–Running back Phillip Lindsay won’t play in the final game after suffering a wrist injury in the Monday night loss at Oakland. Lindsay was a bright spot in Denver’s disappointing season after going undrafted in April. He ranks second in the AFC in rushing yards with 1,037 and finished the season with 1,278 total yards.
–Cornerback Bradley Roby was criticized by ESPN color analyst Jason Witten, who said Roby “quit” on a play while Oakland running back Doug Martin continued to pick up yardage. Roby defended himself on Wednesday: “I feel like he was reaching to say that because it was the end of the game. For him to characterize me as a quitter or quitting on my team, I feel that’s the most despicable thing you could say in a team sport … For him to say that made me mad.”
–Linebacker Von Miller failed to get a sack Monday and remains at 14.5 for the season. Monday was the first time in nine games Miller didn’t record at least a half-sack and it broke a string of six straight games with at least one sack.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Broncos won Super Bowl 50 on the strength of a dominating defense. Quarterback Peyton Manning was in his last year and slowed by injuries to the point he was more of a game manager than a game-changing quarterback, so the defense carried them to a title. Denver has tried to follow that blueprint the last three seasons, but the numbers show the defense is no longer a strength despite having Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller. Entering the final game of the 2018 season the Broncos’ defense ranks 23rd in net yards per game (371.1), 21st in net rushing yards per game (119.8) and 22nd in net passing yards per game (251.3). Teams have been able to move the ball with long drives and convert on third down 39 percent of the time. With cornerback Chris Harris Jr. done for the year there was more pressure put on the pass rushers. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr beat the Denver pass rush with quick, short passes that negated Miller and rookie linebacker Bradley Chubb. It’s a game plan Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers can follow to beat Denver on Sunday.
