We are now entering the third week of NFL football, and injuries are beginning to pile up for several teams. The Broncos have remained relatively healthy so far, sans the absence of Dre Greenlaw, but the same cannot be said for other teams around the NFL.
Just a few days out from Denver's showdown with the 2-0, first-place Los Angeles Chargers, the Broncos received arguably the best injury news that they could have hoped for. Denver's offensive line is going to sleep much more easily on Saturday night once they see this news.
Khalil Mack, owner of 108.5 career sacks and tormenter of the Denver Broncos, will miss this week's AFC West matchup with an elbow injury, according to Ian Rappaport of NFL Network. Mack injured himself in the Chargers' week two matchup against the Raiders and was unable to return to the game after exiting.
Broncos won't have to face Khalil Mack vs. Chargers in Week 3
In his career against the Denver Broncos, Mack has totaled 13 sacks, 44 tackles, and tormented Broncos quarterbacks. Back in 2015, Mack turned in his legendary five-sack performance in Denver. For the better part of a decade now, Mack has been a common entity in the backfield of AFC West quarterbacks, both with the Raiders and the Chargers.
He has been less productive against the Broncos in his time with the Chargers, but was off to a solid start this year. He recorded a sack in the team’s victory over the Chiefs, but left the game early shortly after hurting his elbow. With Joey Bosa no longer wearing a Chargers uniform, Mac has been the go-to veteran pass rush presence.
The most important aspect of this news for the Broncos is that it will give Bo Nix more time to do what he needs to do with the football in the pocket. The Broncos' offensive line has looked solid to start the year, but the team did have sack trouble against the Titans, and Nix threw an interception against the Colts that was caused by a defensive lineman making it into the backfield.
The jobs of Garrett Bolles and Mike McGlinchey just got a lot easier for Sunday afternoon. Both tackles have graded out fairly well in Pass protection so far, but Khalil Mack is a talent that can make even the best pass protectors look amateur. With so much hanging in the balance this Sunday, the Broncos will welcome this news with open arms.