The Denver Broncos are preparing for what is expected to be their most difficult game of the season so far. The team is set to face undefeated Green Bay on Sunday as the Broncos' must step up in order to keep pace with the Packers. As Peyton Manning faces questions about his eliteness this season, the quarterback will be relying on his playmakers to improve, but the team could be down a body as Emmanuel Sanders is still healing from injury.
Sanders has been dealing with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder suffered in the win over the Cleveland Browns. According to the Denver Post, Sanders did return to practice on Monday in a limited fashion and is expected to play in Week 8 against the Packers. That is good news for Manning who would like both Sanders and Demaryius Thomas on the field at the same time. Both players have been dealing with injury setbacks so their returns are needed for the game against Green Bay.
Manning would like the passing game to be in full swing this week as the run game continues to struggle with consistency. CJ Anderson continues his fall from grace while Ronnie Hillman is doing all he can to try and carry the load. This all comes off the heels of the Montee Ball release which Denver might be regretting now. Head coach Gary Kubiak is placing blame on the offensive line which has been hit hard with injuries over the past few weeks. That has caused headaches for both Manning and the running backs as the team needs to execute better to get more balance.
"We improved last week. That's important," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com. "It can be very big if we can get Evan on the field full-time and Lou on the field full-time, which we seem to think that we can when we come back. Time will tell. ... Let's see what happens.''
The Broncos are the favorite for the game against Green Bay, but that depends more on the offense than their defense. The Broncos have been getting by with one of the best units in the league, but the offense is another story. Mistakes have certainly plagued them. Thomas knows he is part of the problem as he vows to stop dropping passes and score more touchdowns. As turnovers continue to plague Denver, dropped passes cannot be added to the mix.
"I've got to figure something out. I ain't playing my best right now,'' Thomas said, via ESPN.com. "I take the blame for that. First one, I just took my eyes off the ball. Knowing I should keep my eyes on the ball as a receiver, it happens, it happens. They were just too easy to have the drops. Both of them, I take the blame. I've got to be better.''