4 things to watch for when Broncos face Bills in Week 12

The Denver Broncos will be looking to get back in the win column in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills. Here are four things to watch for.

The Denver Broncos will look to get back in the win column on Sunday but must do so but winning a tough rough game against the Buffalo Bills. The Broncos have not won in Buffalo since the 2007 season.

The Bills sit at 7-3 and are looking to solidify themselves as a true playoff team this season but the Broncos have been a tough, scrappy team despite a poor record. Will the Broncos be able to put together a full game and pull out a victory on Sunday?

Here are four things to watch for.

1. Josh Allen’s running ability

Allen, the quarterback for Buffalo, has a cannon for an arm, but don’t sleep on his ability to run as a passer.

Though he’s far from the threat that Lamar Jackson is, Allen has gained 331 yards on the ground this year. More importantly, he’s rushed for seven touchdowns.

As a rookie, he ran for 631 yards and eight touchdowns and in 22 career games, he is averaging just under six yards per carry. The Broncos must be ready for this.

2. Isaiah McKenzie

Remember this guy? The former Broncos draft pick is now a member of the Bills roster and he has actually found a way to be somewhat productive.

He has caught 33 passes in 16 career games with the Bills and he has a touchdown reception. He had just four catches in 11 career games with Denver.

He likely would love to stick it to his former team in this game.

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It’s time for DaeSean Hamilton to show his worth

Broncos receiver DaeSean Hamilton, a fourth-round pick just last year, has been far too quiet in 2019.

Sitting at 3-7 on the season, the Denver Broncos are in a spot where it is time to see what can be taken positively into the 2020 season. That will include evaluating several players and position groups in order to determine where improvements can be made.

It was only a small sample in last Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, but the Broncos do appear to have something to work with in the passing game with the big, athletic trio of Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Noah Fant.

What they need to find out for sure now is what they have in last year’s fourth-round pick, wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton.

Hamilton has been quiet this season — too quiet. Despite playing in all 10 games for the team, he has caught just 11 passes for 106 yards. Pro Football Reference shows that he has been in on just about 62 percent of the team’s offensive snaps.

So why is Hamilton finding it so difficult to become a consistent contributor on offense?

He finished the 2018 season strong, catching at least five passes in every game during the month of December while Emmanuel Sanders was injured. Those numbers encouraged many fans to believe he would take off in his second season with the team.

That has not happened.

This season, he has caught passes in just five of the team’s 10 games. He also hasn’t caught a pass since the October 17 meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Does the team not really trust him? He did have some drops which made it seem like Joe Flacco almost refused to look his way at a point. Is the offense too complex? Is he just not that good? Something else?

These are just some of the questions we have to ask ourselves as to why Hamilton has been a complete non-factor in the passing game. But there is no room for excuses in professional football and soon, Hamilton will need to make some plays to show that he should be in this team’s future plans.

That should start as early as this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Patrick, who just returned from injured reserve, has already developed a new shoulder injury that has slowed him down this week.

Sutton leads the team with 49 receptions, but behind him, here are the numbers for the Broncos’ other receivers this

Wide receiver	Receptions	Percentage of snaps
Emmanuel Sanders (traded)	30	53.47
DaeSean Hamilton	11	61.78
Diontae Spencer	5	7.40
Tim Patrick	4	10.14
Fred Brown	2	13.14

That chart shows that Hamilton has done very little despite plenty of opportunities. Meanwhile, guys like Spencer (a return specialist), Brown and Patrick (in one game) have really done more with less of a chance.

That’s concerning.

Flacco is done for the season and possibly for good in Denver. Hamilton needs to create a connection with Brandon Allen or — if he’s going to play this season — Drew Lock. That will be essential in order for the team to consider Hamilton a piece that it can use to build with in the future or if a young wideout needs to be targeted in the draft next spring.

Having just 11 catches despite being on the field for over 400 offensive snaps is just not good enough and it says one of two things. Either the team doesn’t trust Hamilton or he just doesn’t know how to get open.

This is a player who caught 214 passes for over 2,800 yards in a tough Big 10 Conference while at Penn State in college. Why has his transition to the next level been so difficult?

It’s time for Hamilton and the Broncos to begin answering these questions and looking for ways to get more production on the field. His future with the team could depend on it.

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Phillip Lindsay says Tim Patrick is a ‘dog’ in Broncos’ offense

Tim Patrick is emerging as a legit No. 2 wide receiver for the Broncos.

