Winners and Losers from the Denver Broncos 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens

This was supposed to be a test to see if the Broncos are for real or not. Well, if that’s the case, the Broncos failed miserably. They had no answer for Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and the Ravens offense while struggling in all areas of the game.

The most disappointing outcome from this game was the Broncos defense. They were supposed to be an elite unit and have shown that at times this season. However, they were torched all game, had no answers for Lamar Jackson, and gave up 40+ points to the Ravens. The offense had their struggles but the defensive issues will be the headliner from this game.

With all that said, here are the losers from the Denver Broncos 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

LOSER - The entire Broncos team

This game was hyped up. The upstart Broncos who have won five of their last six games were going on the road to take on one of the top AFC teams in the league. Playoff hopes were high in Broncos Country and we had hope that we could handle the Ravens.

We were all severely disappointed.

The Broncos were outcoached in all areas of the game, they did not execute well, did not show up at all on defense, and were absolutely blown out by the explosive Ravens offense.

Blame starts at the top with head coach Sean Payton. He had some questionable play calls early and his team was ultimately outplayed all game. It was a disappointing effort and all the excitement and hype around the Broncos is now gone.

Vance Joseph, what the hell was that? The defense looked nothing like the unit we saw all season. The pass rush was not there and their secondary which has been a strength was picked apart all game. They could not stop the run, Pat Surtain II was not covering the Ravens top receiver, they had poor tackling, poor effort, and had 40+ points legitimately dropped on them.

There is a lot of finger-pointing to go around for this game but the entire team deserves blame. This was a spotlight game on a national stage with CBS’s top announcer team covering it and they shit the bed badly.

LOSER - Lil’Jordan Humphrey

He couldn’t haul in a catchable ball on the Broncos' first drive and deflected it up in the air for an interception. This wouldn’t end in points but it set the tone for the rest of the game.

Listen, I know the Broncos lack playmakers, but if Lil’Jordan Humphrey is getting this amount of snaps, targets, and opportunities, that’s not a good sign. He is a fine depth receiver, but should not be a starter. He has struggled in back-to-back games and has left points on the field for the Broncos.

In the grand scheme, his issues are minor, but he has not been playing well.

LOSER - Devon Key

I know he is a backup safety but man, he had a rough one. I have not watched the coach's film but he was getting torched all game. His effort on the Zay Flowers touchdown before the end of the first half was unacceptable.

Again, he is a reserve safety who is who he is, but Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense picked on him throughout the game. The Broncos need P.J. Locke back healthy sooner rather than later.

LOSER - Sean Payton’s 4th down play calling

The Broncos had multiple turnovers on downs in the first half of this game and it left multiple points on the field. The first one was a pitch to Javonte Williams on 4th and short. It was initially called a first down but after a challenge, he was ruled down before the 1st down. Running a toss play with Javonte is not the move. He is a between-the-tackles power guy.

The next was in field goal range and I believe a 4th and 4. Instead of kicking the field goal they decided to go for it and once again did not convert. Instead of trying to get the first down with a safe play, Bo Nix launched a pass to a wide-open Troy Franklin but he overthrew his college teammate. To his credit, Franklin was open, but that’s a low-percentage play and it ended up costing the Broncos.

Later in the game, he ran the Philly Special and Bo Nix would catch a touchdown pass from wide receiver Courtland Sutton but man, that’s another risky play call. It worked but getting cute cost them the first two times and it took an incredible effort by Nix for this one to work. Glad it worked, but can’t be getting that cute in situations like that.

Other Losers

Broncos Offense - LOSER: They looked good to start the game but they only scored 10 points in this game. They left a lot of points on the field. I thought Bo Nix played alright but he missed on a few passes and struggled against the Ravens' pressure as the game went on. While he did not play badly, he looked like a rookie.

Broncos Playoff hopes - LOSER: They’re probably still in as things stand but this game was a blow to their postseason hopes. They looked like a bad team and lost a tie-breaker to another AFC playoff contender. Add in the fact they were not competitive in this one and were blown out makes them a questionable postseason team moving forward.

They’re still in, still can make it, and have a decent shot to make it still but can’t have more games like this.