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Bronco notes: Paxton needs healthy ankle to play well

If Paxton Lynch doesn't play against Washington, he will almost certainly start against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Paxton Lynch answers questions from reporters. 

For Paxton Lynch to have a reasonable chance to play well Sunday at Washington, he'll need his ankle that is presently sprained on the high side.

As quarterbacks go, Lynch is an athlete. A runner. And then he's a passer.

In the two biggest sample sizes of his work this year – a preseason game at San Francisco, and a regular-season game at Oakland – Lynch was a combined 18 of 27 passing for 80 yards. Or 2.97 yards per pass attempt.

He also had five combined rushes for 44 yards. Or 8.8 yards per rush attempt.

It's not often an NFL quarterback produces nearly three times more on the ground than in the air.

But so it is for the still undeveloped talent that is Paxton Lynch.

Which is why his high ankle sprain is so disconcerting as the Broncos' brass of general manager John Elway and Vance Joseph try to get a look at Lynch before the season runs out.

“We have two more games to do that,'' Joseph said Thursday. “My concern is making sure he's healthy enough to play at a high level. He has an ankle injury and he hasn't practiced in three weeks. He's a quarterback that can use his legs when he's in danger, so I want to make sure he's right.”

Brock Osweiler is ready. He is operating his 50 percent portion of practice reps without hindrance. Lynch's limp wasn't quite as pronounced Thursday as it was Wednesday but it was still there.

It appears Lynch will start at Washington if he's healthy enough to play most of the game Sunday. But after practice Wednesday and Thursday, there was doubt whether he would be healthy enough.

“That's why we're taking our time trying to figure out if he's ready to play, so we can evaluate him,'' Joseph said. “That's why we didn't name a guy yesterday or the day before. That's the issue.”

The Broncos' final game is next Sunday, December 31, against the Kansas City Chiefs. Lynch will dress for the game at Washington but if he doesn't play much because of his ankle, he almost certainly will go against the Chiefs.

De'Angelo ready

Until he started fumbling, rookie running back De'Angelo Henderson was having a terrific preseason, rushing for 129 yards on 7.0 yards per carry in four games and adding another 21 yards receiving off three receptions.

But Henderson only got one carry, for one yard, in three regular games and he has been inactive the past 11 games since Devontae Booker returned from a wrist injury.

Henderson is expected to play ahead of veteran Jamaal Charles against Washington.

“Very possible he plays this week,'' Joseph said.

Emmanuel not so ready

So many players have been dumped on the injured list as the season nears its merciful conclusion, the Broncos have brought in a portable set of lockers to house the replacements.

The overcrowded IR may be the only reason why receiver Emmanuel Sanders hasn't landed there.

Sanders hasn't practiced this week because of the aggravated ankle injury he initially suffered in the Broncos' fifth game against the New York Giants.

Sanders had at least 76 catches and 1,032 yards and five touchdowns in each of his first three seasons with the Broncos, but he has just 47 receptions for 555 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games this year.

“He's really sore still,'' Joseph said. “He's fought all year for us as far as the ankle. … It should have been a four-week injury and he came back in two weeks for us. He's been gutting it out for us the last month and a half, so we'll see where he's at, but right now he's really sore.”

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