The Denver Broncos were back on the practice field on Monday with the arrival of game week. With Denver set to open up the season this Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, the vibes in Dove Valley were set.
Denver Broncos focused as Raiders week arrives
The Las Vegas Raiders have been a thorn in the side of the Denver Broncos for the past several seasons. The last time Denver beat the Raiders was at home in 2019 when Shelby Harris batted down a 2-point conversion attempt.
#Broncos focused as game week has arrived.
• Riley Moss doing a little bit more
• Jerry Jeudy making progress, still questionable for Sunday.@MileHighSports pic.twitter.com/AvQ7ShHSyO— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) September 4, 2023
Since then, Denver has lost six straight games against the Raiders. On Sunday, they’re hoping that trend changes.
Josh Jacobs a big task for the Broncos defense
One of the major keys in beating the Raiders on Sunday requires the Denver Broncos to find a way to slow down Josh Jacobs.
Jacobs has been the Broncos kryptonite defensively. According to Statmuse, Jacobs has averaged 103.0 yards rushing against them and 4.7 yards per carry.
He has nine career rushing touchdowns against the Broncos, 721 yards on 154 carries against them, and 15 career catches for 158 yards.
#Broncos defense believes that #Raiders RB Josh Jacobs will be fresher than most think and knows it will take all 11 of them to try and slow him down. @MileHighSports pic.twitter.com/7rrklt2iYS
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) September 4, 2023
Many people in the national media believe Jacobs won’t be fresh or conditioned coming into Sunday’s game, but Denver isn’t buying into that narrative.
Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton knows it will take everybody on defense to slow him down.
“Everybody thinks [Jacobs] isn’t going to be fresh for this game, but I think he’s going to be the most fresh,” Singleton said on Monday. “When somebody doesn’t have to do camp, it saves mileage on the legs. He was in that offense last year so he’s going to know what he’s doing. We’re going to go out there, and it’s going to take 11 guys to beat him, and that’s what we’re going to have to do every play.”
Broncos rookie cornerback Riley Moss making good progress
After undergoing core muscle surgery, Broncos rookie cornerback Riley Moss is making good progress in his return.
Monday’s practice was his first actual practice in a limited capacity where he participated in team stretch and individual drills.
#Broncos CB Riley Moss talked about how valuable it was for him to invest himself in getting mental reps while physically being unable to participate in practice..
Called it a "blessing in disguise" and how it's helped provide him with a different perspective. pic.twitter.com/R03dPQAYdD
— Cody Roark (@CodyRoarkNFL) September 4, 2023
Moss spoke to the media following practice during the open locker room period and touched on what his recovery has been like and where he’s at from a progress standpoint.
“It’s been about five weeks since I got hurt, so I’m just taking it day by day,” Moss said after practice. “This was kind of my first day back at practice. It was slow, and they’re just dipping my feet in and getting me rolling.”
Moss suffered the core muscle injury during his first week of training camp but acknowledged that there was some strain in the area before camp began and, at some point, something tore afterward.
The timing of the injury was unfortunate for the Broncos’ third-round rookie, but he has tackled the recovery process with a positive attitude. While he hasn’t been able to do much physically, he went into detail about how valuable it was for him to get mental reps while sidelined.
“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Moss said. “Obviously, you don’t want to get hurt, but you can sit back and watch the guys and watch it from a different perspective. You get a lot of knowledge from that. I did a good job of doing that, watching the film, and understanding the defense a little bit more.”
It’s unclear whether or not he’ll be ready to play on Sunday, but he’s making great progress toward being ready to go.
When he returns fully, he’ll have an immediate impact on special teams and could be in line for a rotational role on defense.
Other Denver Broncos news and notes
- Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has continued to make progress as he works his way back from a hamstring injury he suffered two weeks ago. He participated in team stretch and did work on the side field.
- Cornerback Damarri Mathis was back at practice after dealing with an undisclosed injury last week.
- Tight end Chris Manhertz ramped things up further this week after dealing with an ankle injury last week.
- The following Broncos players changed their uniform numbers for the season
- Marvin Mims will wear #19
- Riley Dixon will wear #9
- Tremon Smith will wear #1
- Tim Patrick will wear #12
- Fabian Moreau will wear #23
- Ja’Quan McMillian will wear #29
The Denver Broncos will return to practice on Wednesday at the Centura Health Training Center.