ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The NFL may be all powerful to autumn Sundays in America but it can’t hold a boutonniere to the backed up wedding schedule in Pittsburgh.
Unlike their trip to Jacksonville for an early week 2 game last month, the Broncos will be arriving much later than usual for their early week 5 game Sunday against the Steelers. Broncos head coach Vic Fangio confirmed to 9NEWS that his team won’t get to their Pittsburgh-area hotel until relatively late Saturday night -- after 8 p.m. – for their 1 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. Denver time) game Sunday against the Steelers.
The reason? Fangio said the team couldn’t get a hotel with enough ballroom/meeting rooms so they could hold their team meetings, as they normally do Saturday evening. And the reason why Pittsburgh-area hotels don’t have meeting rooms available is because of all the wedding receptions backed up from last year’s COVID-19 pandemic.
Weddings have to be scheduled months in advance. Fangio said Pittsburgh hotels had their ballrooms and meeting rooms booked before the NFL released its schedule on May 12. Fangio said one or two other NFL teams have had the same problem finding hotels with available meeting rooms in Pittsburgh.
To compensate, Fangio said he would hold the Saturday night meetings earlier in the day at the Broncos’ UC Health Training Center headquarters, then take off for the trip east late Saturday afternoon.
It’s a much different schedule than what the Broncos used for game 2 at Jacksonville. Because that game started at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday, Fangio had his team fly in late Friday night so they could have all day Saturday for a walkthrough at a high school field, meetings and plenty of downtime to chill.
That won’t happen for the trip to Pittsburgh, although there will be no meetings upon arriving there so players will get a chance to spend a couple hours for dinner before returning for curfew.
The wedding schedule backlog is not just a Pittsburgh problem. The Broncos had talked about staying Saturday nights prior to home games at a downtown Denver hotel but couldn’t find one that consistently had enough available meeting rooms.
9NEWS suspected the Broncos were getting into Pittsburgh late Saturday because they wanted to take some extra time to make sure starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater cleared his concussion protocol before flying out. Fangio laughed at the suggestion, saying that wasn’t the case.
Teddy looks ready
Bridgewater did practice Thursday, another step in his return from a concussion and clearance to play in the game Sunday against the Steelers. He showed no ill effects while performing his passing drills during the media viewing portion of practice and Fangio said prior to practice Bridgewater would get first-team offensive reps.
“I think he’s trending in the right direction, but it’s also important that the backup gets his work,’’ offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said in reference to No. 2 QB Drew Lock. “In a case like last week, if you go in and have to play, you have to be able to play at a high level.”
The Broncos were healthier than expected Thursday as rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II and returner Diontae Spencer returned to practice on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday with chest injuries. Fangio also indicated starting guard Dalton Risner and Graham Glasgow, who missed the Ravens’ game Sunday with lower-limb injuries, were progressing toward having a chance to play Sunday in Pittsburgh.
And two players on the injured reserve list – starting cornerback Ronald Darby and running back/special teamer Mike Boone – appear healthy enough to be activated on the roster by game time.
Albert O out
The one physical setback the Broncos had this week was a hamstring injury No. 2 tight end Albert Okwuegbunam suffered in practice Wednesday. Okwuegbunam missed practice Thursday and given its late in the week, he’s not likely to play Sunday.
If Okwuegbunam is sidelined as expected, veteran Eric Saubert would move up from No. 3 to No. 2 tight end behind Noah Fant. The Broncos also have tight end Shaun Boyer on their practice squad who could be elevated if Fangio wants three tight ends on game day.