Getty Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Denver Broncos looks on against the Cleveland Browns in the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 21, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Denver Broncos could be buoyed by multiple offensive additions ahead of their must-win Week 8 encounter at home to Washington.
Jerry Jeudy has been expected to return to Mile High on Sunday for sometime and it seems close to being confirmed. Jeudy was seen practicing freely on Tuesday, a sentiment echoed by head coach Vic Fangio.
ALL the latest Broncos news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Broncos newsletter here! Join Heavy on Broncos!
Jeudy, Miller & Albert O Updates
“I thought he had a good practice,” Fangio said, October 27. “[He] ran around well. Looked good running his routes. I was pleased with the way he looked.”
Jeudy isn’t the only receiving threat who could return for the Broncos, with Albert Okwuegbunam looking sharp in practice. The former Iowa tight end hasn’t played since the loss to Baltimore, injuring his hamstring in the lead up to the Week 6 defeat vs. Las Vegas.
“He did well, too,” Fangio told reporters. “I talked to him a couple times during the practice, and he didn’t seem to have any effects. [He] didn’t come in today with aftereffects. Arrow up there.”
It isn’t all positive on the injury front, with franchise star Von Miller not certain to play in the Broncos’ potentially season-defining game. Fangio was typically succinct when discussing the health of his 32-year-old pass rusher.
“Honestly, if we had to list a category today, he’d be questionable,” he said.
Bridgewater: Zero Panic in the Locker Room
During a trying, gutsy performance in the 17-14 loss to Cleveland, starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was given both kudos and criticism for his willingness to fight through an injury.
After just two first-downs in the opening half, large sections of Broncos Country were calling for backup quarterback Drew Lock. Though, his head coach never questioned turning to the one-time All-SEC star.
“I thought [Bridgewater] looked fine out there,” Fangio said, reflecting on Thursday Night’s loss. “I didn’t think he was 100 percent. He’s our quarterback, and when your quarterback can go, you go with him unless he can’t go. He never said he couldn’t go, and I’m confident in taking his word on that.”
Despite an impressive second half comeback, Bridgewater recognizes he must do more to get his team back in the win column.
“I take full accountability of not getting out to fast starts in games and the passing game not being efficient early in games,” Bridgewater said, Oct. 27. “I turned the ball over a couple times these past couple games. When you take accountability for those actions and you take ownership, it sends a message to the team. That’s all we’ve been talking about—just owning this thing.
“I know that if I’m playing at my best, then we’re in position to win a football game. That’s my mindset — just do whatever I can to help this team win without trying to do too much.”
Irrespective of not wanting to overstretch in any moment, Denver knows it could be do-or-die this week despite sitting just one game outside the wildcard places.
“You sense that guys have something to prove, and guys have a chip on their shoulder,” Bridgewater told Denver media. “It’s not that feeling of, ‘Alright, yeah. We say we’ve got to have this urgency. Let’s just start fast.’ You sense it, whether it’s in the meetings, or if guys are clearing the locker room five minutes early before meetings. Things like that [are] those small things that are going to help us when it comes to playing on the football field.”
While some may think a month of back-to-back losses would create fractures throughout the team, Bridgwater revealed the Broncos’ are still united, desperate to overturn recent results.
“It’s definitely a locker room that’s still together. You can sense there’s no panic. I said this to the guys yesterday. I’m like, ‘Man, we’ve got to have a sense of urgency. It’s not time to panic, but it almost is because this thing can go in the wrong direction fast.’
“We’re sitting at 3-4. I think if you look at it, we’ve played 10 games — three preseason games and seven regular-season games. We’re right at the halfway point, and we’re not in a bad position. We’d like to be in a better position, but that’s on us. All we can do is control what’s in front of us. We can’t go back and fix what happened in the past. If we have that right mindset like, ‘Hey man, we’ve got so many more opportunities, that the past won’t even matter.’”
Follow Patrick Djordjevic on Twitter: @Patdjordjevic