Broncos Unveil Final Injury Report for Week 9 at Falcons: A.J. Bouye Out

The Broncos released their final injury report for Week 9 and suffice to say, Vic Fangio is likely going to have to get creative on defense.

The Denver Broncos have won three games this season. Two of them have been on the road in Eastern Standard Time. 

For whatever reason, the 2020 Broncos have defied the team's tradition of struggling in East Coast road games and the team will have to hope it can carry that warrior mentality into Sunday's game at the Atlanta Falcons. 

With an early 11 a.m. MDT kick-off, the Broncos will try to hit the ground running in hopes of building on the offensive foundation established in the fourth quarter of last week's romping comeback win. This is a team that continues to struggle with injuries on a week-in, week-out basis. 

Such is life in the NFL, I suppose. But the Broncos have been inordinately impacted by the truncated offseason, which has resulted in a multitude of untimely injuries. Throw into that equation the COVID-19 virus, which has infected several players, coaches, and executives over the last couple of weeks, and the picture gets even grimmer. 

That's why sitting at 3-4, emerging from the midway point of the season at .500 would be a modest achievement for Vic Fangio and company. Beat the Falcons, and a .500 record awaits. Easier said than done. 

Let's get to Week 9's final injury report because there's much to discuss. 

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Takeaways

A.J. Bouye has not emerged from concussion protocol with the same alacrity as running back Phillip Lindsay last week and has been ruled out for Sunday's game. That puts the onus on the trio of Bryce Callahan, Michael Ojemudia, and likely Essang Bassey, to contain the likes of Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. 

Shelby Harris, the only remaining day-one starter on the Broncos' defensive line, remains in COVID-19 protocol after being exposed to the virus earlier this week away from the team facility. There's still a chance he could be cleared in time to play on Sunday, as Harris has not tested positive for the virus himself, but Coach Fangio categorized his odds as being "probably below 50-50." 

Without Harris, the Broncos will be truly hard-pressed to bounce back from last week's game in which the defense relinquished 200-plus rushing yards. The onus falls on Dre'Mont Jones, DeMarcus Walker, and DeShawn Williams, with a little help from Sylvester Williams and maybe even rookie third-rounder McTelvin Agim. 

Lindsay jammed his toe in Week 8 and is officially questionable for Sunday's action, though Coach Fangio included the dynamic running back with the likes of cornerback Bryce Callahan and tight end Nick Vannett as trending towards being a go. If Lindsay can't go, Melvin Gordon will be tasked with carrying the load for the Broncos on the ground. 

Callahan's injury is one to monitor, especially in light of Bouye being ruled out. Currently ranked as the No. 2 highest-graded corner in football, per Pro Football Focus, Callahan has been a revelation for the Broncos this season and Fangio will need him to fend off Matt Ryan and company. 

Wideout Tim Patrick, who missed last week with a hamstring, has been a limited participant in practice all week, so hope remains that he'll be good to go in Atlanta. Patrick has been another godsend for Denver this season in the wake of Courtland Sutton's year-ending ACL tear. 

Returner Diontae Spencer is listed as doubtful, so if anything happens with Callahan's ankle between now and gameday, rookie wideout Tyrie Cleveland would likely be tasked with returning punts and kicks. 

Falcons

The Falcons will be without edge rushers Dante Fowler and Takkarist McKinley, which bodes well for Drew Lock. Lock looked like a different player in the fourth quarter of last week's win over the Chargers, trusting his protection, and stepping up in the pocket to deliver the ball with velocity and accuracy. Joey Bosa exiting the game with a concussion helped Lock find his footing. 

Ridley is listed as questionable with a foot injury and did not practice all week. That doesn't bode well for his Week 9 availability. 

Aside from cornerback Jordan Miller, and the names listed above, the Falcons are in relatively good shape health-wise. The Broncos will receive as close to Atlanta's best shot as possible. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.