Broncos' youth has been served; now comes the hard part
Development of a young core with potential will be paramount for the Broncos if they want to end their playoff drought.
Development of a young core with potential will be paramount for the Broncos if they want to end their playoff drought.
Broncos are dealing with an illness going through the complex as guard Dalton Risner, quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Kyle Peko, center Connor McGovern and guard Austin Schlottmann were all dealing with it. Lock, Fant, Peko, McGovern and Schlottman all practiced Friday and are expected to play Sunday against the Lions.
Broncos rookie guard Dalton Risner, who has played all but one snap on offense this season (892 of 893), is formally listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions. Risner (illness) was held out of practice Wednesday and Friday. Broncos coach Vic Fangio said if Risner does not play against Detroit, it would be Patrick Morris at left guard. The Broncos claimed Morris off waivers from the Steelers on Dec. 3. Tackle Ja'Wuan James (knee) and guard Ron Leary (concussion) are both out.
Broncos guard Dalton Risner (illness) is not practicing Friday. He has now missed two days of practice this week -- today and Wednesday -- and had practiced on a limited basis Thursday.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio confirmed Thursday defensive end Adam Gotsis is headed to injured reserve after surgery on his left knee Fangio said "it involved his ACL.'' Gotsis also had the meniscus in the knee repaired. It's the same knee Gotsis injured at Georgia Tech, including an ACL tear, in 2015. Gotsis will be the Broncos third defensive end to go to injured reserve this season, joining Billy Winn and Derek Wolfe. .
Thursday, Broncos linebacker Von Miller on his post-game comments Sunday and his future with the Broncos: "Everything that I said, that's how I was feeling … I didn't want to send the message about me not wanting to be here or not wanting to be part of the solution or anything like that ... I don't want to make it seem like I don't want to be part of the solution because I definitely want to be part of the solution.''
Get the latest scoop from inside NFL locker rooms on who's in and who's out this weekend.
Fant, the Broncos' first-round pick out of Iowa, leads all rookie tight ends in catches and receiving yards and is on the cusp of several team records.
Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay on wide receiver Courtland Sutton's and safety Justin Simmons' Pro Bowl snubs: "Him and Justin, it was a shock to see that. You can't do nothing about it. I texted Courtland and I told him no matter what he's a Pro Bowler, if you go out there and beat double coverage and have 1,000 yards like that man did, you're a Pro Bowler, you don't have to have somebody tag you ... you go out there and show them, that man's a Pro Bowler, he's an All Pro.''
More Lock on Wednesday about interceptions: "The three picks I've thrown, I've definitely learned something from each of them to be able to take into next year. (Sunday's) was an easy case of just let's scramble for five yards and get out of bounds, stop the clock instead of trying to get it all back in one play. That was the big thing ... let's figure out how to actually get the score instead of making the risky plays and possibly having it turn out bad.''
Broncos quarterback Drew Lock on Wednesday on if he believes he can show the team's decision-makers he can be the starting quarterback as the Broncos head into the offseason: "There's always that thought process, if I'm doing that it's just to prove it to the guys on the field ... I'm confident and feel like I am the guy for the job, but that's just not sitting there in my head, my biggest thing, is, obviously to win this game.''
Having the right quarterback won't automatically return the Broncos to the postseason: Just look across the field at the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
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Kareem Jackson was arrested for driving under the influence in September, the Broncos said in a statement.
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When asked Tuesday about John Elway's comment that "we plan to keep him as a Denver Bronco,'' safety Justin Simmons said: "I mean, that's awesome, like I said I'd love to be here, this is home, the past four years this has been home ... I just hope, with that being said, it works out on both ends.'' Simmons is poised to be an unrestricted free agent and the Broncos will likely have to make him one of the highest paid safeties in the league to keep him.
Also, rookie Drew Lock has been in the shotgun a bigger percentage of the time than the previous two Broncos' quarterbacks this season, but that is skewed plenty by the fact he was in the shotgun 20 of 21 fourth-quarter snaps against the Chiefs Sunday (penalty snaps included) when the Broncos were trailing by 20 points. In Lock's first two starts he was in the shotgun 53.9 percent of the snaps (including penalty snaps) and under center 46.9 percent of the time.
Through Broncos' 14 games it is Brandon Allen who has a bigger percentage of his completions on downfield throws in Broncos' offense. Allen and Drew Lock have had the most difficult weather games with howling winds in Buffalo for Allen and the blizzard in K.C. for Lock. Lock has two more games to go, but to this point completions of 10 or fewer yards: Joe Flacco -- 66.7 percent of his completions. Brandon Allen -- 53.8 percent of his completions. Drew Lock -- 67.2 percent of his completions.
Broncos coach Vic Fangio Monday on Von Miller's post-game comments from Sunday: "I heard a little bit of it, I just think the frustration, you know, of losing to those guys again and he's been here the last four years now to where it hadn't been a winning season. But he's been a positive influence and a positive part of this team and that will continue. I just think it's more frustration.'' Asked if he would talk to Miller, Fangio said: "I'll talk to Von, I always do.''
Even in a blizzard, the Chiefs managed to easily dispatch with the Broncos for the ninth consecutive time.
After another frustrating, emotional division loss in Kansas City that officially ended any playoff hopes, Broncos linebacker Von Miller assesses Denver's future, quarterback included.
Broncos' rookie QB couldn't get going in a snowstorm, as Denver fell again to the Chiefs and was eliminated from playoff consideration.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce were on the receiving end of many of his biggest throws, and the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs romped to a 23-3 victory over the Denver Broncos at snowy...
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 10 | 4 | 0 | .714 | 394 | 284 |
| Oakland | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 274 | 386 |
| Denver | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 239 | 284 |
| Los Angeles | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 299 | 290 |
| RD(PK) | PLAYER | POS | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1(20) | Noah Fant | TE | Iowa |
| 2(9) | Dalton Risner | OT | Kansas State |
| 2(10) | Drew Lock | QB | Missouri |
| 3(7) | Dre'Mont Jones | DT | Ohio State |
| 5(18) | Justin Hollins | OLB | Oregon |
| 6(14) | Juwann Winfree | WR | Colorado |