Tim Patrick returned from a hand injury against the Vikings last week and made an immediate impact in the Broncos’ offense, catching four passes for 77 yards. Patrick (6-4, 212 pounds) is a big receiver who helps draw attention away from Courtland Sutton, who has emerged as Denver’s No. 1 target.

“Obviously, he can go and make plays and do a lot of stuff for us,” quarterback Brandon Allen said of Patrick on Wednesday. “I think he’ll continue to get better and hopefully draw some attention away from Courtland. Like I said, keep guys in defenses honest. He’ll continue to get better and keep making plays for us like he did last week.”

Denver running back Phillip Lindsay called Patrick a “dog,” in a good way.

“Tim Patrick is a dog,” Lindsay said Wednesday. “We all understand that. He brings a lot of great energy to our team and something that we needed. He brings another element to help Courtland out. Having him back, it’s either you’re going to have to double Courtland and leave Tim here. Tim is going to continue to get better as he gets back into the groove of everything.

“One thing about Tim is he doesn’t back down to anything. There are a lot of people that play football, but Tim plays it passionate. A lot of people aren’t cut from how Tim is, the same cloth he’s cut from. A lot of people aren’t like that. It’s one thing I’m excited for is for Tim to continue to emerge as a receiver and be a top one too.”

Patrick, 25, caught 23 passes for 315 yard and one touchdown in limited action last year. If he continues playing like he did on Sunday, Patrick could emerge as the team’s clear No. 2 wide receiver going into 2020.

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Broncos injuries: 6 players held out of practice Wednesday

Six Broncos players were held out of practice with injuries on Wednesday.

Six Denver Broncos players were held out of practice with injuries Wednesday, including three members of the offensive line. Safety Will Parks (hand) was still listed on the injury report Wednesday but he was a full participant in practice.

DNP = did not participate.

Player	Injury	Wed	Thur	Fri	Status
LB Justin Hollins	Hamstring	DNP
LB Joe Jones	Foot	DNP
OG Ron Leary	Shoulder/Neck	DNP
OL Connor McGovern	Back	DNP
WR Tim Patrick	Shoulder	DNP
OG Dalton Risner	Ankle	DNP

Four other players — tight end Jeff Heuerman (foot), offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee), running back Phillip Lindsay (foot/wrist) and nose tackle Mike Purcell (ribs) — were limited.

For the Buffalo Bills, three players were held out of practice with injuries.

Player	Injury	Wed	Thur	Fri	Status
DE Jerry Hughes	Groin	DNP
DB Siran Neal	Concussion	DNP
OT Ty Nsekhe	Ankle	DNP

Sunday’s game will begin at 11:00 a.m. MT on CBS (TV map here).

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7 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make ahead of Week 12

7 fantasy football waiver wire claims to make heading into Week 12 of the NFL season.

Need a fresh face for your fantasy football roster this week?

It’s never too late for a few extra points to add to your win column.

Here are eight waiver wire claims to make in fantasy football ahead of Week 11:

Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi. Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

RB Bo Scarbrough

The round and round cycle that is the Lions running back situation since Kerryon Johnson’s injury has now landed on Bo Scarbrough. For those paying attention, we’ve went from Ty Johnson to JD McKissic and now Scarbrough. Last week against the Cowboys, Scarbrough came out of no where to muster up 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. McKissic did still feature as a pass catcher, though.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 0.3%

RB Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi signed with the Eagles prior to Week 11 against the Patriots, but he didn’t play behind Miles Sanders and Boston Scott. It might be a case of him needing to warm up to the offensive scheme, but he’s certainly at least a better option than Scott with Jordan Howard still expecting to miss some time. He’s at least worth stashing for a playoff run later on.

Percent owned in ESPN fantasy leagues: 10.%

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8 things to know about the Bills’ Week 12 opponent, the Broncos

Eight things to know about the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills’ Week 12 opponent.

The Bills (7-3) host the Denver Broncos in their Week 12 matchup at New Era Field.

Here are eight things to know about their upcoming opponent:

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

A true No. 1

The Bills found themselves a true top-wideout in John Brown. Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton is neck-and-neck with Brown this year. Brown has 56 catches for 817 yards, that’s good for the ninth-most yards of any receiver in the NFL and most for any in the AFC. Sutton is right behind him, but has less catches so he’s a big more of a deep-threat guy. Sutton has 39 grabs for 805 yards. Both players have four touchdowns this year.

But in Sutton, he leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth. While you consider Brown better perhaps because of your fandom for the Bills, consider this: If you also think Josh Allen is a good quarterback, you can admit Sutton’s thriving with much worse QB play this season with Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen. The bad taste comes from his draft status. He was the Broncos No. 40 pick in the second-round of 2018. Perhaps the Bills could’ve waited a year and not taken Zay Jones at No. 37 in 2017?

