Broncos Linebacker Grades from Victory on the Road

The Denver Broncos linebackers had a rough showing against the Cincinnati Bengals to start the game. They bounded back and in a big way as the game went on. Just how well did they grade?

With the Denver Broncos taking on the Cincinnati Bengals, they needed their linebackers to play good games. They didn’t start out that way, and instead started out playing poorly. Good thing for the Broncos that they managed to turn things around after halftime and really started to play better.

For the Broncos linebackers, only five of them get graded. DeMarcus Ware did not play and is out with an injury, so obviously he won’t get a grade. Dekoda Watson, Corey Nelson and Zaire Anderson all played less than ten snaps so they won’t see a grade either.

The first one to get a grade was the best one of the group. Shane Ray. Ray was magnificent against the Bengals. His run defense was stout, outside of a few runs, and he really did a good job setting the edge. He also crashed on the inside runs really well, and didn’t let himself get controlled by the stronger offensive linemen.

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His rookie year, Ray really had a tough time when defending the run. Seeing his run defense this year, clearly he grew as a run defender, which was needed. Not only that, but he improved his pass rush as well.

His rookie year Ray tallied a total of four sacks, and never a multi-sack game. Of course that is hard to do when you are only rotating in for 20 or so snaps a game. Against the Bengals he tallied three sacks as he stepped in for DeMarcus Ware.

How Ray got those sacks is what is impressive. He used a variety of moves to get pressure and notch the sacks. Two of his sacks came on back to back plays and when the defense really needed them. Ray is the highest graded linebacker, and one of the highest graded defenders with a 97.5.

Following the best of the group comes the worst of the group in Todd Davis. His run defense was really poor, as he kept shooting the wrong gaps, or missing the tackle. Time and time again Davis was made a non-factor by the superior Bengals offensive line.

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That isn’t the only area Davis struggled as he struggled in coverage as well. His assignments fond themselves with space from Davis, especially when he was covering faster, more athletic players. It was expected to be a rough go from Davis, but he has had his bright moments. His grade: 41.8.

Shaquil Barrett was his solid self against the Bengals. He did what he was supposed to do more often than not, although he only came away with one tackle. Just a solid showing for the outside linebacker and it earned him a 70.5 grade on the game.

The other inside linebacker, Brandon Marshall, had a pretty good game when it was all done and over with. He was one of the players who got better as the game went on. Marshall tallied nine total tackles on the game, and became a force against the run as the Broncos run defense improved.

His coverage was great and he took away his assignment consistently in coverage. Marshall turned average play into great play and eventually fantastic play as the game went on. This game earned him a 88.9 grade on the game.

Finally, the superstar, Von Miller. Miller was quiet all game, but he was playing really some good football. By the end of the game, Miller picked up his fifth sack of the season. While his game wasn’t as good as it was in the first two weeks, it was still a good one.

What Miller does, doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. All of the pressure he applies often goes unnoticed when he doesn’t get the sack. However, the Bengals changed their tune to deal with Miller and relied on quick passes to get the ball out before Miller could get to the quarterback. Miller earned a grade of 91.9 on the game.

Next: Broncos Defensive Line Grades From Road Win

That ends the grades for the linebackers. All that is left is the secondary. They shut down opposing quarterback for the third game this season. How does that translate into their grades? Stay tuned.