Not only did the Denver Broncos put on one of their worst offensive performances of the season against the St. Louis Rams, the team also had several players go down with injuries making a lot of important statuses sit as uncertain for Week 12. Peyton Manning struggled, but injuries to Montee Ball, Julius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders could haunt the team in upcoming weeks.
Ball's return to the team was short lived. The running back had been out several weeks as CJ Anderson took hold of the starting running back spot. Getting Ball back onto the field was a welcomed sight considering Ronnie Hillman was also out with an injury. However, Ball re-aggravated the groin injury that had kept him off the field for give weeks this season and the Broncos are worried this time it is more serious than before. With Ball out, Anderson will continue to be the starting running back for the Broncos, something that could remain for the rest of the season. Fantasy owners would be wise to pick him up now instead of later.
Losing Thomas could be a serious blow for Manning. The tight end has quickly become his favorite target on the field, putting up 12 touchdowns through nine games before not seeing much action in Week 10. Thomas went down in the team's second drive of the game after catching a one-yard pass. The Broncos prepare to get an MRI on Thomas' ankle to test the severity of the issue. He has had ankle issues in the past which slowed him in the start of his career. Denver has a right to be concerned.
Sanders was the other important position player to go down on Sunday. The wide receiver suffered a concussion during the third quarter of the game and did not return. The receiver was alert following the game, but will have to wait to be cleared before getting to play again. Manning took full credit for the injury to his teammate.
"I feel a part of that, I probably could have held the safety a little longer, keep him from getting a jump on that. Every pass you throw you feel responsible for," Manning said, via ESPN.com "I hope he's OK. ... Any time a player gets injured on the end of one of your passes my heart drops. ... He said was OK. I take that very seriously, I always have."
Until those three players return, the pressure falls on Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Anderson to help out Manning. Those are certainly not bad options for the quarterback, but Denver has fallen a bit off track and will need everyone healthy when it matters most.