The Denver Broncos are back at it this week as they prepare for their Week 15 AFC conference matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Broncos Country sent in their mailbag questions throughout the bye week, and we’re responding to the best ones.
Denver Broncos Bye Week/Week 15 Mailbag
Broncos Country, every Monday, we send out a prompt on social media @CodyRoarkNFL for your mailbag questions. If you ever want to have your questions featured or answered, be sure to stay tuned for that prompt, or you can always email them to cody@milehighsports.com.
Will Riley Moss be good to go after the bye week? – Jacob on Twitter.
Hey Jacob, thanks for the question. It’s unlikely that Moss will be ready to go this week against the Indianapolis Colts. MCL injuries and knee injuries, in general, are tricky. It took Mike McGlinchey four weeks to recover from his, and even after he returned, it still bothered him a bit. For everything that Moss is required to do, from planting, cutting, t-stepping, and change of direction, it’s a little trickier for him than it would be in a position like offensive tackle.
A lot of people have outlined the Chargers Thursday Night game as a possibility, and certainly, there could be a chance he could be ready by then, but my own personal speculation is that we’ll see him return for the Bengals game. We may see a lot of Kris Abrams-Draine and Damarri Mathis these next couple of games.
Be honest, did you expect this level of Broncos’ success this season? – Ed Helinski on Twitter.
Hi Ed, somewhat I did. In training camp (I’ve got a clip stored and ready for it), I said on camera that I felt like if the Broncos had an ounce of better quarterback play, then I think they’d win ten games this season. They’re two off right now with four games to go, and it looks like something could happen.
We’ll see how they manage these final four games.
How did Damarri Mathis fall off so badly? He looked good in his first year? – MileHighChapo on Twitter.
I don’t think Damarri has fallen off. He stepped up into a larger role as a rookie and was very impressive. Last year, he ran into a sophomore slump. These things happen, but this season, Mathis has embraced his role on special teams and in the dime package. He’s been patiently waiting for his opportunity, and it appears it may come up sooner rather than later with the injury to Riley Moss. I felt like Mathis stood out in a positive way on Monday Night Football when he was playing in the slot in the dime package. He’ll be alright.
Coming out of the bye week and finishing up this final stretch of games, what needs to happen in terms of the Broncos play that would give you confidence they could make a playoff run? – DMarq on Twitter.
Running the football well would be the one key thing that I think would help amplify their chances of making a little bit of a run. They haven’t been able to run the ball consistently or well enough all season long, and that usually becomes a problem in the postseason, especially for the opponent who is gameplanning against them.
I’d love to see them come out in these final four games and have some rhythm in the run game.
Will we ever see A.T. Perry or Donald Parham Jr. elevated before the season ends? – Multiple people in Broncos Country on Twitter.
This is the hottest topic question I’ve seen from Broncos fans lately, and it’s a valid question. My answer would be no. Not unless the Broncos suffer an injury at wide receiver or tight end. It’s likely that Sean Payton stays course with the rotation and guys he has right now, with A.T. Perry and Donald Parham Jr. being in mind for a more featured role in 2025.
Both players are believed to be potential impact developmental players internally, and they may see that come to fruition next season unless an injury happens during these final four games.
Finish this sentence, in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos select… – PNWAdventurers on Twitter.
Tyler Warren, tight end from Penn State.
Why did the Broncos release Josh Reynolds – Dana Bishop on Twitter.
The Denver Broncos made the move to part ways with Reynolds to afford him a new opportunity and new start elsewhere. It was made mostly because Denver was happy with their younger players’ emergence at wide receiver.
Should the Broncos go ahead and extend Courtland Sutton? Who are some free agents in the upcoming offseason? – Ched on Twitter.
I think the Broncos should absolutely extend Courtland Sutton. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport told myself and Ryan Edwards on KOA Sports this past week that it’s known Sutton wants to be in Denver, and with the emergence of how Bo Nix has played, it makes sense considering their connection.
He also mentioned that for potential free agents, Denver might be an appealing place to come play. Some players who will be free agents at WR this year include Chris Godwin, Tee Higgins, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, and Stefon Diggs.
Higgins would be the only player I could see Denver pursuing amongst that crop of free agents. Godwin likely returns to Tampa Bay.
Was the Broncos defensive performance vs. the Browns a reason to panic or an anomaly? – Brad Winter on Twitter.
Great question, Brad. I generally feel like it was a one-off type of performance for them. It’s gone completely against the brand of what they’ve shown on a consistent basis all season this year. For as bad as it was, they still found a way to win the game on defense, which is the mark of a good team, but I felt like they could have adjusted earlier regarding how they played Jerry Jeudy.
Late, they played Kris Abrams-Draine inside leverage and had him open up and trail underneath with a safety over the top, which might have helped them a bit earlier. Hopefully it was just a one off, Brad.