Denver Broncos Duke Ihenacho has concussion
Roy Helu Jr. (29) is tackled by Denver Broncos safety Duke Ihenacho (33) during the first half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
The Denver Broncos could have a problem at the safety position if neither Rahim Moore nor Duke Ihenacho can heal up by the time the Broncos take on their divisional round opponent in the playoffs, because their deep coverage would be quite susceptible. Moore has been out for several weeks with a leg injury, and while he stated that he will be ready to play in the playoffs, there are still some doubts regarding his status for the divisional round. Moore’s status is worth watching closely, and he is a huge key to this defense. He shouldn’t be a laughingstock for what happened in last year’s divisional round game, because Moore is a solid free safety who has made huge strides this season and was doing a great job in coverage for the Broncos before going down with an injury.
Strong safety Duke Ihenacho beat out Mike Adams in the preseason, and he has had a breakout second year in the league. However, Ihenacho has an injury worth monitoring, as Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that Broncos head coach John Fox stated that Ihenacho is currently in the league’s concussion protocol.
He suffered a concussion in yesterday’s easy win over the Oakland Raiders, and hopefully the concussion isn’t severe. He’ll have plenty of time to recover, and I’d say that he has a better chance of playing than Moore. But despite 74 tackles, nine passes defended, and a role in five fumbles this year, Ihenacho also isn’t as valuable as Moore.