The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs will square off on Sunday night in a crucial division matchup that could change the balance of power in the AFC West. Each team faces a bit of injury trouble heading into tonight.
Denver defeated Kansas City in Week 2 by the score of 24-17. Peyton Manning and co. will be on the road this time with running back C.J. Anderson receiving a bulk of the carries. Montee Ball is still out of action with a groin injury and Ronnie Hillman is expected to miss another month after suffering a foot injury in Week 11.
Backup cornerback Kayvon Webster (shoulder) will also be out of action tonight. This affects their secondary depth because cornerback Aqib Talib (hamstring) and backup safety Quinton Carter (knee) are listed as questionable and were limited in practice this week. Tight end Julius Thomas (ankle) faces the same status, which would be a huge blow for the Denver offense if he were to sit out.
But the rest of those on the Broncos' injury report - linebacker Brandon Marshall (concussion), defensive end Quanterus Smith (ankle), safety David Bruton (finger), tight end Virgil Green (calf) and running back Juwan Thompson (knee) - are listed as probable and were full participants in practice.
As for the Chiefs, they'll be without safety Eric Berry as he continues to undergo tests to determine if he has lymphoma. The team's medical staff found a mass in Berry's chest after he reported discomfort in the area and now he'll likely be out for the remainder of the season. Wide receiver Junior Hemingway will also miss another game with a concussion.
Kansas City's defense faces a lot of injury issues, which is not a good sign heading into a game versus the Broncos. Cornerback Chris Owens (knee) and defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson (calf) are listed as questionable, but Owens was a full participant in practice while Vickerson was limited. Cornerbacks Sean Smith (groin) and Jamell Fleming (hamstring) along with linebacker Tambi Hali (linebacker) are listed as probable. Fleming and Hali were limited in practice this week as well.
Punter Dustin Colquitt (calf) and backup tackle Donald Stephenson (shoulder) are listed as probable for tonight's game, and so is tight end Anthony Fasano (knee), but he was limited in practice this week.
If the Chiefs win they can tie for the division lead, but will still trail the Broncos in a tiebreaker because of their division record. Tune in to NBC at 8:30 p.m. for tonight's Sunday Night Football matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs.
