Rams Vs. Broncos: Q&A with Mile High Report

More preseason? More Q&A.

To fill me in on their side of things, I linked up with David East from Mile High Report, SB Nation's community for fans of the Denver Broncos.

Well, we're in the midst of the preseason, but the news about Von Miller and the implications it has for the meaningful contests takes precedence right now. How concerned are you about the defensive front with Miller, Elvis Dumervil and Stewart Bradley all set to miss time as Derek Wolfe suffered that scary spinal injury last weekend? Did last Saturday's contest against the Seahawks add to the defensive concerns in any meaningful way? ?

Missing Von Miller is going to suck. Hard. However, the loss of Dumervil is still not that great. He was not very impactful in important games last year. The injury to Derek Wolfe is very concerning though. Wolfe is a guy who the Broncos are depending on having a great year. Steward Bradley's injury has caused the Broncos to move Wesley Woodyard to the middle and Danny Trevathan in his spot. Woodyard may be a bit undersized for the middle, but his talent and motor are undeniable.

Overall though, yes, there are some concerns on the defense. The Seahawks game was just a preseason game, but some things that stood out were a bit unnerving. However, if the big guys upfront, Knighton, Vickerson, and Williams do their jobs well, the Broncos defense will fair just fine.

Who's been a standout performer on the 2nd/3rd teams that we might not have heard of, someone who wasn't a lock for the 53-man that has now seemingly flipped that around?

Well, that man was running back C.J. Anderson, but he's out for the rest of preseason; and no one has really stepped up in that position. Possibly one of the linebackers, like UDFA Lerentee McCray, have a better chance of making the roster in the wake of the Von Miller suspension.

How is the trio of Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker and Eric Decker shaping up? Any concern about the difficulty of getting the ball to them less than "enough?"

Even if Ronnie Hillman wasn't fumbling across the goal line, I don't think they'll be a problem throwing the ball enough. The trio is looked really good at camp. Welker and Manning have already formed a good chemistry (contrary to some bogus reports). The man to look out for is Demaryius Thomas. Thomas is primed to have an even better year than last. However, from a fantasy perspective, Decker may be the man to ignore if you're in a PPR league.

Any issues with the offensive line play? The Rams' starting DL is probably their best unit, so it's been interesting to see how opposing teams have gameplanned their early offensive looks against the Rams this preseason. Is Louis Vasquez going be good to go? How is MHR feeling about the Sealver Siliga/John Moffitt switch?

There's a lot of issues with the offensive line play outside of the starting unit, hence the Moffit/Siliga trade. Louis Vasquez should be ready too. Siliga wasn't a lock to make the roster, so getting depth a position of need was a really good move by the Broncos front office.

Expectations were understandably high for this team after the draft. Where are they at now? The AFC West looks weak enough that the Broncos should still be able to get into the playoffs relatively comfortably. Any signs that Peyton's nearing the end of his career?

Expectations are still Super Bowl bound, but the fan-base is a bit shaken from the Von Miller suspension. I don't think we'll see a 13-3 season out these Broncos, but with a weak AFC West the Broncos can get Miller back and possibly get hot in time for the playoffs.