The Broncos’ secondary is taking hit after hit, and now the quick turnaround to Thursday night could leave Denver even thinner. After missing starting cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss in Sunday’s win over the Chargers, the Broncos are bracing for the possibility that safety Talanoa Hufanga also won’t be available against the Seahawks.
Hufanga hurt his ankle against Los Angeles and never returned. On Monday’s estimated injury report, he showed up as a “DNP” after Denver did not actually practice, which is not exactly the kind of sign that points toward a fast recovery on a short week.
Surtain was also listed as a “DNP,” with his ankle expected to keep him out for at least another week. Moss, meanwhile, was listed as limited and could have a chance to come back this week.
There was at least some good news on the report. Safety Brandon Jones, who is dealing with a foot issue, and guard Ben Powers, who is working through a biceps injury, were both full participants in Monday’s “practice.”
Hufanga’s injury comes after one of the stronger early stretches of his season. Before exiting in Week 5, he had two solo tackles and a tackle-for-loss. Devon Key stepped in after Hufanga went down and finished with two solo stops across 26 defensive snaps.
Head coach Sean Payton pointed to the difficulty of the schedule when asked Monday about preparing on such a short week. “I would say this, it’s time.
There are two things, time and then the second thing is proper recovery from the last game," head coach Sean Payton said Monday when asked about the challenges of preparing on a short week. "For each player, getting their body ready for a short work week, so that the time and the recovery-those are the two things that hit me right away with that question.”
Denver’s defense earned a game ball-worthy performance against the Chargers, holding them to 237 total yards, forcing three turnovers and piling up three sacks on Justin Herbert. But Thursday brings a very different test.
Seattle comes in with the NFL’s eighth-best scoring offense, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a nightmare for defenses. He leads the league in both receptions and touchdowns after an eight-catch, 102-yard, one-touchdown showing in Week 5. Smith-Njigba did pick up an ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, but he was listed as limited on Seattle’s practice report and is expected to play Thursday without major restrictions.
If Smith-Njigba is out there and Hufanga, along with Surtain, is not, Denver could be staring at a tough night trying to slow Sam Darnold’s favorite target.
The Broncos do have three safeties on the practice squad - Taylor Rapp, Miles Scott and Ugo Amadi - and could elevate one if Hufanga is ultimately ruled out.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Has Become The Broncos Biggest Offensive Concern
Bo Nixs uneven start has become one of the more important subplots inside Denvers 3-2 opening, because the Broncos have managed to stay afloat even as the offense has searched for a steadier rhythm. Coming off the injury that ended his previous playoff run, Nix has not looked quite like the same confident quarterback, and the early weeks have shown a version of Denvers offense that has been more hesitant than explosive.
The issue has shown up in more than one way, from Nix pulling back on downfield throws to a ground game that has not given the Broncos the kind of added dimension they had before. Sean Payton has made it clear he wants the quarterback to play with more conviction, and the next stretch figures to say a lot about whether Denver can get Nix back to the aggressive style that once made the offense feel far more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Payton Just Turned Bo Nix Into A Bigger Broncos Debate
The Broncos left Week 5 at 3-2 after a strong fourth quarter helped carry them to a win, but the mood around the offense still feels unfinished. Sean Payton has liked enough to keep this group moving in the right direction, yet the conversation around Bo Nix keeps circling back to how much more there is for the passing game to unlock.
Payton wants the rookie quarterback to be more aggressive pushing the ball downfield, and that idea lands right in the middle of the biggest debate around Denvers offense. Nix has shown the ability to keep drives afloat, but his tendency to settle for safer throws has some wondering whether the Broncos can become truly explosive unless he starts testing deeper coverage more often. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Escaped The Chargers But Their Offense Looks Like A Real Problem
Denver escaped with a 23-17 win over the Chargers, and the defense did the heavy lifting from start to finish. The Broncos kept Justin Herbert under control, bottled up Los Angeles on the ground and flipped the game with a turnover sequence that set up short fields and kept Denver in front despite an offense that spent too much of the afternoon going nowhere.
The part that should linger for Sean Payton and the Broncos is how little they did with the chances handed to them. Even after repeatedly getting the ball in favorable territory late, Denver managed only 13 points on four fourth-quarter possessions that began inside the Chargers 40-yard line or at the 41, and there were still multiple three-and-outs mixed into a day that should have looked cleaner. A win is a win, especially in division play, but this one left the feeling that the margin for error on offense is thinner than it ought to be. [Read more 🡒]