While the Denver Broncos won’t have to worry about facing Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, or Matthew Stafford when they take on the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas Day, they are waiting to see if several of their key players will be able to play on Sunday.
Denver Broncos final injury report vs. Los Angeles Rams
Twas’ the night before Christmas and all through the house, Broncos fans are hoping for a clean bill of health. For Sunday’s Christmas Day showdown with the Los Angeles Rams, the Broncos are hoping to have some of their top playmakers available on offense and defense.
After making his return last week against the Arizona Cardinals, outside linebacker Randy Gregory is listed as questionable after missing three straight days of practice this week. Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett noted that Gregory had been dealing with knee soreness, but that the team wanted to play things safe for him.
“We are just going to play it safe,” Hackett said on Friday. “We want to be sure that we take care of him. He was sore after the game, and it’s been a while since he played. He’s done a great job in the meetings and done a great job getting his knee right and his mind right. We’re excited and we hope he’s going to be able to get out there, but that will be more of a game-time decision.”
Even without practicing all week long, Gregory will play if he’s physically able to. Hackett said, “If he’s ready to go, we’ll play him.”
Joining Gregory as questionable is cornerback K’Waun Williams who recently made his return after having arthroscopic knee surgery, wide receiver Courtland Sutton who has missed the last two games for the Broncos with a hamstring injury, running back Latavius Murray (foot), and offensive guard Dalton Risner who has been dealing with a foot injury this week.
Denver Broncos will be without Kendall Hinton, Calvin Anderson
The Broncos will be without wide receiver Kendall Hinton for the second consecutive week as he continues to deal with a hamstring injury suffered in the Broncos’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. He did not participate in practice all week. Expect Freddie Swain and Brandon Johnson to receive more reps in Hinton’s place on Sunday.
Offensive tackle Calvin Anderson popped up on the injury report on Friday with an ankle designation and was originally listed as questionable for Sunday’s game according to Hackett. On Saturday, the team announced that Anderson has been downgraded to OUT for Sunday’s game against the Rams and will not travel with the team.
The Broncos’ offensive tackle has appeared in 14 games for Denver this season and has started seven games total, having played both left and right tackle. What’s interesting is how Anderson, who has been playing well at left tackle, was replaced by offensive line coach Butch Barry in favor of veteran tackle Cam Fleming. On film, Anderson has shown more consistency in pass protection at left tackle than Fleming has showcased this season.
With just three games remaining, the Broncos are hoping to close out the season on a high note after securing a win last week against the Arizona Cardinals.
Chase Edmonds activated from injured reserve
On Saturday, the Broncos announced that running back Chase Edmonds was activated from injured reserve. After acquiring Edmonds in the Bradley Chubb trade, he’s missed the last few weeks after suffering an ankle injury in Denver’s overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
With Latavius Murray’s status listed as questionable, Edmonds’ return to the backfield could come at the right time. The Broncos’ best rushing output of the season came in last week’s win, with Murray and Marlon Mack combining for over 170 yards on the ground. With Aaron Donald out on Sunday, Denver is hoping to capitalize and carry over the momentum from last week.
The Denver Broncos will kick off on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Rams at 2:30 p.m. MT. Will they leave Los Angeles with a win or coal in their stockings?
