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Week 9 Preview: Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons

By Shelby Manning

Aug 1, 2019; Canton, OH, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) stands on the field against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 1, 2019; Canton, OH, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (3) stands on the field against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Denver Broncos, Shelby Harris
Nov 17, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Denver Broncos defensive tackle Shelby Harris (96) celebrates after forcing a fumble against Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) (not pictured) in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports /

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COVID-19, Pretty Much.

Although the Denver Broncos are still celebrating a massive, last-second divisional win over the LA Chargers, and the Atlanta Falcons are trucking along after parting ways with former head coach Dan Quinn, the large storyline for both squads is related to COVID-19.

According to NFL.com, the Falcons shut down their facility on Friday, following a positive test from within their organization. Following this news, the Falcons were placed into a heavy protocol to ensure that operations would be safe to continue. This is the second time that the Falcons have had to shut down operations due to a positive test.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the spectrum, the Denver Broncos will be missing a huge piece of their front seven this week. Denver’s star defensive end Shelby Harris did not clear COVID-19 protocol this week, and therefore, did not travel with the team, and will not be available for Sunday’s game.

Harris encountered a positive person outside of the facility, and did his due diligence and immediately let the team know. Although it resulted in him being unable to play, respect to Harris for doing the right thing and prioritizing the health of his teammates and coaches over his availability. However, the defensive front will miss him Sunday, and will need guys like Malik Reed and Dre’Mont Jones to step up in his absence.

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