The Broncos got a little relief on the injury front Thursday, and that matters with Jacksonville coming to Mile High on a short week.
RJ Harvey, who was listed with a hamstring issue, moved from Wednesday’s estimated status to limited participation. That’s a useful step for a player who looked eager to be involved in Week 1, even if the touches never really followed. Harvey handled the ball just seven times against the Chiefs and finished with 44 yards from scrimmage.
Denver is also dealing with concerns around Mims, whose foot injury has lingered since the preseason finale. The issue appeared to affect his workload in the opener, though he was also evaluated for a shoulder injury in the first half before returning. He played only nine offensive snaps, but still made an impact in the return game by averaging 18 yards per punt return.
Elliss and Franklin are dealing with bumps and bruises as well, but the sense is they’re on track to play. The Broncos may still choose to be careful with Harvey and Mims through the rest of the week, especially with Sunday shaping up as a revenge game of sorts after Jacksonville beat Denver soundly at Mile High last year and ended the Broncos’ 11-game winning streak.
If Harvey can’t fully go, Denver could turn again to Jonah Coleman - though the bigger ask would be getting him more involved on offense this time.
Jacksonville’s injury report has its own issues. Four starters were limited in practice, with Allen the lone non-starter among that group.
Two of those names, Meyers and Thomas, are part of Jacksonville’s first-team wide receiver group alongside Parker Washington. Meyers has plenty of experience playing at Mile High as a former Raider.
He and Thomas combined for six catches and 63 yards against Denver last year, while Washington posted one of the best lines of his career with six receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown. Limiting Washington while keeping Meyers and Thomas in check will be a major task for Denver’s secondary.
Van Lanen, Jacksonville’s starting right tackle, is also on the report. He’s backed up by Walker Little, and his status is worth watching as the week goes on.
Oluokun, a team captain, is another limited Jaguar to monitor. He had four tackles and an interception in Jacksonville’s blowout win over the Browns last week.
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Nixs message carried extra weight because the Broncos did have one encouraging sign amid the frustration: the offense was clean in its communication and huddle management. In a game that exposed enough flaws to fuel a long week of questions, that kind of operational stability gives Denver something to build on, even if the sharper details of the execution still need work. [Read more 🡒]