The Broncos ruled out Pat Surtain II with an ankle injury and Riley Moss with a rib injury on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s 2:05 p.m. MT kickoff at the 0-4 Chargers. Both were hurt in the Week 4 loss to the 49ers. Denver also put wide receiver Pat Bryant on injured reserve with an ankle injury, costing him at least four games per Ian Rapoport.
No other player on the 53-man roster carries a game designation. Dondrea Tillman, Tyler Badie, Adam Trautman, Zach Allen and D.J. Jones all practiced fully. For a team this far into October, that is a clean report with two enormous holes in it.
Losing Surtain Is Not a Normal Absence
Surtain is the kind of cornerback who lets a defensive coordinator leave a side of the field alone and spend the extra body elsewhere. Without him and without Moss, Denver has to play more honest coverage than it wants to, in a road stadium, against a quarterback who has beaten it before.
There is also an unresolved question about how long this has been going on. An October 4 report indicated Denver had ruled Surtain out during Week 4, which would make Sunday his second straight absence. The team page does not confirm that, and no return timeline has been given.
Why Denver Should Still Be Happy With the Matchup
Look at what is waiting on the other side. Los Angeles has lost left tackle Rashawn Slater to ankle surgery and injured reserve, has Joe Alt out with a neck injury, and has Kayode Awosika dealing with a fibula problem. Both starting tackles are gone.
Then add Derwin James Jr. out with a hamstring, Quentin Johnston out with a chest injury, Ladd McConkey questionable with a foot issue and Trey Lance doubtful with a groin injury. The Chargers are 0-4 and are being asked to protect their quarterback with replacement-level edges.
If you are choosing which set of injuries to carry into this game, you take Denver’s. Missing two corners against a line that cannot block is a far better problem than missing two tackles against anybody.
Payton Takes the Pen Back
Sean Payton confirmed he will be calling the plays Sunday, with the shortest possible explanation: “I’ll call the plays.” Against a defense that has to win this game to keep its season alive, that is probably the right instinct even if it reads as a vote of no confidence in the booth.
The Bottom Line
Denver is favored by situation, not by health. A road win here is not a statement about the Broncos defense, because the Broncos defense will not be on the field in the form anybody planned. It is a statement about which roster can still function with half its spine missing, and right now that is clearly the one from Colorado.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.