Denver Broncos 2 stock up, 4 stock down following a heartbreaking loss in Houston
By Amir Farrell
Denver Broncos Stock Down:
QB Russell Wilson
Despite playing exceptionally well and rarely turning the ball over during Denver's five-game winning streak, quarterback Russell Wilson flip-flopped his production on the field Sunday in Houston. The now 35-year-old signal-caller threw three interceptions in the loss including the game-sealing interception to Texans cornerback Jimmy Ward in the end zone during the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter. While Denver's offensive line did allow a great deal of pressure, Wilson missed a handful of reads and open receivers throughout the game and ultimately cost the Broncos their seventh win of the season.
LB Alex Singleton
While he had a strong start to the game stopping the run and making key tackles, linebacker Alex Singleton's late shove on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud in the first quarter felt like a cause for the shift in momentum in favor of Houston's offense. Shortly after a false start committed by Houston's offensive line, Singleton made a very unnecessary decision to shove Stroud which resulted in a personal foul and eventually led to a touchdown in the red zone for the Texans.
Again, self-inflicted wounds and mistakes in a game of this magnitude were completely unnecessary, especially for a veteran like Alex Singleton.
RT Mike McGlinchey/OL
Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey had a poor game Sunday, to say the least. In both pass and run blocking, the $87.5M offensive tackle got worked by rookie first-round pick Will Anderson Jr. Very reminiscent of Week 10 vs. Buffalo Bills, the entire offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback. The Texans' pass rush was simply more talented and stronger than the Broncos' offensive line expected and this was a big reason why Denver was not able to come out on top.
OLB Jonathon Cooper
Despite having a favorable matchup against Texans right tackle George Fant, veteran edge rusher Jonathon Cooper had a slightly below-average performance against Houston's offensive line. Cooper did not record a single sack, quarterback hit, or pressure during the loss and more notably was not able to come up with a key fumble recovery forced by teammate Ja'Quan McMillian which would have put the Broncos offense in a beneficial field position.
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As an overall group, Denver's pass rush was too inconsistent and stagnant when attempting to generate pressure against C.J. Stroud.