Broncos first injury report could spell disaster for team against Steelers

The Denver Broncos first injury report released on Wednesday could spell disaster for the team in the Week 2 matchup versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team definitely got banged up in their Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a loss that seems to have been overblown. The Broncos hung around for most of the game and did have a chance to get the ball back and win.

However, the defense could not stop the Seahawks on third and medium. It's a loss that many of us saw coming, so it's not a huge shock. In Week 2, Denver will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it's not Russell Wilson under center. Backup QB Justin Fields is getting his second start of the season.

In Week 1, Fields led the Steelers on six scoring drives, but they were all field goals, and three of them came from over 50 yards, so it was a poor offensive showing. Well, on Wednesday, Denver released their first injury report for Week 2, and it does not look too promising:

Four players who all have huge roles on offense did not practice on Wednesday, including left tackle Garett Bolles and center Luke Wattenberg. Josh Reynolds and Devaughn Vele also did not practice, and rookie EDGE Jonah Elliss was limited.

I do remember Sean Payton hinting that Josh Reynolds sometimes pops up with a sore Achille, so I have a feeling that he'll actually suit up on Sunday, but that is nothing more than my own hunch. Elliss being limited this early in the week tells me that he may also suit up for Sunday, but the biggest player here that worries me is Garett Bolles.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very strong defensive front, so not having a top-15 tackle in the lineup would be a massive blow. Mike McGlinchey, the team's right tackle, did hold his own in Week 1. The Broncos would likely start Matt Peart in place of Bolles.

To me, this feels like a must-win game for Denver, as an 0-2 start would just be devastating. We saw just how much of a hole Denver dug themselves into in 2023. It was a bit too deep for them to dig out of, and this team may have won 10 games in 2023 had they not started 1-5.

If Denver can get to 1-1 before their Week 3 and 4 matchups against the Buccaneers and Jets, Denver may have a legitimate shot to split their first four games, which would be huge.