Offense

Injuries are now starting to make the 2021 Broncos feel like the 2020 Broncos with second team players starting in multiple spots.

The offensive line suffered injuries to Dalton Risner (63 percent) and Graham Glasgow (57 percent) meaning that Netane Muti (43 percent) and Quinn Meinerz (37 percent) saw significant action on offense. For Meinerz this was his first taste of regular season offensive snaps. Garett Bolles, Bobby Massie and Lloyd Cushenberry III all played every offensive snap as did Teddy Bridgewater.

Noah Fant played a season high 87 percent of the offensive snaps with Albert Okweugbunam getting 43 percent and Eric Saubert 36 percent. Fullback/tight end, Andrew Beck, got his first action of the season and played twelve offensive snaps (18 percent).

The loss of KJ Hamler (22 percent) early in the game meant that Diontae Spencer played a career high 24 offensive snaps (36 percent). Spencer came into this game with 139 total career NFL offensive snaps in two plus seasons. I expect David Moore to quickly take those offensive snaps from Spencer. Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick both played 76 percent of the offensive snaps. Kendall Hinton played four offensive snaps and was not targetted in the passing game.

The running back group saw Melvin Gordon get 54 percent of the snaps, Javonte Williams get 40 percent of the snaps and Damarea Crockett get his first NFL offensive snaps (4 total, 6 percent). Crockett and Hinton were both in on that final drive when the starters were being rested given the 26 point lead.

Defense

For the first time in three seasons, Justin Simmons did not play every defensive snap. At the end of the game, our every down defenders (Simmons, Kyle Fuller, Patrick Surtain II, Alexander Johnson and Kareem Jackson) were given some rest. This allowed core special team players to see some defensive snaps. Nate Hairston (5 snaps) and Mike Ford (4 snaps) got some at cornerback while P.J. Locke (4 snaps) got some at safety). At linebacker Micah Kiser and Baron Browning both got four snaps.

At outside linebackers Malik Reed (83 percent) did not leave the field much, but Von Miller (70 percent) was given some rest this game. Jonathon Cooper (33 percent) and Andre Mintze (13 percent) provided the rest for Miller and Reed.

Caden Stearns got to see his most extensive defensive action (24 percent) at safety while Justin Strnad (76 percent) did the game at inside linebacker.

Dre’Mont Jones saw the heaviest usage of our defensive line with 76 percent of the snaps while Shelby Harris (52 percent) and DeShawn Williams (39 percent) were the other two “starters”. Mike Purcell played fairly sparingly (24 percent) with Shemar Stephen (33 percent) getting more defensive snaps than he. If he is healthy, we will need Purcell’s run stopping prowess against the Ravens next Sunday.

Only two offensive or defensive players played ONLY on special teams, Calvin Anderson and Jonas Griffith, who was just released. Twenty-nine players played at least one special teams snap, but we had eight guys plays two thirds or more of the special teams snaps:

• Eric Saubert - 96 percent
• Jonathon Cooper - 74 percent
• Mike Ford - 74 percent
• P.J. Locke - 74 percent
• Andrew Beck - 70 percent
• Damarea Crockett - 70 percent
• Nate Hairston - 70 percent
• Andre Mintze - 65 percent