It appears the Broncos could catch a major break on Sunday Night.
According to Sarah Barshop, who covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN, star WR Puka Nacua did not practice for a third straight day on Friday and was later listed as doubtful for Sunday Night’s game vs. the Broncos by the Rams.
Nacua is dealing with a hip/groin injury and was trending this way all week and now is listed as doubtful and seems unlikely
to play on Sunday Night. This is a major break for the Broncos, who will avoid playing star edge rusher Myles Garrett and star wide receiver Puka Nacua. Both players are among, or in the case of Garrett, the best player in their position group, so the Broncos will need to capitalize on this opportunity against a Rams team that will not be 100%.
With that said, this is still a talented Rams team that dominated the New York Giants on Monday Night without both players. Veteran wide receiver Davante Adams turned back the clock and had a vintage, dominant performance vs. the Giants, and the Rams still have the returning Aaron Donald and a talented Rams front 7 even without Garrett.
Broncos cornerbacks Pat Surtain, Riley Moss, and Ja’Quan McMillian will be tested on Sunday Night. Even without Nacua, the Rams and reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford are expected to throw the ball. They also have a strong running game and love to utilize their tight ends in the passing game. Those two things have been an area of weakness in the past for the Broncos’ defense, and I expect the Rams and head coach Sean McVay to try to exploit that.
While it looked murky at the start of the week, the Broncos will have veteran starter JK Dobbins and second-year back RJ Harvey back from injuries. Both were dealing with hamstring issues but are good to go for Sunday Night. However, talented breakout rookie Jonah Coleman has been ruled out due to a sprained ankle, which has, for the time being, slowed down that hype train. The Broncos will look to lean on their run game early on and hope quarterback Bo Nix and explosive wide receiver Jaylen Waddle can get them going and have a rare fast start to the game.
This should be a fun game between two teams with Super Bowl hopes, and hopefully, the Broncos can continue their dominance at Mile High and improve to 2-1 on the season with a victory over the Rams.
