The Denver Broncos have been surging up the standings behind their three-game winning streak that has thrust them back into the playoff picture.
However, this effort has taken a significant blow as veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is believed to have torn his Achilles tendon during practice on Wednesday morning, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Broncos believe that WR Emmanuel Sanders tore his Achilles during practice today, per source. Team usually can tell right away, but it will conduct tests on Sanders to confirm. But early belief is torn Achilles.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 5, 2018
This is a huge loss for the Broncos as Sanders has proven to be one of their most reliable offensive weapons as their top receiving option in the passing game, especially since the departure of Demaryius Thomas. He had stepped firmly into that spot as he has 71 receptions for 868 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the first 12 games played.
Sanders was on pace to record 95 catches for 1,157 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season.
His absence will leave a tremendous void in the passing game, as he has shown to be both a possession receiver along with having big-play ability down the field. This now places the onus on rookie wideout Courtland Sutton to pick up the slack to be their go-to option for the last month of the season. He has shown promise with 28 receptions for 558 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Sutton is coming off a highly productive outing against the Cincinnati Bengals where he had four catches on seven targets for 85 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Sutton will have to play a big role this upcoming Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers where the Broncos look to have a favorable matchup in the contest. He will likely draw the assignment of being covered by star cornerback Richard Sherman, which could make things a bit more difficult for him to be a factor in the passing game.
Nonetheless, this is a major injury that could have a pivotal impact on their playoff push over the final four games of the season.
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