OFFENSE
B It wasn’t the pretty, high-octane offense home crowds saw in September, but Jay Cutler and Co. were good enough against one of the league’s better defenses. Bonus points for no turnovers.
DEFENSE
A Best all-around performance to date, with three sacks and an interception. The defensive line and linebackers were particularly sharp and kept Tampa Bay’s playmakers out of the secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS
A Kicker Matt Prater’s got the leg to nail the long field goals and boom kickoffs for touchbacks; punter Brett Kern averaged nearly 50 yards per punt under pressure, and the kickoff coverage is vastly improved.
COACHING
A The decision to alternate between a 4-3 and 3-4 defense kept Tampa’s offense guessing while offensive coaches created the right type of game plan to beat Tampa’s defense.
OVERALL
A On a day when two AFC West rivals lost and another was idle, Denver remains in control of the division. Best of all, the defense showed the improvement coaches and players had predicted would eventually come.
