ANDERSON SAYS PLAYERS SICK OF LOSING
C.J. Anderson hears the gripes of fans who are frustrated at the Broncos’ longest losing streak in 50 years. He sees the vitriol pouring daily across social media.
The veteran running back’s reply: Nobody is more angry amid an eight-game losing streak than the players.
“We are all sick and tired of losing,” Anderson said. “I don’t know if y’all understand how much losing bothers people. Y’all are not in it, so y’all don’t feel it. It’s like going to a job every day and it (stinks). It just (stinks). You’re talking to other players around the league and you’re seeing fun celebrations that you never got a chance to do. It just (stinks).”
Players are so eager to taste victory, Anderson said, that beating the 5-7 Jets this Sunday would “feel like a playoff win” for the 3-9 Broncos.
“We might dump the Gatorade on (coach Vance Joseph),” he said. “We haven’t won in two months. We haven’t won in 60 days. A win would just be good. It would be good, confidence-wise. It would be good in the locker room, just playing a clean game of football. That’s what we’ve been asking all season: Can we play just one game of clean football?”
Anderson said Wednesday he’s still determined to hit 1,000 yards rushing this season. To hit that mark, Anderson would need to average 87 yards per game over the final four contests of the season. His current career best his 849 yards during his Pro Bowl season in 2014.
Injury report.
Offensive guard Ron Leary and nose tackle Domata Peko were among six Broncos players who sat out Wednesday’s practice.
Leary (back) and Peko (knee) both missed Sunday’s games at Miami because of their injuries. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (ankle), linebacker Joe Jones (Achilles), running back Jamal Charles (rest) and quarterback Paxton Lynch (knee), who has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Jets, were the others who did not practice.
Joseph said Jones’ Achilles injury is not serious. Linebacker Todd Davis (ankle) and running back DeAngelo Henderson (personal matter) were limited in practice.
Praise for McGovern.
Connor McGovern started at right guard against the Dolphins last Sunday in place of the injured Leary and was presented a massive challenge in blocking all-pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.
But McGovern held his own in the first start of his NFL career.
“I’ll tell you what, he battled,” Joseph said. “That’s a tough guy to play against in your first start in Suh. The first couple of series, he kind of felt his way through it, but as the game went on, he got more comfortable.”