Week 1 injury report provides encouragement for Denver Broncos in battle with Raiders

As the Denver Broncos have reached the cusp of their 2023 season kicking off, their first injury report looks fairly encouraging, particularly when compared to the team on the other side, the Las Vegas Raiders.

Looking at that injury report, the only Broncos players who are in jeopardy of missing the game are Jerry Jeudy and rookie cornerback Riley Moss. Neither of those players is a surprise, as both are battling injuries, but the fact that they only received questionable tags is a good sign.

Jeudy tweaked his hamstring in practice on August 24 and it looked like he could miss several weeks. However, that prognosis has gradually improved and there is now a chance that he will be available against the Raiders. That would be a boost for Russell Wilson, as the Broncos only have four wide receivers on the active roster.

Moss, the Broncos' third-round pick, has been dealing with an abdomen injury. He will likely be held out of this contest as there is no reason to rush him to the field as a rookie.

Las Vegas Raiders will be missing a big piece in Week 1

The big news from this injury report, however, is on the team the Broncos will play in Week 1. And it's not even injury related.

Defensive end Chandler Jones will not play in this game as he seems to be at odds with the organization. He went on a social media outburst, with posts that have since been deleted, but he will not be available in this game.

That is a big loss for the Raiders, who have also played defensive back Brandon Facyson on injured reserve. Without Jones, the Raiders' defense is far less scary and should give the Broncos' offensive line, and Wilson, some relief.

Without Facyson, the Raiders have a young, inexperienced group of cornerbacks outside of veteran Marcus Peters.

The Broncos should have the advantage on the sideline in this game and this news bodes quite well for this game if you're a Broncos fan too.

Jones' 112 career sacks rank third all-time among active NFL players, trailing just Cameron Jordan and Von Miller. The Broncos will still have to deal with Maxx Crosby, one of the best in the league, but not having Jones on the other side is a big boost for Denver.