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Any doubts astir Albert Okwuegbunam’s assurance coming disconnected past year’s ACL wounded dissipated into Mile High aerial astatine Empower Field past Saturday.
The second-year Broncos choky extremity grabbed his 3rd drawback of the evening, turned upfield and attempted to hurdle 2 defenders. He didn’t rather wide them, but the 12-yard summation showed Denver’s backup to Noah Fant is 100% steadfast heading into Week 1.
“The archetypal 2 times I got tackled, they conscionable dove astatine my legs, truthful I told myself, ‘The adjacent clip I drawback the shot I’m jumping,’” Okwuegbunam said. “That’s what I did due to the fact that I’m not reasoning astir (the knee) astatine all.”
With Fant sidelined implicit the past mates of weeks with an unspecified limb injury, Okwuegbunam could spot his relation summation aboriginal successful the season. Coach Vic Fangio said Fant should beryllium cleared for the Sept. 12 opener against the Giants, but Fant hasn’t practiced since Aug. 19.
Fangio added that Okwuegbunam is “definitely ready” to instrumentality connected the No. 1 choky extremity relation if necessary.
“He’s picked up from wherever helium near disconnected past year,” Fangio said. “He didn’t play overmuch early, past helium was starting to play more. He was playing good and having occurrence (when helium got hurt)… We cognize helium tin catch, and he’s a bully runner aft the catch. I’m truly excited astir him.”
Okwuegbunam has the aforesaid confidence, overmuch of which stems from his showing aboriginal past season. The 23-year-old had 11 catches for 121 yards and a TD earlier hurting his genu successful a Week 9 decision successful Atlanta.
“The games that I did play — and conscionable being capable to amusement my quality to spell retired and marque plays and beryllium a mismatch retired determination — that gave maine the assurance rolling into this play that I tin bash those things, and I volition bash those things,” Okwuegbunam said.
One of Okwuegbunam’s biggest assurance builders successful 2020 came connected a play wherever helium didn’t adjacent marque the catch.
With the Broncos down to their past gasp successful Week 8 against the Chargers astatine home, Okwuegbunam ran a spell way and drew a walk interference call. That acceptable the Broncos up to triumph connected the last play of the game, arsenic KJ Hamler’s touchdown drawback erased a three-touchdown shortage successful the 2nd half.
“That was a large portion of past play too, conscionable being successful connected those last moments erstwhile the crippled was connected the line,” Okwuegbunam said. “In bid to triumph that game, erstwhile (Drew Lock) threw that Hail Mary, helium threw it up to maine and I got the P.I. We yet won the game, and that instilled a batch of assurance successful me, and fto maine cognize that our unit and our coaches present person a batch of spot successful me.”
Okwuegbunam expects the Broncos to tally a batch of 2 tight-end sets this year. The unit groupings utilized during Denver’s preseason finale against the Rams seemed to hint arsenic much, with 15 of 38 snaps (39.4%) for Teddy Bridgewater and Lock including astatine slightest 2 choky ends.
Okwuegbunam had 3 catches for 23 yards connected 4 targets successful that crippled — a 17-12 win.
“The much helium plays, the amended he’s going to get,” choky ends manager Wade Harman said. “He’s making bully advancement with everything successful his crippled and his method and I’m anxious to get him connected the tract (in a regular-season game).”
And contempt not having his assemblage backmost throwing to him this statesman this twelvemonth — Lock and Okwuegbunam connected for 17 TDs implicit 2 seasons unneurotic astatine Missouri — the choky extremity is assured successful his chemistry with Bridgewater.
“Obviously it’s antithetic since I’ve had Drew arsenic a backmost since college, but I emotion Teddy arsenic a quarterback,” Okwuegbunam said. “He’s thrown maine a batch of bully passes, and I’m excited to hopefully beryllium catching a batch of touchdowns this play from him.”
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