Broncos DL Mike Purcell returns after injury scare against Vikings

Broncos defensive lineman Mike Purcell suffered a rib injury during Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

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Update: Purcell returned to the game in the second quarter. See our original post below.

Denver Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell suffered a rib injury in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Purcell was able to walk off the field and went into the medical tent for more evaluation. After being evaluated, the defensive lineman was then carted back into the locker room.

The team announced that Purcell is questionable to return.

Purcell was replaced at nose tackle by Shelby Harris.

Looking to bulk up the defensive line, the Broncos recently made Purcell (6-3, 328 pounds) a starting nose tackle and moved Harris from tackle to defensive end. Purcell has been in the lineup over Adam Gotsis, totaling 18 tackles in six games.

Denver leads Minnesota 3-0 midway through the first quarter.

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Broncos vs. Vikings: Live updates from Twitter

Click here to view live updates from the Broncos’ game against the Vikings.

The Denver Broncos (3-6) will face the Minnesota Vikings (7-3) on the road in Week 11 of the 2019 NFL season on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 11:00 a.m. MT. The game will air regionally on CBS and in-market fans can stream the contest with FuboTV (try it free).

Follow along below with live updates from Twitter:

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Denver is considered a 10.5-point road underdog this week.

How to watch and stream Broncos’ game against Vikings

Here’s information on how to stream the Broncos’ game against the Vikings, the game’s television channel and the kickoff time.

The Denver Broncos (3-6) will face the Minnesota Vikings (7-3) on the road in Week 11 of the 2019 NFL season on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 10:00 a.m. MT. The game will air regionally on CBS and in-market fans can stream the contest with FuboTV (try it free).

Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Rich Gannon (analyst) will call the game for CBS with former NFL kicker Jay Feely reporting from the sideline.

On the radio, the game will air locally on KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and The Fox 103.5 FM in English. The contest will also air in Spanish on KNRV 1150 AM.

Denver and Minnesota have faced off 14 times in the past and the all-time series is tied 7-7. The Broncos have won each of the last three contests, including a 35-32 victory on the road in 2011.

Fans in the blue areas on the map below will get the game on local CBS stations, according to 506sports.com.

Fans in the red will see the Houston Texans (6-3) face the Baltimore Ravens (7-2) and those in the yellow will watch the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) take on the Indianapolis Colts (5-4). Fans in the green will see the Buffalo Bills (6-3) face the Miami Dolphins (2-7).

Denver is considered a 10.5-point road underdog this week.

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Broncos vs. Vikings: 4 things to watch for in Week 11

Coming off the bye week, the Denver Broncos go on the road to face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. Here are four things to watch for.

Coming off a bye week, the Denver Broncos will be fresh and rested in Week 11, which will probably be necessary as they will be facing one of the league’s better teams in the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

The Vikings are undefeated at home this season and are riding high following a big road win over the Dallas Cowboys last week.

The Broncos will have their hands full in this game and will need many things to happen in order to pull the upset. Here are four things to watch for in this game.

1. Minnesota’s rushing attack

The Vikings rank third in the league in rushing yards behind only the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens, a team that does much of its damage on the ground with the quarterback.

In terms of a power rushing attack, the Vikings might be the best. They run the ball right at you and right through you.

That has helped to make Dalvin Cook a legitimate NFL MVP candidate. The team also has a solid backup running back in Alexander Mattison and that duo creates plenty of problems for opposing defenses.

2. Brandon Allen

How will Allen play in his second start at quarterback? Going up against the Vikings on the road will certainly be a stiff challenge.

Allen played well in his first start against the Cleveland Browns, but even he has to know that his grip on the starting job is tenuous as fans and many within the organization are going to want to see Drew Lock get his shot sooner rather than later.

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5 things Broncos fans should know about the Vikings

Here’s what Broncos fans should know about the Vikings ahead of Sunday’s game.

Ahead of the Broncos’ game against the Vikings this weekend, we asked Kyle Ratke of Vikings Wire five questions about the Minnesota-based team and Sunday’s showdown. Here are our questions and Kyle’s answers:

1. Gary Kubiak was beloved by Broncos fans and it was a big deal when he left the team earlier this year. Has he made any noticeable changes to the Vikings’ offense — good or bad — since last season?

On Wednesday, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer called Kubiak “maybe the best thing” that’s happened to him since taking over in Minnesota. Is that a weird thing to say? Sure, but Zimmer’s probably right. Kubiak’s commitment to running the ball, along with mentoring offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, has helped the team immensely. The zone blocking scheme plays to the offensive line’s strengths. Obviously having a running back like Dalvin Cook certainly doesn’t hurt.

2. Many fans in Denver wanted John Elway to go after Kirk Cousins last year but the Broncos went after Case Keenum instead (that obviously didn’t work out). How do Vikings fans feel about Cousins — was he worth giving $84M guaranteed? Is it too early to say?

Is he worth the $84 million? I don’t know. What I do know is that there was really no better option for the Vikings at the time. Keenum proved to be a flash in the pan. Teddy Bridgewater wasn’t ready for game action. For a team ready to win now, Cousins proved as the best option. In 26 games as the Vikings starter, he’s gone 15-10-1 and thrown for 6,735 yards, 48 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Those numbers are good, but what matters the most is a playoff appearance for this team, which looks pretty favorable right now.

3. Broncos fans have mostly good memories of Britton Colquitt — has he performed well for Minnesota?

Colquitt has been very good for the Vikings, and he seems to be a well-respected locker room guy. Apart from a 27-yard punt against the Chiefs which helped Kansas City win the game, everything’s been cool with Colquitt.

