Winners and losers as Broncos find a way to victory in Chicago
- Russell Wilson continues to play well
- Jerry Jeudy makes the bad list despite being on the right side of the result
- Denver defense still looks terrible
![Oct 1, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones (93) makes a tackle Oct 1, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones (93) makes a tackle](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3857,h_2169,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/46/01hbpf033jck2zd365fw.jpg)
Winner: Jaleel McLaughlin
While Williams is struggling at running back, the Broncos have clearly found something in undrafted running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who legitimately looked like the best player on the team in this game.
McLaughlin carried the ball just seven times but gained 72 yards on the ground. He also caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown. That is an average of over 10 yards every time he touched the ball.
With Williams hurt, the Broncos turned to McLaughlin more than No. 2 running back Samaje Perine, and he provided the spark necessary to help turn things around.
The Broncos do not win this game without him and he deserves today's game ball.
Loser: The entire defense, but specifically, the secondary
The Broncos' defense as a whole is still laughably bad and unless there is a drastic improvement, the team will struggle to beat very many teams with it. But in this game, it was the team's secondary that was just pitiful.
Though it's somewhat ironic that the team sealed the win with an interception by Kareem Jackson late in the game, it was that secondary that had Fields looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the league for much of the game.
At one point, Fields had completed 23 of 24 throws and the only incompletion was a Hail Mary attempt before halftime.
5 potential first-round picks for Broncos in 2024. dark. Next. Top 5 picks
Justin Simmons' absence has been notable and both Damarri Mathis and Delarrin Turner-Yell have played about as poorly as you can play in the NFL. The team is really going to need to address this going forward, but with as far away as they seem to be, you have to wonder how much better this group can even get.