Pro Football Focus also ranks him as the seventh-best wideout in the NFL current (86.4).

💪 Courtland Sutton with the STRONG catch#DENvsMIN

(via @thecheckdown)

pic.twitter.com/U0bfDOb1W9

— PFF (@PFF) November 17, 2019

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4 takeaways from Broncos’ brutal loss to Vikings

The Denver Broncos held a 20-0 lead over the Minnesota Vikings at halftime and found a way to lose the game.

If you stopped watching at halftime for some reason, yes, the Denver Broncos actually found a way to lose to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Broncos could not have played a better first half in jumping out to a 20-0 lead over the Vikings. But having to settle for some field goals on short fields kept it at a three-score game and the Vikings made the proper adjustments at halftime to make the game truly a tale of two halves.

With the loss, the Broncos drop to 3-7 on the season and will face the Buffalo Bills in another tough road test next week. Here are some takeaways from a brutal defeat.

1. The Broncos were on the wrong side of history

In the stat that no Broncos fan wants to hear, the Broncos became the first team in the last five seasons to give up a 20-point halftime lead.

Ninety-nine times had a team held a halftime lead of at least 20 points in the last five seasons and all 99 of those teams won the game. The Broncos were team No. 100 and they are now the one in 1-99.

2. If only the Broncos could learn to finish

The Broncos are 3-7 this season but could just as easily be 7-3 if there was some better execution in key moments. Losses against the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts could have all been wins if not for some crucial miscues.

Sunday’s result was much of the same as the team just couldn’t find a way to make a big play when it needed one. That will come, particularly with this kind of experience.

The Broncos’ record suggests they are a poor team, but there is plenty to be optimistic about. Vic Fangio is a first-year head coach and there are some great young weapons on the squad with which to build on.

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Broncos WR Tim Patrick returns after injury scare vs. Vikings

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick (shoulder) is questionable to return to Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

Update: Patrick and Risner have both returned to the game. See our original post below.

[jwplayer rNiYZqS3-ThvAeFxT]

Broncos wide receiver Tim Patrick suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Vikings and is questionable to return, the team announced.

Patrick suffered the injury just a few plays after he caught a 38-yard pass from wide receiver Courtland Sutton in a Wild Cat play.

Denver also announced that offensive guard Dalton Risner (ankle) is probable to return.

In related injury news, nose tackle Mike Purcell returned to the game in the second quarter after leaving earlier with a rib injury.

The Broncos lead Minnesota 17-0 midway through the second quarter.

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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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Broncos make 2 roster moves

The Broncos activated wide receiver Tim Patrick (hand) to the 53-man roster and placed cornerback Bryce Callahan (foot) on injured reserve.

The Denver Broncos will activate wide receiver Tim Patrick (hand) from injured reserve to the 53-man roster, coach Vic Fangio announced Friday. Patrick is now eligible to play against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

To make room for Patrick on the active roster, Denver will place cornerback Bryce Callahan (foot) on injured reserve, ending his season. It’s been a dissapointing year for Callahan, who hasn’t been able to fully recover from a foot injury that he suffered while playing for the Chicago Bears in 2018.

Callahan (5-9, 188 pounds) signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Broncos in March but didn’t play in any games season. If he is able to get healthy this offseason, the 28-year-old cornerback could still emerge as one of the team’s top cornerbacks in 2020. Callahan has totaled 123 tackles, four sacks and four interceptions since 2015.

Patrick (6-5, 212 pounds) broke his hand in Week 1 and missed the last eight games while on IR. It’s safe to say quarterback Brandon Allen is excited about the wide receiver’s return to the 53-man roster.

“He’s great,” Allen said Wednesday. “In the short time I’ve been with him he’s been great, obviously knows the offense. He’s been here and he’s a big, physical target. Any time you have two of those guys like Courtland [Sutton] and him it’s going to be a mismatch for a lot of defenses, and I think he’ll bring another element to our offense.”

Sutton (6-3, 218 pounds) is also excited about Patrick’s return.

“It’s exciting to have him back because he does so much,” Sutton said Wednesday. “He can run plays from the slot because he’s shifty. He can go make the big play on the sideline because he’s a big guy. He’s fast and he’s smart.

“Everything that you want out of receiver — [including] his size — he does it and he does it really, really well. It’s exciting to have him come back and I know everyone on our team is excited to have him back if he comes back this week.”

Denver’s 53-man roster and 10-man practice squad are now both full.

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