The Patriots and Broncos will be without their usual starting running backs when they face off Sunday.
To no great surprise, the Broncos ruled out Correll Buckhalter on Friday because of an ankle injury suffered last week against the Cowboys.
The running back depth chart in Denver is much clearer than in New England, where a host of players will help pick up the slack for Fred Taylor.
First-round pick Knowshon Moreno will start for the Broncos, with LaMont Jordan and Peyton Hillis likely to be used liberally off the bench. Moreno has improved each week during the regular season, starting to show the special cuts, and lateral moves he displayed at Georgia.
Moreno has 60 carries for 249 yards through four weeks, although he hasn’t been as involved in the receiving game as expected. He could find tough sledding against New England Sunday with the Patriots daring Kyle Orton to beat them deep.
They’re gonna have to remove a piece of duct tape or copper wire that’s holding Buckhalter’s knees together and graft it on to his ankle…