Rookies stepping up for resurgent Broncos
Redskins’ QB Smith reportedly dealing with injury complications
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — John Elway’s plan has worked brilliantly.
After watching his 2017 rookie class crater in crunch time, the Broncos general manager placed high value on experience and maturity this spring. Those criteria produced a cast packed with players who had spent four years in college and who had been captains for their teams.
“One thing we learned last year when you’re 5-11 and you’re in a losing streak, you need that maturity and that leadership to get things turned around,” Elway said following by far the best of his eight drafts.
The Broncos (6-6) are in the playoff picture thanks to a terrific trio of rookies who led Denver’s turnaround from a 3-6 start.
Playing leading roles in this resurgence are Bradley Chubb , who leads all rookies with 10 sacks, Courtland Sutton , who is Denver’s new No. 1 receiver, and undrafted gem Phillip Lindsay , who leads the league with a 6.1yard rushing average and has scored five touchdowns during the surge.
“This isn’t just a regular rookie class. This is a unique rookie class that is really mature,” Lindsay said. “You’re not going to get another rookie class like this in the NFL, I don’t care what anybody says.”
The rookies certainly have a bravado built on their immediate impact.
With Emmanuel Sanders going on injured reserve, Sutton isn’t flinching at the prospect of facing No. 1 cornerbacks now, beginning with San Francisco’s Richard Sherman this weekend.
“I love it,” Sutton said. “I look forward to it. It’s going to be good.”
After surviving the league’s toughest schedule, the Broncos figured they’d catch a breather this month with the 49ers (2-10), Raiders (2-10) and Browns (4-7-1) coming up.
Then they lost cornerback Chris Harris Jr. to a fractured fibula in their game at Cincinnati on Sunday and Sanders to a ruptured Achilles 72 hours later.
Eleven rookies have played for the Broncos this season, logging 3,289 snaps, seventh-most in the NFL. And receivers River Cracraft and Tim Patrick, along with injured tight end Jake Butt, all made their NFL debuts for Denver this year, too.
Among the rookies the Broncos expect to play bigger roles down the stretch are receiver DaeSean Hamilton (knee), running back Royce Freeman (ankle) and linebacker Josey Jewell (ankle), all of whom are coming back from injuries.
REDSKINS: Washington has asked for privacy for Alex Smith and his family amid reports the quarterback is dealing with complications from surgery to repair a broken leg.
In a statement released Thursday, the team says it appreciates concerns about Smith’s injury that occurred Nov. 18 against Houston and that the 34-year-old and his family remain strong. A team spokesman declined to say whether Smith was still in the hospital more than two weeks after surgery to repair a broken right tibia and fibula.
NFL Network and Washington’s FM-106.7 reported Thursday that Smith is still battling infection in his right leg and being tended to by doctors.
PACKERS: Fired shortly after Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the team he coached for most of the past 13 seasons.
On Wednesday, he got his chance. Interim coach Joe Philbin allowed McCarthy back into Lambeau Field to speak to the players, who bid him farewell with a standing ovation.
“He held it together as much as you can,” third-year defensive tackle Kenny Clark said Thursday. “Mike came in, and we were surprised he was even coming in. We were all emotional about it.”