The Broncos’ stock report after their 16-9 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday:
Stock Up
Dre’Mont Jones
While the offense flails and the coaching decisions leave us scratching our heads, the defensive line has more than carried the flag so far. Jones’ six stops and two sacks weren’t just huge in Sunday’s win over Houston. They were clutch.
Eric Saubert
The NFL’s favorite former Drake Bulldog is more than just a blocker, kids. His 22-yard touchdown catch — a new career-long for a reception — early in the fourth quarter helped to save face and spare Broncos Country a humiliating home defeat.
Damarri Mathis
Nobody expected the rookie to replace Pat Surtain II. But when an injury to PS2 required Mathis to step in, he more than held serve, helping to keep the Broncos secondary afloat with five tackles and a pass break-up.
Stock Down
Nathaniel Hackett
The deep, take-no-prisoners AFC is no place for a rookie coach to have to learn in the job, but here we are. To fans of every other NFL franchise, he’s made Broncos games must-see television. Unfortunately, it’s for all the wrong reasons.
ILBs in coverage
Alex Singleton turned in a pair of nice — and necessary — pass deflections. But if the Texans were any indication, opposing offensive coordinators aren’t going to hesitate to try to isolate the Broncos’ inside linebackers in pass coverage and force them to chase targets in space. Those kind of matchups have burned the Orange & Blue repeatedly in recent years, and against the Raiders in particular.
Team focus
Thirteen penalties? At home? To paraphrase Dean Wormer, that’s no way to go through life, son. And no way to survive an AFC West that’s got to be licking its collective chops right now.
