiver position.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
The Broncos knew they needed to get the running game going this week, and they did just that.
The Broncos were a run-first team on Sunday, gaining 201 yards on the ground. This took the pressure off Manning and the passing game.
C.J. Anderson paved the way with 167 yards on 27 carries. He had one touchdown on the day and a long run of 26 yards. But Anderson was also effective in the passing game, catching all four of the passes that were thrown his way for 28 yards.
Juwan Thompson chipped in with five carries for 33 yards.
What was most encouraging was the fact that Denver was a balanced offense in this game. In fact, they were perfectly balanced, calling 35 run plays and 35 pass plays.
"C.J. Anderson goes Jonas Gray, comes from (relatively) nowhere to save Peyton from disastrous home loss to Dolphins.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 24, 2014"
The Broncos realize that to go deep in the playoffs, the running game will have to be much better than it has been. They gave themselves a lot to build on in this game.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Though the Broncos found themselves without the services of Julius Thomas for this game, they were able to be very successful through the air.
Demaryius Thomas had another strong performance, catching 10 passes for 87 yards and three scores. The Dolphins didn't move Brent Grimes over to his side until late in the game, and Denver took advantage.
His streak of 100-yard games was snapped at seven, however.
Emmanuel Sanders was also effective, posting his seventh 100-yard game of the season with nine catches for 125 yards. Both Sanders and Thomas were targeted 13 times apiece.
Jacob Tamme wasn't a great replacement for Julius Thomas. Luckily for Denver, he didn't need to be. He had just one catch for a loss of one yard.
Denver did seem to get a boost from the fact that tight end Virgil Green returned to action after missing several games. Green allowed Denver to line up in many two-tight end sets, creating additional blocking along the line.
Looking at the things that don't show up in a box score, that was a huge key in this game.
Grade: A
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Broncos offensive line has been bad. They dealt with criticism from analysts such as ESPN's Mark Schlereth throughout the week and needed to step up. The Denver O-line deserves the game ball for what they did on Sunday.
Manning was sacked just one time in the game and he dealt with little pressure. This kept the timing of his routes in sync and allowed him to find receivers down the field.
More importantly, the offensive line created a strong push against the Miami defensive line and were instrumental in Anderson's big game.
The unit needs to clean up some penalties, but maybe hearing about how poorly they've performed was the best thing that could have happened.
The offensive line came out motivated and ready to make a statement in this game.
Grade: A-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line had a shaky start, giving up 36 yards rushing and a touchdown on Miami's first drive as the Dolphins moved the ball down the field at will.
The defensive line settled down, but the Broncos still gave up 97 yards on the ground. Miami showed no fear of running the ball right at them, taking a page out of St. Louis' book from a week ago.
Terrance Knighton had a sack at a key moment in the game, but Denver squandered that a few plays later when they fumbled a punt return.
Ryan Tannehill had his way, standing in the pocket for much of the game as the defensive line was unable to consistently apply pressure.
Malik Jackson was issued an unnecessary roughness penalty on Miami's last drive that allowed the Dolphins to move deep into Denver territory.
The Broncos gave up 36 points in this game. The play of the defensive line was a big reason for that.
Grade: C-
Linebackers
6 of 10
Von Miller left the game after the first play from scrimmage with an injury, but he came back in to finish the game. As usual, he was relentless in pressure but never got to Tannehill.
Miller also had an interception late in the third quarter, but during the return he fumbled the ball and Miami got it back. However, the whole play was nullified by a holding penalty against T.J. Ward; Miami scored a touchdown two plays later.
It was reported by ESPN's Jeff Legwold shortly after the game that Brandon Marshall left the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion. The Broncos will have to hope that he doesn't miss any time, as they're already without Nate Irving and Danny Trevathan.
The Broncos are thin at the linebacker position, but they desperately need another guy to step up.
On a third-down play early in the game, Tannehill found Mike Wallace for a short completion and he faked Lamin Barrow out of his shoes. Wallace should have been stopped short of the marker; instead, he turned it into an easy first down.
The Denver linebacker corps has played well against the run, but they struggle in coverage.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
Aqib Talib didn't play a very good game on Sunday, but that could be because he wasn't 100 percent. Talib was in and out of the lineup with a hamstring injury.
He was beaten for a 10-yard touchdown pass to Wallace that gave Miami a 21-10 lead in the second quarter.
T.J. Ward came up big for the Broncos in this one, making a crucial interception of Tannehill in the fourth quarter. It was Miami's only turnover of the game, but it was a big one. Chris Harris deflected the ball on the play, sending it right to Ward.
Still, the Broncos allowed Tannehill to complete 26 of 36 passes while also tossing three touchdowns; wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson combined for 16 receptions.
Late in the game with Miami in desperation mode, Omar Bolden committed a pass interference penalty in the end zone that kept the Dolphins alive.
Kayvon Webster was a bright spot. The second-year defensive back made four tackles in the game.
Grade: C
Special Teams
8 of 10
It will be surprising if the Broncos don't hold auditions for available kickers this week, as Brandon McManus is just not getting the job done.
McManus did make a 38-yard field goal in the game. However, the Broncos went on a seven-minute drive to open the second half, and when the drive stalled, they brought McManus out for a 33-yard field goal which he missed off the right post.
Cameras caught a couple of Broncos who were extremely dissatisfied on the sideline.
It was refreshing to see the team try someone other than Andre Caldwell at kick returner. The move paid off, as Bolden averaged 33.3 yards per return. This is something the Broncos should stick with.
But they may have to take another look at the punt returner spot.
Isaiah Burse lost a fumble in the third quarter after the defense had worked hard to get Miami off the field. Miami scored a touchdown after starting at the Denver 12-yard line.
Grade: D
Coaching
9 of 10
Head coach John Fox showed more emotion in this game than we're used to seeing out of him. Fox left his usual demeanor to excitedly congratulate players after a few big plays.
It was evident that Fox wanted this win badly.
He challenged a play in the first quarter on a pass that Bradley Roby came close to intercepting. Replays clearly showed the ball bounce off the turf, but Fox felt it was worth a gamble. It was a terrible challenge.
Offensive coordinator Adam Gase must have heard all of the calls for the Broncos to be more balanced. They came out running the ball early and often, and it paid off.
The offensive game plan that was installed for this game was a good one.
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio didn't have the same success. His team looked lost on defense on many occasions and they had a hard time defending the versatile Tannehill.
Over the next week, he needs to work on finding the right personnel for each of his defensive calls. The Broncos also need to figure out how to get after the quarterback again.
Finally, they need more out of their backup linebackers. The injuries are piling up at that position. Will it be Lamin Barrow? Todd Davis? Corey Nelson? Del Rio needs something more from them.
Grade: B-
Overall Grade
10 of 10
Quarterback: A
Running Back: A+
Wide Receiver/Tight End: A
Offensive Line: A-
Defensive Line: C-
Linebacker: C
Secondary: C
Special Teams: D
Coaching: B-
Overall Grade: B
The Broncos looked great on offense, but not so much on defense. They still don't look like a team that can beat a powerhouse like New England at this time.
The running game was special, and if they can continue running the ball the way they did on Sunday, Manning won't need to throw for 300-plus yards for them to win.
Defensively, the Broncos did just enough to hold on.
Denver fans should be excited about this victory, yet cautiously optimistic about the rest of the year.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
