It looks like Denver Broncos starting running back Ronnie Hillman will miss two to three weeks with the mid-foot sprain he suffered in Sunday's lopsided 41-17 victory over the Oakland Raiders, an NFL source told Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
C.J. Anderson and former starting running back Montee Ball will carry the load for the Broncos in his stead.
Ball missed the last five games due to a groin injury, but is expected to return this week against St. Louis. Prior to his injury, he was averaging 3.1 yards per carry and had only one touchdown.
Reports last week pegged his progress as substantial, prompting optimism from Broncos coach John Fox about his prospects going forward.
"He reshaped his body a bit," Fox said, according to a separate report from Klis on Friday. "He did have an earlier issue with an appendectomy. He's had some time here to get back to the weight and condition where he wanted to be, and that's been a positive."
Anderson, who had something of a breakout game against Oakland after Hillman went down, going for 90 yards on the ground and turning a short catch into an electrifying 51-yard touchdown, seems up to the task as well.
Hillman suffered the injury while attempting to make a catch early in the game Sunday. He limped off, had his foot taped and returned to the game.
Now, it seems he'll miss at least a couple of weeks due to the sprain, and Broncos fans are surely hoping that Ball and Anderson can combine to lessen the blow of his loss.
