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Former Denver QB to Start Against Broncos After Baker Mayfield Injury

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Getty Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio will be game-planning against Cleveland Browns' backup quarterback Case Keenum, who started for Denver in 2018.

When the Denver Broncos march into FirstEnergy Stadium for its October 21 tilt against the Cleveland Browns, it’ll be against an old friend turned foe.

Case Keenum, the journeyman quarterback who started all 16 games for the Broncos (3-3) in 2018, winning just six games, will look to haunt his former team in a Week 7 primetime affair.

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Keenum will lead the similarly-struggling Browns (3-3) instead of starter Baker Mayfield, after the latter suffered a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder, against the Arizona Cardinals, October 17. Mayfield was a limited participant in the Browns’ October 18 practice and was officially ruled out the following day.

If Not Thursday, When?

The stars are all lined up for the Broncos, as they finally face a squad that may be more banged up than they are. Cleveland will be without its franchise quarterback — a guy who hadn’t missed a start since taking over the Browns’ lead role in Week 3 of the 2018 season. Mayfield’s 51 consecutive regular-season starts was the fourth-longest active streak among quarterbacks.

Meanwhile, this will be Keenum’s first start since 2019, when the veteran made eight starts for the Washington Football Team.

The Browns will also be without its No. 1 and No. 1A running backs, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, meaning the entire Browns’ backfield will be made up of reserves. Both backs are sitting out the Denver game with calf injuries.
Also, wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. (shoulder) and starting offensive tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle) haven’t practiced this week. All will most likely be game-time decisions.
The Broncos are beaten up, too, as starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is dealing with multiple maladies, after suffering through the October 17 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, where he was hit an astonishing 17 times. Broncos head coach Vic Fangio noted that he expects Bridgewater to play, when the question was broached at the team’s media availability, October 19.
Starting inside linebacker Alexander Johnson (pectoral) was placed on IR, October 19, kicking off a week for the Broncos that has seen some key names added to the shortened week’s injury list.
Star left tackle Garett Bolles (knee) made the team’s injury report as questionable after he again was limited in practice.
Rookie safety Caden Sterns was also an addition (illness) and deemed as questionable, while rookie inside linebacker Baron Browning (concussion) and rookie outside linebacker Aaron Patrick (ankle) were both ruled out for the Browns’ game.
Rookie outside linebacker Andre Mintze had an MRI on his hamstring, October 18, and was moved to IR, the following day.
Cleveland is hurting more, though, so if the Broncos can’t take advantage of the Browns’ ‘B-team,’ then all really is lost for the 2021 campaign.

Time to Get Right

While the Broncos’ defense is hurting specifically at the linebacker position, the secondary is relatively healthy, meaning in order for the team to end its skid, the secondary could be the catalyst and feast on the undermanned Browns’ offense.

Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons vowed to lead the secondary to better performances, and going up against a journeyman like Keenum could do the trick. The secondary is once again fully intact, as cornerback Ronald Darby returned from IR days before the Raiders game. Darby was coming off a hamstring injury that had sidelined him a day after the September 12 Week 1 opener.

The Broncos are yielding 229.2 passing yards per game, good for 11th-best in the NFL. The Browns’ passing attack is averaging just 227.8 yards, which is near the bottom of the barrel in the league (28th). Such a gap in performances gives the Broncos a mighty edge, so there are no excuses for the secondary to not have a bounce-back performance.

Follow Tony Williams on Twitter: @TBone8
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Case Keenum, who spent one ill-suited season with the Denver Broncos, will face his former team in relief of the Cleveland Browns' Baker Mayfield, October 21.