The Denver Broncos are coming off a tough loss against the Oakland Raiders and need to bounce back in order to keep the playoffs within reach. With Brock Osweiler set to start again in Week 15, the quarterback certainly has a lot to prove after having a tough day against the Raiders' defensive line. Injuries could be an issue in Week 15 as the status of CJ Anderson remains a mystery mid-week.
Anderson missed the game against the Oakland Raiders and his hole on the field was felt. Ronnie Hillman got the start and it simply was not enough to help get the offense moving. According to the Denver Post, Anderson is still nursing an ankle injury which has the Broncos looking at outside options. Troy Renck of the Denver Post is reporting that Trent Richardson came in for a workout for the team, but he is not being looked at as an option in 2015. Renck reports that Richardson is being viewed as an option for a futures contract that will allow him to not count against the team's 90-man roster. That should give fans some hope that Anderson might be available in Week 15.
The run game will be critical against the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to head coach Gary Kubiak via ESPN.com, Osweiler is the confirmed starter for Week 15 as Peyton Manning returns to the practice field. Kubiak is naming the backup the starter once again simply because Manning has not practiced since suffering the partially torn plantar fascia. This will be Osweiler's fifth consecutive start, but another loss could mean Manning is rushed back to the field. Kubiak says he is taking his time with the veteran quarterback.
"I've got to see where he's at; we've got to talk through our situation and see where's he at," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com. "We went through a good week last week, gave him a weekend off, so we'll see where he's at. We'll have a plan in place by the time we get to Wednesday. That's the next step, that he's coming back to practice, and if you're coming back to practice, then you're working toward getting back on the field playing. Let me see where we're at."
Osweiler is focused on bouncing back. The Broncos made a lot of mistakes in the game against Oakland. Demaryius Thomas dropped several passes. Vernon Davis dropped a key fourth-down catch. The run game gained nothing. If the Broncos can get back to mistake-free football, they should have a shot against the Steelers who are thriving at this point in the season.
"That's a part of football, frustration is a part of football,'' Kubiak said. "If you play long enough or coach long enough in this business, you'll be on the side that everybody says is doing something really good and you might be on the side at some point in your career where people say it's not too good. That's part of being a team. "
