Brandon Marshall (54) had a career-high 15 tackles in the Broncos’ loss to the Rams. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
The Broncos capped their three-game road trip with arguably their worst regular-season performance so far, a 22-7 loss to the Rams. Here were the notable and not-so-notable moments from the Denver defeat.
One-man gang: Linebacker Brandon Marshall admitted that reaching 100 tackles carries significance. He could eclipse that total Sunday after finishing with 15 tackles against the Rams, giving him 90 for the season.
Harris has it covered: While the secondary struggled at times, Chris Harris did not. The cornerback continued to show why he deserves a big payday, blanketing receivers.
Thomas reaches 100: Demaryius Thomas extended his 100-yard receiving games to seven, one shy of Calvin Johnson’s NFL record.
O-line out of sync: Regression, not progress, defined the reshaped offensive line was penalized five times: Ryan Clady (one), Louis Vasquez (two) and Orlando Franklin (two). The Broncos were unable to run, finishing with 28 yards on the ground.
Ball hurt, twice: Montee Ball injured his right groin on a third-down pass route. He sat out a series and returned to drop a pass before limping off.
Who has Britt?: Kenny Britt nearly scored on Aqib Talib and burned Bradley Roby for a 63-yard touchdown on a go route.
INTERACTIVE:
Offense: The Broncos averaged 31.8 points going into the game and finished with zero opportunities in the red zone. The seven points marked their lowest since Tim Tebow’s last regular-season game in 2011. Denver’s reconfigured offensive line remains under scrutiny, as it failed to open holes and was penalized five times. The chances of signing Richie Incognito after the game to play against the Dolphins — his former team — have increased. Grade: F
Defense: The Broncos maintained a pulse because of the defense’s red zone work. Denver held St. Louis to three field goals in those situations. St. Louis was only 6-for-17 on third down. Bradley Roby losing Kenny Britt on a 63-yard TD proved critical. Grade: B+
Special Teams: In a game where the offense needed a nudge, the special teams could not produce a big play, continuing a season-long trend. Coach John Fox determined that Brandon McManus’ range was 50 yards, preventing two long field goal attempts in ideal conditions in a dome. Grade: D
Coaching: The decision to change the offensive line, even if the Broncos felt their hands were tied, has backfired. The line can’t get out of its own way or in the way of defenders. And why didn’t the Broncos blitz QB Shaun Hill? The Rams’ offense didn’t commit a turnover, and Hill was rarely under duress. Grade: D
Brandon Marshall: Finished with 15 tackles, nine in first half.
Chris Harris: Secondary had lapses. He didn’t. Blanketing receivers in man and zone coverage.
Demaryius Thomas: Eclipsed 100 yards receiving for the seventh straight game, one shy of the NFL record.
