This Broncos injury report is not built around a mystery. It is built around one very obvious question: can Riley Moss get through enough to play on Thursday night, or does Denver have to face the Seahawks with yet another hole in the secondary?
Moss was listed as questionable after being limited on all three Broncos practice reports ahead of Week 6. That matters because the Broncos are already without Pat Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, who were ruled out after being nonparticipants all week with ankle injuries. In a prime-time game at 6:15 p.m. MT on Prime Video, that is the kind of defensive personnel squeeze that can shape the entire night before the ball is even kicked.
Who is available for Thursday night?
The cleanest part of the Broncos injury report is that Brandon Jones, Sai'vion Jones and Ben Powers were full participants on Wednesday, and the absence of a game status means a player will be available to play. That is the good news. The less comfortable news is that Denver’s margin for error in the secondary is still thin enough to make Riley Moss the central storyline.
Moss suffered the ribs injury against the 49ers in Week 4, and the Broncos have handled his week carefully ever since. The team’s first two reports of the week were estimations because it did not hold a full practice, but the final picture stayed the same: Moss limited throughout, questionable by the end, and now waiting on a decision that could matter a great deal against the Seahawks.
There is a fair amount for Denver to feel better about after winning in Week 5 against the Chargers. But this is the NFL, not a therapy session. A team can enjoy a good result on one Sunday and still walk into the next game with a very real problem. Right now, the Broncos have one starting cornerback in question, two defensive backs already unavailable, and a Thursday night assignment that will expose any weakness quickly.
If Moss plays, Denver at least has a chance to keep the structure intact. If he does not, the Broncos injury report becomes a much harsher read, because the secondary would be asked to absorb a prime-time divisional-style test with even less help than usual. That is not ideal. It is just the reality Denver is facing.
