Denver coach Mike Shanahan said after Sunday’s 16-13 victory over Tampa Bay that his team has depth.
It’s time to test it.
The Broncos likely will have to replace at least two and possibly three key offensive starters this week against Jacksonville.
Wide receiver Eddie Royal sprained his ankle, and tight end Tony Scheffler and running back Selvin Young suffered groin injuries against the Buccaneers. The trio accounted for 126 yards against Tampa Bay and have combined to score five touchdowns (two each for Scheffler and Royal and one for Young) for the Broncos this season.
Royal and Scheffler each left Invesco Field on Sunday night on crutches, and all three players were at the team’s Dove Valley headquarters to receive treatment for their injuries Monday morning. Shanahan on Monday would not speculate about the seriousness of the injuries, but Scheffler said Sunday evening that he did not think he would be able to play next week.
“It’s not looking like it,” Scheffler said.
Royal, too, is likely out against Jacksonville, while Young is questionable.
The injuries to Scheffler and Royal could mean more playing time for a pair of Jacksons: tight end Nate and receiver Darrell.
Nate Jackson, who, like Scheffler, is a receiving tight end, started the season-opener against Oakland and has four catches for 12 yards and a touchdown. He has not caught a pass in the past two games.
“Nate’s going to step in and do a great job like he always does,” Scheffler said. “Coaches have a lot of confidence in him too.”
Nate Jackson, who spent the final 11 weeks of last season on injured reserve because of a torn groin, said he sympathizes with his friend Scheffler, but that Scheffler’s injury wouldn’t change anything for him.
“I always put big pressure on myself,” Nate Jackson said. “I prepare myself to be ready.”
Darrell Jackson has not played since injuring his left calf muscle in a practice Sept. 12. He scored a touchdown on his only reception of the season against the Raiders.
Darrell Jackson returned to practice on a limited basis last week and has only recently started to run again. He said he was initially told it would take him at least four weeks to recover from the injury but that he is healing faster than that. Still, he couldn’t say whether he would be able to play this week.
“I’m trying to get ready and get right as soon as possible,” Darrell Jackson said. “We’ve been doing everything we could do. If it’s good, then it’s good; if it’s not, then it’s not.”
Recently re-signed receiver Glenn Martinez, who was cut after training camp but rejoined the team last week, was the fourth receiver active against Tampa Bay and entered the game as a returner and receiver after Royal’s injury. He caught one pass for 12 yards and returned two punts, and likely would play more if Royal is out and if Darrell Jackson is unable to return.
“I felt a little rusty out there. but I knocked a little bit of that rust off,” Martinez said.
Young is the team’s leading rusher with 47 carries for 266 yards this season, but he had only three carries for 16 yards against Tampa. If he is unable to play or not play as much, Michael Pittman could see more touches.
Then again, Pittman may have earned more carries on his own. Pittman rushed six times for 39 yards — an average of 6.5 yards per carry — against the Bucs and has four touchdowns this season, more than any of the Broncos’ other tailbacks.
“He is a tough, hard-nosed runner who made some big plays,” Shanahan said. “He ran over some safeties and ran over some corners. Obviously, the better you play, the more time you are going to get.”
Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com
