The Broncos’ defense may have to carry even more of the load over the next few weeks, because Talanoa Hufanga is expected to be sidelined with an ankle injury.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Wednesday that Hufanga is expected to miss around 2-3 weeks, depending on how he recovers. The injury happened in the third quarter of Denver’s Week 5 win over the Chargers, and he did not return.
That was a tough blow in the middle of a game the Broncos had to grind out. Denver’s defense came up with the stops it needed to close out the 23-17 win without one of its top playmakers, but losing Hufanga left a clear hole in the secondary.
The timing is rough for a team that has leaned heavily on defense during a bumpy 3-2 start. Denver opened with a 31-10 loss to the Chiefs, then beat Jacksonville 20-13 and the Rams 30-26 before dropping a 24-14 game to the 49ers. Through five games, the Broncos’ offense is averaging just 269 total yards per game, the third-lowest mark in the NFL.
Hufanga had been right in the middle of everything before the injury. Over the first five games, he posted 23 total tackles, including 12 solo, three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, three pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one sack.
That kind of production is exactly why his absence matters so much. In his first season with Denver last year, he earned second-team All-Pro honors and established himself as one of the league’s premier safeties.
Now the Broncos have to patch things together quickly. Brandon Jones and third-year player Devon Key are the names most likely to feel the added pressure while Hufanga recovers.
The schedule does Denver no favors either. The Broncos play the defending champion Seahawks on Thursday night, then head to Arizona before hosting the Chiefs. Hufanga could miss most, if not all, of that stretch.
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There is at least some reason to think the picture could change soon, especially in the backfield. Rookie running back Jonah Coleman had shown promise before an ankle injury interrupted his start, and his eventual return should give Denver another option in the rushing attack. For now, though, the early read on this class is less about production and more about how much of it is actually available, which is the kind of thing Sean Payton will be monitoring closely as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]