The Denver Broncos are coming off another loss which is making the quarterback questions louder than ever. The team is still in contention for the playoffs, but Brock Osweiler is struggling and Peyton Manning is still not returning to the field. Head coach Gary Kubiak admits he is taking things day by day as Osweiler is now nursing an injury that is cause for concern heading into Week 16.
According to the Denver Post, Osweiler injured the shoulder of his non-throwing arm in the loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and will have an x-ray on the issue, although it is not expected to be serious. According to team sources, the backup quarterback might be limited in practice this week, but he is expected to be fine come Week 16. While the injury might not be serious, it is another blow to the quarterback picture. Kubiak told the media that nothing has changed in terms of the situation and he continues to evaluate things on a daily basis.
"(We're) starting over, starting from scratch, no different from last week. Dealing with Brock, see how he's doing physically, I'll visit with Peyton (Manning) and we'll work through that," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com.
Kubiak has not officially named a starter yet for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Manning has participated in practice on a limited basis, but has yet to do much as he recovers from a tear in the plantar fasica. Considering he has yet to be a full participant in practice, it is unlikely that he would be named the starter for Week 16, meaning Osweiler would get the nod once again. Kubiak made it clear that he still believes in Manning as the team's starter and is hopeful to work him back into the offense quickly.
"Absolutely, absolutely, we're trying to work him back to where we feel like he can go play, he can go be himself, that's been the plan all along. We're not there yet, nothing has changed. ... (Manning) is doing everything we're asking him to do and he's doing it because he wants to do it," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com.
Going up against the Bengals will not be easy. The Broncos need improvement from other people outside of the quarterback play. Ronnie Hillman and CJ Anderson struggled while Demaryius Thomas and Vernon Davis suffered key dropped passes. If the Broncos can get their two-tight end system working again while having a more productive run game, the team should have no issues keeping things moving into the playoffs.
