VIRGIL GREEN, DONALD STEPHENSON RULED OUT AGAINST BUCS
The Broncos ruled out tight end Virgil Green (calf ), right tackle Donald Stephenson (calf ) and outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware (forearm) for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Safeties Justin Simmons (fractured wrist) and Shiloh Keo (swollen knee) are listed as questionable.
Green, Stephenson and Ware missed practice all week. Simmons was a limited participant all week. Keo did not practice Wednesday, but practiced on a limited basis Thursday and Friday.
For the second consecutive week, the Broncos will suit up just two tight ends — John Phillips and Jeff Heuerman. Against Cincinnati, Denver went with three- and four-receiver formations with its lack of tight ends. That opened up more one-on-one coverage for Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas down the field.
Ty Sambrailo is expected to start at right tackle for the second consecutive week. Broncos coaches admitted Sambrailo looked “rusty” in his first game of the season, but are hoping for improvement Sunday.
Stephenson suffered a slight strain his left calf in the first quarter of the Broncos’ Sept. 18 win over the Colts. The right tackle was expected to miss two to three weeks with the injury.
Coach Gary Kubiak said Green hasn’t progressed as quickly as they had hoped, but he’s a little bit ahead of Stephenson.
Simmons was listed as questionable last week against the Bengals, but he said coaches told him last Saturday that he would be inactive as they wanted his wrist to continue to heal and chose to go with two healthy reserve safeties — Will Parks and Shiloh Keo.
Simmons said his wrist isn’t completely healed yet but he can play with a club on his wrist if he’s active Sunday. Kubiak said cornerback Lorenzo Doss could also see some snaps at safety Sunday with Keo and Simmons banged up.
Ware will miss his second consecutive game with an ulnar fracture in his right forearm suffered against the Colts. He was expected to miss at least a month with the injury.
“Greek” honored.
Longtime Broncos head trainer Steve “Greek” Antonopulos was scheduled to be inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday in Greeley. Antonopulos, in his 40th year with the Broncos, is the longest-tenured Broncos employee in team history.
“He’s like a father to a lot of people around here, guys that have played for him or came through here. We’re all very proud of him,” Kubiak said. “I remember walking through that blue barn off 58th avenue. He had hair when I walked in. ‘Greek’ is a great friend. I have a great respect for him as a professional, but he’s a great friend, too. He’s an amazing guy.”
Footnotes.
Ware, Green and Stephenson will all travel to Tampa Bay after not traveling to Cincinnati. … Trevor Siemian needs a win against the Bucs to become the first quarterback drafted by the team to win his first four starts with the team. … Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas needs 14 receiving yards to pass Lionel Taylor into third place on the team’s all-time receiving yards list.