ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Von Miller is not the only starter the Denver Broncos won’t have in Dallas when they play the Cowboys on Sunday.
The Broncos will be without Von’s former sparring partner Garett Bolles as well.
Denver’s high-paid left tackle will miss just his second-career start due to a high ankle sprain that he suffered on Sunday against the Washington Football Team. Bolles won’t go on the injured reserve.
Calvin Anderson will start in his place. The 2019 undrafted free agent will get his third-career start and second-career start at left tackle. Anderson started at left tackle last year in Carolina when Bolles became sick before the game.
“I have a lot of confidence in Calvin. I have for a long time. He knows that. I expect him to go out there and play good. I really do,” Vic Fangio stated on Wednesday. “I need to see him play the way he’s capable of playing, which I think is at a good level.”
In place of the ultra-experienced Von Miller, who Denver traded to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, the Broncos will turn to a group of young outside linebackers to replace the future Hall-of-Fame pass rusher. Malik Reed and Jonathon Cooper will start against the Cowboys with Stephen Weatherly and Aaron Patrick ready to come off the bench.
“I’ve got good confidence in those guys,” Fangio stated. “I think they all did a good job the other night, especially with Stephen now being his second week here. I expect him to pick up his play even more. He contributed heavily the other night. We got Malik. ‘Coop’. We’re good there. And Aaron Patrick’s coming along. And we got Bradley [Chubb] coming back here in a few weeks too. So we have good confidence out there.”
The team is hopeful Chubb will be ready to return after the their Week 10 Bye. Until then, Reed, who leads the team with four sacks, will lead the way.
“He’s been playing really good football. I’m really excited for Malik,” Justin Simmons said about Reed. “He does all of the right things both on and off the field. He plays hard. I’m excited for him, man. I really think this is going to be a special moment for him to kind of—I mean I think he’s already done it but like—really cement himself as a guy that can play for a long time.”
Fangio is “hopeful” that Patrick will be able to contribute more on defense moving forward after only playing in seven snaps this year.
Bolles wasn’t the only significant injury Denver suffered on Sunday. Bryce Callahan will also miss his first game of the season after injuring his knee. The talented slot cornerback won’t need surgery, but will be placed on the injured reserve. Fangio said he’ll “need a few weeks” to recover.
When Callahan left the game on Sunday, veteran corner Nate Hairston filled in for him at the nickel cornerback spot and impressed.
“He was ready to go,” Fangio said, happy with Hairston’s play against the Washington Football Team. “You’re in the middle of a fourth quarter of a tight ballgame and you got to go. And it’s at a point in time when they’re throwing it a lot. And he came through. Was pleased with his play.”
Hairston had a key pass breakup near the goal line. However, the job won’t just be handed to Hairston.
“We’re going to take a look at Kyle Fuller in there,” Fangio added. “Those are the two main ones right now. And, in a pinch, Patrick Surtain could go back in there.”
Other options could include Essang Bassey and Michael Ojemudia. Bassey returned to practice on Wednesday, while Ojemudia did not. Neither have played this year, but both are expected to return fairly soon.
After trading Von Miller, Garett Bolles became the team’s highest-paid player raking in an average of $17 million per year. The Broncos will be without both on Sunday when they face the 6-1 Dallas Cowboys.
