Denver Broncos 5 stock up, 4 stock down following brutal loss in season opener

K Wil Lutz

The kicking woes continue in Denver as new trade acquisition from the New Orleans Saints, Wil Lutz missed a PAT and 55-yard field goal attempt in his debut with the Broncos. Head coach Sean Payton mentioned after the game that he was "surprised a little bit" but optimistically suggests "he'll bounce back" when referring to Lutz's performance.

The Broncos had a big issue last season in regards to completing field goals of over 50 yards of distance and with Lutz coming off a poor season completing just four of eight attempts from 50+ in 2022, this game is a bit worrisome and could potentially suggest a decline for Lutz, despite only being 29-years-old. However, there is still a lot of football left to be played and many more opportunities for the former Pro Bowl kicker to redeem himself.

Pass Rush

Arguably the biggest problem in Denver's loss Sunday consisted of the pass rush from all positions. Inside linebacker, outside linebacker, defensive end, and nose tackle all struggled to generate any pressure on Jimmy Garoppolo. Despite a surprisingly impressive offseason from players like Jonathon Cooper and Nik Bonitto, they were nowhere near the quarterback through all four quarters.

Football always starts up front and part of the reason players like Damarri Mathis and Kareem Jackson did not have spectacular games in the secondary was because Garoppolo had all day to sit back in the pocket and throw the ball at his own leisure. Denver's pass rush was very, very ineffective all game long and was the main reason that 17 points were allowed. The Broncos defensive line simply got handled by the Raiders offensive line. No excuses.