4. Do the Vikings have any under-the-radar players that Broncos fans should keep an eye on?

With nose tackle Linval Joseph likely to miss the game after undergoing knee surgery last week, keep an eye on Jaleel Johnson. Johnson was solid in getting the start for Joseph against Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys. We know the Broncos want to run the ball, and this Vikings defense has been great at defending the run. We’ll see if Johnson can help continue that.

5. What’s your prediction for Sunday — who wins and how?

It’s going to be closer than people think. The Broncos will cover the 10.5-point spread, but the Vikings will create a few turnovers and Cook will have a few big plays to push the Vikings to a 21-13 win.

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WATCH: Broncos vs. Vikings preview from NFL.com

Click here to watch a video preview of the Broncos’ game against the Vikings this week.

The Broncos will go on the road to face the Vikings in an AFC vs. NFC showdown in Week 11. Check out NFL.com’s preview of the game in the below video:

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Denver is considered a 10.5-point underdog against Minnesota.

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Broncos vs. Vikings series history: Denver hasn’t lost to Minnesota in 16 years

The Denver Broncos have had a lot of success against their Week 11 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings.

The Denver Broncos (3-6) return from their bye week to face the Minnesota Vikings (7-3) in Week 11. These teams don’t see each other often, facing off just 14 times in their histories.

The Broncos have been on the right side of the last three meetings between the teams. All three of those games have been decided by three points.

October 4, 2015: Broncos 23, Vikings 20

The Broncos shook off a poor performance from Peyton Manning to win this one. Brandon McManus broke a 20-20 tie with a 39-yard field goal with less than two minutes left to play that ended up being the game-winner. Ronnie Hillman had a 72-yard touchdown run.

December 4, 2011: Broncos 35, Vikings 32

This game was the first really big game in the career of Demaryius Thomas. As a second-year wide receiver, he had his first 100-yard game on this day, catching four passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns from Tim Tebow.

Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal on the last play of the game to break a tie and clinch the win.

December 30, 2007: Broncos 22, Vikings 19

This was the season finale between two teams that finished outside of the playoffs. The Broncos held a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter before the Vikings mounted a furious rally to send the game into overtime.

In the extra session, Jason Elam booted a 30-yard field goal to win it.

The last time the Vikings beat the Broncos came back in October 2003. The Broncos had the combination of Steve Beuerlein and Danny Kanell at quarterback in that one and the Vikings were able to get a 28-20 win.

The all-time series between the two teams is tied at seven wins apiece.

Perhaps the biggest game between the Broncos and Vikings is the one that never happened. The two teams were on a collision course in 1998 heading to Super Bowl XXXIII. However, the Vikings, who were an absolute juggernaut on offense that season, were upset by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.

To this day, many football fans still wonder what would have happened if the Broncos and Vikings squared off in the Super Bowl.

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Vikings will look to slow down Broncos’ 1-2 punch at RB

The Vikings have the test of going up against the Broncos, Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings have been pretty solid against the run this season, ranking seventh in yards allowed to go with just two rushing touchdowns, a mark that ranks second in the league.

They will have the test of going up against the Broncos, Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“Lindsay kind of can do it all,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said Friday when comparing the two running backs. “He’s a little bit more of a scat guy, bounces. He’s got great speed and acceleration, really tough. They’re both tough, hard runners. The other guy (Royce Freeman) might be a little bit more in the tackles, but he does a nice job on screens and getting the ball to the perimeter as well. He’s a good back.”

Lindsay, who is in his second season, has 585 rushing yards to go with five touchdowns. He also has 25 receptions for 160 yards. Freeman, also in his second season, has 374 rushing yards and two touchdowns to go with 27 catches for 181 yards.

Both players are averaging more than four yards per carry.

They might not be the biggest names the Vikings have faced this season, but they are certainly dangerous, and without Linval Joseph, chances are the Vikings are plenty aware of that.

Nearly all experts have Vikings beating Broncos

The 7-3 Vikings host the 3-6 Broncos at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 10.

The Vikings are double-digit favorites in the game, and per NFLPickWatch.com, 99 percent of experts have the Vikings beating the Broncos.

While the Vikings should win this game, it’s worth noting that the team will be without Adam Thielen, Linval Joseph, Anthony Harris and Josh Kline.

The Vikings are 7-7 all-time against the Broncos, and have lost the last three games, most recently in 2015.

To round out the NFC North, the Packers are on bye, 97 percent have the Lions losing to the Cowboys at home, and 86 percent have the Bears losing on the road against the Rams.

Vikings activate WR Josh Doctson to 53-man roster

The Vikings have finally activated wide receiver Josh Doctson (hamstring) from the injured reserve.

He’s now eligible to play in Week 11 against the Broncos at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.

This move isn’t a huge surprise with the Vikings releasing wide receiver Davion Davis (who later signed on the practice squad) to make room for Doctson.

The team signed Doctson prior to the season after he was released by the Redskins.

Doctson was the 22nd-overall pick by the Redskins in the 2016 NFL Draft, just a spot ahead of Laquon Treadwell, who is now his teammate.

In his three seasons with Washington, Doctson had 81 receptions for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns. He played the 2016 and 2017 seasons with Kirk Cousins at the helm of Washington’s offense.

If active on Sunday, he’ll join Stefon Diggs, Bisi Johnson and Treadwell as healthy receivers on the roster. Adam Thielen (hamstring) has already been listed as out.