Denver

Broncos

It’s the first touchdown for Sutton on the season, and it tied the game at 17-17. The 31-year-old was unable to find room versus the Chargers’ secondary, and for the fifth-straight week, Sutton was held under 50 yards. His size could give the smaller Seahawks’ defensive backs trouble, but he’s essentially a touchdown-dependent FLEX for Week 6 against Seattle.

Give some credit to the Chargers’ defense, but this was an ugly game for both passing attacks. Waddle has his second dud in three weeks, and doesn’t appear to have great chemistry with Bo Nix thus far. No one really does, to be fair, as no receiver caught more than four passes for Denver. Waddle is a volatile WR2, and that volatility becomes more, well, volatile for Week 6 against the Seahawks.

Engram did a large portion of his damage on a busted coverage that allowed him to pick up 34 yards and come just short of a receiving score. The 55 yards are a season high, and it’s encouraging to see more involvement after being a non-factor in the previous two weeks. Engram will hope to build on this effort in Week 6 against the Seahawks, but fantasy managers shouldn’t bet on it.

Harvey was a non-factor in this one, and a week after his big receiving game, he was held without a catch with just one target. The second-year tailback was clearly the backup to JK Dobbins, and was unable to make the most of his limited opportunities. He’s off the radar for Week 6 versus the Seahawks on Thursday.

Dobbins was the most effective offensive player for both teams, which isn’t quite the compliment you’d think it is. The 27-year-old was the bellcow for the Broncos, however, and he was able to keep the chains moving enough to give Denver the victory over the winless Chargers. Dobbins will likely find the sledding tougher in Week 6 when the Broncos face the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

Nix also added 10 yards on the ground on his four carries. He once again wasn’t able to get the ball downfield, with a long passing gain of 34 yards on a busted coverage. He was at least able to find Courtland Sutton for a short touchdown, but this was an ugly day for both signal-callers. Nix is no more than a QB2 for a matchup against the tough Seattle defense in Week 6, and it’s worth noting that game takes place Thursday night.

Every year it somehow comes to this. Humphrey will replace Pat Bryant (IR/ankle) on the 53-man roster. We expect Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims will have more opportunities than Humphrey to actually catch the ball.

Bryant will be eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 9, when the Broncos face the Panthers. The Broncos go on bye in Week 10, though, so if he isn’t feeling ready to play, they could hold him out until they face the division-rival Raiders in Week 11. Bryant’s absence could create more opportunities for Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims, but Jaylen Waddle may end up hogging targets instead.

That role increase is, of course, Payton’s way of saying he is taking back play-calling duties from OC Davis Webb. Schefter tried to cushion the blow by saying Webb will still have a “significant game-planning and game-day role.” While Schefter didn’t outright say that Payton is now the play-caller, PFT’s Mike Florio reported this morning that Webb is no longer on the headset. It’s one of the most predictable outcomes of the season. Payton is a legendary coach known for his offensive genius. He was always going to take back the play-calling gig the moment things went south, though we doubt he expected it to happen this quickly. The Broncos are a dismal 27th in points per game. They rank slightly better in EPA per play at 21st, but that’s still a disappointing start for this offense.

Neither Surtain or Riley Moss (ribs) practiced on Wednesday. Head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos don’t anticipate placing Surtain on injured reserve. The injuries to both corners look to be shorter-term; Surtain is week-to-week while Moss’ return timeline is not disclosed yet. Both are on the wrong side of questionable for Week 5 against the Chargers.