The Denver Broncos have been one of the more fortunate teams in the NFL this season when it comes to injuries; however, that changed in a hurry on Saturday night.
The Broncos lost starting quarterback Bo Nix for the remainder of the season to a broken ankle that occurred very late in the win over the Buffalo Bills. That will force the team to turn to backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to help it complete its mission to win a Super Bowl.
During the game, the Broncos also lost two of their young wide receivers to injury. Pat Bryant, who started the game hot with three receptions on the opening possession, was forced out with a concussion. Troy Franklin also had to leave the contest with a hamstring injury.
Hamstring injuries can be quite troubling as they can linger on for weeks. In the case of Bryant, the big concern is that he also had a concussion just a few weeks ago after taking a huge hit toward the tail end of the team's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that incident, he was carted off the field.
There is a good chance that neither of them will be available next Sunday.
Where do the Broncos turn if both Franklin and Bryant are out of the lineup? That would leave Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr. And Lil'Jordan Humphrey as the only wide receivers on the 53-man roster. The team would likely elevate two wide receivers from the practice squad. Elijah Moore and Michael Bandy would be the likely players to fit that role.
Moore has not played in a game for the Broncos and Bandy has 14 career receptions.
While Broncos fans are fretting over the idea of having to start Stidham and those within the NFL media give the team no chance to advance past next week as a result of that, the real issue is that he may not have any weapons to work with.
READ: Broncos hold terrific record in AFC Championship Game historically
This will be a huge week for practice and preparation for the Broncos team. Sean Payton has long been considered one of the best coaches in the league in terms of creating game plans and finding ways to win in difficult scenarios, but pulling this one off would top all of his accomplishments in that regard.
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