The Indianapolis Colts are traveling to Denver, Colorado to take on the Broncos at Mile High Stadium on Sunday, and while it seems that some of their key players are back, there are two that will be missing out on Week 15's game.
Wide receiver Ashton Dulin and right tackle Braden Smith have both been ruled out for Sunday's game, according to head coach Shane Steichen. It's not yet clear why Smith has been ruled out, with Steichen saying only that it's due to a personal matter, but it's the second consecutive game Smith will be missing. Steichen previously said Smith may be out for the rest of the season.
Dulin was injured during the Colts loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 12, leaving the field with an ankle injury. He didn't play in Week 13 against the New England Patriots, and hasn't returned to practice at all yet. He typically plays on special teams, and has mostly been replaced by Anthony Gould so far.
The Broncos game will be a must-win for the Colts to make the playoffs; the Colts will need to not only beat Denver, but also win their remaining three games after that. While Indianapolis will face much easier opponents after their game against Denver, they still must go undefeated the rest of the season. If Denver loses one game while the Colts win all four, the Colts will make it to the playoffs, and the Broncos have a much tougher lineup ahead of them. They'll be taking on the LA Chargers, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Kansas City Chiefs, compared to the Colts' schedule of the Tennessee Titans, the New York Giants, and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It will be harder for the Colts to be competitive without Dulin and Smith playing, but this game is still one that they need to win if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.