Under 15 hours until the Sunday games kick off (with the early start in London), and I have a few injury updates. A franchise running back remains up in the air, while the Monday night teams have submitted their reports.
LeSean McCoy traveled with the Bills to Miami. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll play. Dez Bryant, for example, traveled to San Francisco and Dallas in recent weeks, only to stand on the sidelines in street clothes. But by traveling, McCoy can’t yet be ruled out. I believe he’ll be inactive, and that Mike Gillislee will have a good day tomorrow, but those with Gillislee will want to check to see if McCoy is inactive tomorrow morning.
For the Monday night game, both the Texans and Broncos have injured wide receivers of the franchise variety. Will Fuller and Emmanuel Sanders. Fuller sat out Houston’s last game with a hamstring injury, while Sanders was limping around in Week 6 with an injured hip.
Both of these receivers seem pretty much healthy. Sanders practiced fully all week. Fuller was limited on Thursday and Friday but put in a full practice today. Neither is enough of an injury risk to even be listed as “questionable” on the official report. Using last year’s guidelines, both probably would have been listed as “probable”. They’re fine (still a lousy matchup, however, for Fuller, with Denver’s defense being really tough).
There are a few other injuries of note. Houston will be without half of its starting secondary (Quinten Demps and Kevin Johnson). Johnson is on injured reserve, and with him out, that could create some matchups that favor Denver’s wide receivers. Will be a surprise, I think, if either Sanders or Demaryius Thomas doesn’t score in this game.
Houston also won’t have Jonathan Grimes. When he was last healthy, he was seeing a few snaps as their third-down back. With him down, Tyler Ervin will fill that role.
Denver won’t have DeMarcus Ware, but they can live without him. They still have plenty of other guys who can get after the quarterback. Left tackle Russell Okung still needs to complete the concussion protocol, and the Broncos would like to have him.
HOUSTON TEXANS at DENVER BRONCOS
HOUSTON TEXANS
OUT: S Quintin Demps (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (ankle), CB Kevin Johnson (foot), LB Brian Peters (quadricep)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday: S Quintin Demps (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (ankle), CB Kevin Johnson (foot), LB Brian Peters (quadricep)
Friday: S Quintin Demps (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (ankle), CB Kevin Johnson (foot), LB Brian Peters (quadricep)
Saturday: S Quintin Demps (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (ankle), CB Kevin Johnson (foot), LB Brian Peters (quadricep)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: G Oday Aboushi (shoulder), LB Jadeveon Clowney (wrist), WR Will Fuller (hamstring), WR DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring), T Derek Newton (ankle, knee), LB John Simon (shoulder)
Friday: G Oday Aboushi (shoulder), LB Jadeveon Clowney (wrist), WR Will Fuller (hamstring), LB John Simon (shoulder)
Saturday: G Oday Aboushi (shoulder), LB Jadeveon Clowney (wrist), LB John Simon (shoulder)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: G Jeff Allen (concussion), TE Stephen Anderson (hamstring), T Duane Brown (knee), TE Ryan Griffin (ribs), CB Kareem Jackson (hamstring), CB Johnathan Joseph (forearm), C Greg Mancz (knee), WR Braxton Miller (hamstring), QB Brock Osweiler (foot), G Xavier Su'a-Filo (knee)
Friday: G Jeff Allen (concussion), TE Stephen Anderson (hamstring), T Duane Brown (knee), TE Ryan Griffin (ribs), WR DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring), CB Kareem Jackson (hamstring), CB Johnathan Joseph (forearm), C Greg Mancz (knee), WR Braxton Miller (hamstring), T Derek Newton (ankle, knee), QB Brock Osweiler (foot), G Xavier Su'a-Filo (knee)
Saturday: G Jeff Allen (concussion), TE Stephen Anderson (hamstring), T Duane Brown (knee), WR Will Fuller (hamstring), TE Ryan Griffin (ribs), WR DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring), CB Kareem Jackson (hamstring), CB Johnathan Joseph (forearm), C Greg Mancz (knee), WR Braxton Miller (hamstring), T Derek Newton (ankle, knee), QB Brock Osweiler (foot), G Xavier Su'a-Filo (knee)
DENVER BRONCOS
OUT: LB DeMarcus Ware (forearm)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Cody Latimer (concussion), T Russell Okung (concussion)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday: WR Cody Latimer (concussion), T Russell Okung (concussion), LB DeMarcus Ware (forearm)
Friday: WR Cody Latimer (concussion), LB DeMarcus Ware (forearm)
Saturday: LB DeMarcus Ware (forearm)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: S T.J. Ward (ankle)
Friday: T Russell Okung (concussion)
Saturday: WR Cody Latimer (concussion), T Russell Okung (concussion)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: S Shiloh Keo (knee), WR Emmanuel Sanders (hip), QB Trevor Siemian (left shoulder), S Justin Simmons (hand), CB Kayvon Webster (hamstring), DE Billy Winn (low back)
Friday: S Shiloh Keo (knee), WR Emmanuel Sanders (hip), QB Trevor Siemian (left shoulder), S Justin Simmons (hand), S T.J. Ward (ankle), CB Kayvon Webster (hamstring), DE Billy Winn (low back)
Saturday: S Shiloh Keo (knee), WR Emmanuel Sanders (hip), QB Trevor Siemian (left shoulder), S Justin Simmons (hand), S T.J. Ward (ankle), CB Kayvon Webster (hamstring), DE Billy Winn (low back)