Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders returned to the practice field at Dove Valley on Thursday for the first time in a week to take part in day three of workouts against the Houston Texans.  He has been nursing a quad strain since the beginning of training camp and had been limited to individual drills without contact.

Sanders, 27, signed in the offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers, started the first preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks but had his time limited to 20 snaps without a catch.  Sanders sat out last Sunday’s road game against the San Francisco 49ers, and with one preseason game remaining for the starting offense, it is important that he and Peyton Manning have playing time together in order to begin developing some kind of rhythm.

“Good to be back out here (practice field) with my guys,” said Sanders.   “Just practicing and getting better (at) gaining chemistry with Peyton.  So it’s looking good right now and hopefully I will be playing on Saturday.”

Sanders looked sharp on the field as he made his route cuts with no apparent leg issues.  The speed he possessed in Pittsburgh was evident as he made separation from Texan defenders, catching several passes from Manning and ending up in the endzone.

"It felt good to come out here and see that these old legs still work and I can still get open and these hands can still catch footballs," said Sanders, clearly pleased with the day’s results.

Manning was happy to have Sanders back on the practice field on Thursday.   

"I know Peyton was happy for me to be out here," Sanders. "He texted me last night and told me that he would like me to be out here today practicing and catching balls, so it was fun.

"He has been talking to me about (playing this week) because the starters  don't play in the fourth preseason game. This is important. We don't want to go into the regular season with me not having caught a pass from him in the game. So this game is extremely pivotal."

Broncos head coach John Fox said following Thursday’s practice that the decision on Sanders’ availability for Saturday’s game won't be made until a meeting is held on Friday night.

“(We’ll) evaluate him tomorrow,” said Fox.  “We have a short workout in the morning.  We will meet tomorrow night (Friday) to basically determine if he will go (Saturday night against the Texans).”

Sanders is intended to be the speedier replacement for the departed Eric Decker who left the Broncos in the offseason as a costless agent to sign with the New York Jets.  As Week 1 approaches, Manning and Sanders will have to maximize the remaining time available during Saturday’s game against the Texans and in practice to build the chemistry necessary between quarterback and wide receiver.  The Broncos hope to have all their weapons in place and available to begin the season against the Indianapolis Colts on September 7.

Dove Valley Clashes:

Thursday saw a second day of extracurricular activity between the Broncos and Texans.  Shoving matches broke out between the two teams that included a few swings.  Texans defensive end J.J. Watt led the charge against the Broncos both days with tight end Julius Thomas his primary target.  

Left guard Orlando Franklin joined Thomas on Thursday in a scuffle with Watt that came following a run play.  Watt carried a quick temper throughout in what appeared to be his way of sending a message to the Broncos and the rest of the NFL that the 2014 Texans weren’t going to be an easy “W” like last year’s team that finished with a league worst 2-14 record.

Moments later a major scuffle broke out between the teams as punches were thrown and players bounced off of each other like pinballs.  Sanders and an unidentified Texan were knocked down to the ground.

Despite the fights, both teams seemed satisfied with the results of the three day practice.

“It was good work,” said Fox.  “It’s always good to see a different scheme and a different system.  This game is about matchups.  Their personnel is different as far as looks you get to see without getting to play a game.”

During the coaches’ meeting on Friday night,  playing time for the starters will be determined for Saturday’s game.   Normally, the third game of the preseason will have starters play into the 3rd quarter.  The Broncos will evaluate the production of the first team offense and defense from the last three days to determine how much work they will need against the Texans on Saturday night.

Injuries:

LB Jamar Chaney (knee)

TE Virgil Green (calf)

TE Jameson Konz (neck)

TE Gerell Robinson (knee and ankle)

LB Danny Trevathan (knee)

LB Chase Vaughn (knee)

CB Kayvon Webster (ankle)

WR Wes Welker (excused from second day of practice due to personal reasons)

VAVEL Logo
About the author