The Broncos thought Brandon Lloyd would be available Sunday, and the fact that he wasn't was a bit of a puzzler for John Elway:
Football executive John Elway said on his radio show Monday that the Broncos chose to promote a running back from their practice squad Saturday rather than a wide receiver because Lloyd had practiced Friday for the first time since getting hurt in the opener and seemed OK.
He wasn't by Sunday morning, and when Eddie Royal (groin) was hurt, they were down to two receivers: Eric Decker, making his first career start, and Matt Willis, who has just one start in his four NFL seasons.
"We thought Brandon was going to be OK. It was quite the surprise to us -- and I'm sure to him, too -- that it wasn't feeling very well on Sunday afternoon," Elway said on his radio show on 102.3 The Ticket in Denver.
The Broncos' thin-ness at WR, of course, turned out to be a big break for Decker -- noted ONE OF US and, according to the ladies, somewhat of a catch OFF the field (insert fantasy football joke here) -- who parlayed his increased touches into five catches for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a Broncos victory. Per the Denver Post:
"I'm still trying to get better," Decker said. "I want to be consistent and I want to be reliable. Those are the two words I always tell myself. 'Consistent' and 'reliable.' "
