Broncos offense and defense struggled against Redskins

The Denver Broncos put in another putrid offensive effort on Christmas Eve against the Washington Redskins, but their defense also found themselves getting torched through the air by Kirk Cousins.

All around, the game was a perfect example of what is wrong with the 2017 Broncos. I like Brock Osweiler, but he played poorly too. However, this clip of him shows why John Elway needs to clean house on offense and why Osweiler probably deserves to a contract to stick around as a backup in Denver.

To see players simply not giving a damn and Osweiler being the only guy who seems to give a damn was about as disheartening as it can get.

Overally, Osweiler was pressured a whooping 20 times on 46 dropbacks according to Pro Football Focus.

QB BROCK OSWEILER, 49.1 OVERALL GRADE

Osweiler faced pressure on 20 of his 46 dropbacks against Washington, and he struggled mightily with pressure in his face, going just 5-of-12 for 54 yards and an interception. The Broncos quarterback attempted just four passes all day that traveled at least 10 yards in the air and spent much of the afternoon throwing to his running backs.

Cousins was under pressure a lot too, completing just 4/13 attempts for 59 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown is what separated the two.

Let’s take a look at which players got it done and which struggles according to PFF.

The Good

· Von Miller posted another strong performance, finishing with an 84.6 overall grade. He had six total pressures (2 hits, 4 hurries) on 37 pass rush snaps. In the ground game, Miller had two run stops on 22 run defense snaps. He also had a pass defensed.

· Aqib Talib was tough in coverage and finished with an 82.5 overall grade. Talib was targeted four times and allowed only one catch for 13 yards. He also had a pass defensed. Talib has not been targeted too often over the past three weeks but has been remarkable when they do throw his way, allowing only three catches (8 targets) for 21 yards.

· Shaquil Barrett had a solid game, finishing with an 82.4 overall grade. He had five total pressures (2 hits, 3 hurries) on 28 pass rush snaps. Barrett also had two run stops and two stops in the passing game.

· Max Garcia had a strong game, posting an 85.0 overall grade. Garcia allowed two hurries on 48 pass block snaps and finished with an 84.8 pass blocking grade. He was solid in the run game as well, finishing with an 83.2 run blocking grade.

Garcia was named offensive team captain, so maybe they should keep naming him a captain if that is the kind of play he puts out there. Also, Barrett continues to show why he is a starter in the NFL and should not have seen his reps decline upon Shane Ray’s return earlier this season.

The Bad

· Bradley Roby had his first bad game in quite some time. He had been playing really well as of late but finished the game with a 37.8 overall grade. He was targeted seven times, allowing four catches for 67 yards and a TD. His other three receptions allowed were all first downs and he also missed a tackle in the pass game. Roby did record his 12th pass defensed, which is tied for 4th most among CB's.

· Connor McGovern struggled against the Redskins, finishing with a 43.9 overall grade. He allowed five hurries on 48 pass block snaps and was beat in pass pro one other time. McGovern also struggled to open holes in the ground game and finished with a 43.7 run blocking grade.

· Demaryius Thomas finished with a 44.3 overall grade. He was targeted six times, catching four passes for 53 yards. He also dropped his 10th pass of the season, tying him for second most among WR's.

· Devontae Booker finished with a 42.4 overall grade. In the ground game, he had eight carries for 46 yards with only 14 yards coming after contact. In the passing game, he caught five of the seven passes thrown his way for 25 yards. He also dropped a pass and fumbled on one of his receptions.

Roby was picked on over and over again by Cousins. He wasn’t the only one as Cousins also targeted linebackers in coverage a lot in this game. McGovern seems to put in a turd of a game followed by a great game followed by another turd. Not sure what to think about that. Thomas started out hot then went nearly the rest of the game without another reception.

With the Broncos holding the sixth pick right now, it might be best for them to lose next week and move into the Top 5. Little to nothing can be gained by beating the Kansas City Chiefs next week as the Broncos can’t even play spoiler either.