ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- What had been optimism early in the week Denver Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw could be in the lineup for Sunday's season opener against the Tennessee Titans in Empower Field at Mile High had evaporated by Friday. Greenlaw, one of the Broncos' biggest additions in free agency earlier this year, was formally ruled out for the opener with a thigh injury.
ESPN Eliminator Challenge is one of the most fun and simple games to play this NFL season. The rules are simple -- pick one team, and as long as they win (or tie), you advance to the next round. If they lose, you are out. The only caveat is you cannot pick the same team twice. Last season's game was as difficult as we have ever seen.
"We want to have the No. 1 defense, we talk about it, 100 percent," Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto said. "But we have to go out and do it, we have to do the things, each of us, to make that happen. How do we do that? Be better than last year and get off to a good start. It doesn't matter who is across from us every week, we want to be that defense that starts fast and just keeps going."
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday the team got "good news" on wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.'s groin injury and the third-year veteran should be on track to play in the Sept. 7 season opener against the Tennessee Titans. Mims left Wednesday's practice with the injury, as he walked off the field with the Broncos' medical staff about halfway through the team's on-field work. Mims was taken for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam as well as some additional tests.
In what eventually became a 30-24 overtime loss to the Bengals, Mims finished with eight receptions on eight targets for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were in the fourth quarter -- the first a 51-yard catch-and-run for the team's longest play of the game and the other a leaping are-you-kidding-me effort with eight seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
