Denver Broncos injury report: Bills missing key players in trenches

Denver Broncos injury report: With Garett Bolles practicing this week, the Broncos are getting good news on the injury front while Buffalo is not…

The Denver Broncos are getting ready for an early kickoff on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, and there are some major question marks in the trenches for both teams.

Specifically, the Broncos are waiting on a likely game time decision for left tackle Garett Bolles, who was carted off the field last week against the Cowboys and was shockingly back at practice on Thursday and Friday.

Bolles will make the trip with the team out to Buffalo and seems like he has a decent chance to play. Here’s what he had to say after testing his ankle in practice on Thursday:

"“I feel great. Right now, I’m just going to take it one day at a time. I’m not planning on pushing it where I need it to be. I just know that it’s just one day at a time, knowing that I’m either going to be ready this week or next week. It doesn’t really matter. I just know that I’m going to be ready whenever.”Broncos LT Garett Bolles (quotes via Broncos PR)"

The Broncos characterized Bolles as ‘week to week’ and Vance Joseph said he wasn’t sure if he would play Sunday, noting that the mental reps he missed on Wednesday’s offensive install are of paramount importance after his physical health.

Crazy enough, the Broncos don’t appear to be rushing Bolles back. It seems like his injury was far less severe than originally anticipated, and if he can play on Sunday, it will be a huge boost to the Denver offense.

The news is not so good for the Buffalo Bills, who will not have the luxury of their starting left tackle playing on Sunday afternoon:

Left tackle Cordy Glenn will miss this game with a foot/ankle injury, as will defensive lineman Marcell Dareus.

The Bills have to be able to run the ball to win games, as we outlined earlier this week. They are also going to need to be able to stop the Broncos’ running game, which ranks in the top five in the NFL already this year.

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These two injuries could prove to be detrimental to the Bills’ hopes of winning this home game against the Broncos, but this league is — as always — unpredictable.

Stepping in for Glenn will be rookie Dion Dawkins, a player we looked at pretty extensively as an option for the Broncos in the draft. Many expected Dawkins would move to guard at the pro level, but I remember from my evaluation wondering why he wouldn’t be able to play tackle in the pros.

In just 31 pass blocking snaps, Dawkins allowed three pressures, no hits, and no sacks. He should be a capable enough replacement for the Bills, but he’s facing one of the toughest tests he will face all season.

The Broncos boast an elite duo of edge rushers in Shaquil Barrett and Von Miller, so Dawkins — along with the rest of the offensive line for Buffalo — will have his hands full.