Broncos-Browns inactives: P.J. Locke will play

DENVER — After a week of questions, the announcement of inactives for Broncos-Browns brought the answer Denver needed: that safety P.J. Locke will play.

Locke, who missed last week’s game because of an ankle injury suffered against Buffalo, returned to practice on Thanksgiving Day and saw limited work Thursday and Friday. The Broncos officially listed him as questionable, and when asked Thursday whether he would play against the Browns, he offered a non-committal answer: “We’ll see.”

“I just need to make sure I’m comfortable moving around. I don’t wanna go in for four plays and be hurting or anything like that,” Locke said Thursday. “I need to be confident.

“I’m already taking mental preparation throughout the week. Just making sure that I’m on top of the game plan and what the offense is trying to do to us. Other than that, man, physically, I just need to make sure I’m comfortable and I can do all the things I can do.”

The Broncos’ need for Locke is profound in the wake of Kareem Jackson’s four-game suspension. Denver’s defense has struggled when forced to turn to second-year player Delarrin Turner-Yell at safety. When he came in for Locke against Buffalo on Nov. 13, the Broncos immediately surrendered a touchdown after shutting out the Bills to that point.

More than 50 percent of opponent drives with Turner-Yell on the field have ended in touchdowns. Conversely, the Broncos defense was in lockdown mode with Locke — pun not intended.

FULL LIST OF BRONCOS-BROWNS INACTIVES:

DENVER BRONCOS:

• C Alex Forsyth
• DE Elijah Garcia
• Edge rusher Thomas Incoom
• Edge rusher Ronnie Perkins
• S JL Skinner
• RB Dwayne Washington

Skinner returns to the inactive list after playing for the first time last week. And for a second-straight week, the Broncos will roll with just three edge rushers: starters Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning and reserve Nik Bonitto.

CLEVELAND BROWNS:

• WR Marquise Goodwin
• DT Siaki Ika
• DE Isaiah McGuire
• LB Anthony Walker Jr.
• CB Denzel Ward
• OT Leroy Watson IV
• C Luke Wypler

With Walker and Ward injured, the Browns will be without two defensive starters.

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