Sanders, Latimer uncertain vs. Chiefs
Paxton Lynch is expected to make his second start of the season at quarterback in the Broncos’ season finale Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Whether the 2016 first-round pick will have a full complement of wide receivers to throw to is a question that won’t be answered until later in the week.
Emmanuel Sanders and Cody Latimer, who missed Sunday’s 2711 loss at Washington with ankle and thigh injuries, respectively, are still “really sore” and are considered day to day, Broncos coach Vance Joseph said Tuesday.
Both wide receivers stayed in Denver on Saturday as the team traveled to Washington, using the time to continue treatment on their injuries. Sunday’s game was the third of the season missed by Sanders, who first suffered his ankle injury in a loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 15. Latimer has missed four games this season. He was plagued by a knee injury earlier in the season and suffered the injury to his thigh during Denver’s Week 14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
With Sanders and Latimer sidelined against the Redskins, the Broncos dressed only four wide receivers: Demaryius Thomas, Bennie Fowler, Jordan Taylor and Isaiah McKenzie. That group combined for six catches for 82 yards against Washington, led by Thomas’ four catches for 52 yards.
Joseph said the only new injury to report following Sunday’s loss was a right ankle sprain by defensive end Zach Kerr. Joseph hopes Kerr will return to practice by Thursday or Friday. McKenzie’s miscues. It’s been a difficult rookie season for Isaiah McKenzie.
The fifth-round draft pick out of Georgia lost his punt return job — twice — because of an inability to consistently catch the football. Sunday, he made a mistake even when he did secure the ball.
With less than 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the Broncos, trailing 10-3, had moved into field-goal range at the Washington 31-yard line. On third down, quarterback Brock Osweiler hit McKenzie with a short pass near the sideline. But instead of stepping out of bounds to set up the field goal, McKenzie darted inside in an effort to make a play. He was tackled after an 8-yard gain, and time ran out before the Broncos could set up a field goal.
It’s those kind of mental errors, Joseph said, that McKenzie must focus on eliminating in the offseason if he hopes to build an NFL career.
“He has to,” Joseph said. “He’s a young player, and he’s had some issues. He’s not the first rookie to have issues. We’ve got to coach him better and help him through those things. As a talent, he’s what we want. He needs time to work through his issues on the field.”
Joseph said Taylor will remain the team’s punt returner for Sunday’s finale against the Chiefs.
“It’s three weeks now that he’s been pretty flawless doing that job,” Joseph said, “so that’s Jordan’s job.”
Footnotes.
Veteran running back Jamaal Charles was inactive Sunday for the first time this season. Joseph said the move was made to give rookie De’Angelo Henderson, a sixth-round pick from Coastal Carolina, an opportunity to see the field. Henderson had one catch for 7 yards and one carry that resulted in a 3-yard loss. … Osweiler, his wife, Erin, and his baby daughter, Blake, visited with patients, nurses and physicians at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children on Christmas morning.