Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is full speed ahead for Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Also, how have Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton emerged as a dynamic duo for the Broncos’ defense? Here is Wednesday’s practice recap from Dove Valley.

Russell Wilson is “full go” for Sunday’s game vs. Los Angeles Rams

Russell Wilson missed last week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals as the Denver Broncos held him out another week as a precautionary measure despite clearing concussion protocol. While Wilson looked good during practice last week, he’s full speed ahead for Sunday’s game.

One key this week for Wilson and the Broncos’ offense will be to build off of the run game that had success last week with Latavius Murray and Marlon Mack while opening things up in the passing game. The bigger question for Wilson in the passing game is whether or not he and Jerry Jeudy can pick up where they left off two weeks ago against the Kansas City Chiefs.

In regard to whether or not Wilson will play differently using his legs or coaches will gameplan ways to eliminate him from taking those types of shots, Denver wants to be smarter with Russ, but not limit what is a natural part of his game.

“Continuation, I think from that past game [Chiefs], we want to see him execute and get the ball out of his hands when that’s there,” Hackett said on Wednesday. “And then if something happens, yes, we don’t want him to stay in the pocket and take a hit. We want him to use his legs and protect himself.”

Sunday’s game is very winnable for Denver, and Wilson and the offense must continue to build off of the momentum they’ve created if they want to capitalize.

Denver Broncos linebacker duo emerging

Playoffs aren’t in the grasp of reality for the Denver Broncos this season, but there are still many things to play for from a tangible standpoint with three games remaining. In particular, it appears the Broncos may have found their linebacker duo of the future with both Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton.

Singleton has arguably been the most impactful free agent signing from general manager George Paton from the last free agency cycle. The Broncos signed the veteran linebacker and special teams ace to a one-year deal in March, and all signs point to them extending him in the offseason.

Paton brought back Jewell on a two-year deal despite suffering a season-ending pectoral injury last year. The Broncos general manager referred to Jewell as a ‘glue guy’ for the defense and he’s been every bit as advertised. Singleton has also exceeded expectations, stepping into a starting role opposite of Jewell. For Singleton, what has it been like playing next to Jewell?

“It’s great,” Singleton told Mile High Sports on Thursday. “I think we both have a high football IQ. There are times where we just play left and right, right and left, there are times we move based on different guys and different formations. We’re given that freedom and it’s been nice.”

For Jewell, he raved about how fun defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s scheme has been and the creative freedom he’s given players on defense, which allows him and Singleton to play as free as possible. But outside of football, Jewell, Singleton, and other linebackers spend a lot of time with each other. He, Singleton, and Justin Strnad all attended the Denver Nuggets’ win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Singleton (114) and Jewell (106) both lead the team in tackles. When both players have been on the field together, the Broncos’ defense seemingly clicks from an operations standpoint.

Broncos practice report from Wednesday

On Wednesday, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett announced that running back Chase Edmonds would be designated to return from injured reserve, officially starting his 21-day window to play. With the recent success of Latavius Murray and Marlon Mack, it’ll be interesting to see how Edmonds fits in when he returns.

Wide receiver Courtland Sutton returned to practice on Wednesday on a limited basis after he missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury. Even with Sutton’s potential return on Sunday, Hackett mentioned that he and Jerry Jeudy would be used in ways that open up opportunities for one another.

“We’re happy to have anybody who can get out on the field right now,” Hackett spoke on Wednesday. “It’d be great to have Courtland [Sutton] back. I think that’s going to take some pressure off of Jerry [Jeudy], hopefully, open Jerry up some more, and Jerry open up Courtland. We’re still going to move those guys all over the place.”

As Russell Wilson moves forward ‘full go’ according to Hackett, Denver’s offensive line must find ways to protect quarterbacks better as a critical point of emphasis.

“That’s a great question,” Hackett said on Wednesday regarding how the Broncos’ offensive line can rectify the issue of quarterback sacks. “We make them aware that we’ve had some great challenges inside there, we’ve had some of the most premier three techniques in the game of football that we’ve had to go against. We have to step up to that challenge both as a coaching staff to do better schemes to be able to protect those guys. At the same time, we’ve got to step up and be able to block those guys sometimes. You want to protect everybody, but sometimes you just can’t, they get you into a good scheme, so it’s a combination of both doing good things from a schematic standpoint and execution.”

Outside linebacker Randy Gregory did not participate in Wednesday’s practice as he undergoes maintenance with his knee. He made his return from injured reserve last week and played in 35% of the team’s defensive snaps. Gregory is expected to play on Sunday, but it’s worth monitoring as he works his way back into the swing of things.

The Denver Broncos will be back on the practice field on Thursday as they continue to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Rams.