Sunday afternoon, the Denver Broncos lost an important part of the offense when fullback Andy Janovich suffered an injury late in the first half of the game against the Minnesota Vikings. This was considered so gruesome that the CBS cameras would not show it during the replay. He was immediately taken to the locker room for examination.
On the play in question, the fullback caught a short pass from quarterback Brandon Allen and turned upfield toward the Vikings’ end zone. However, he was met by linebacker Eric Wilson, who tackled him on the spot.
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Janovich reached out with his arm to brace against the fall, but it bent unnaturally as he hit the ground. The gruesome video can be seen below, but CBS opted out of showing the replay.
🚨 DON’T WATCH IF YOU DON’T WANNA SEE AN INJURY 🚨
Watch Andy Janovich’s arm when he gets tackled 🤢🤢pic.twitter.com/drpL3L56gq
— I’M SEEING GHOSTS (@FTBeard11) November 17, 2019
Following the gruesome injury, Janovich was ultimately carted to the locker room. He was declared out for the remainder of the game. This could also be the end of his season.
This play ended a big half for Janovich, who had scored his first touchdown of the season to give the Broncos a surprising lead over the Vikings. At the time of his injury, Denver was leading 17-0. They ultimately took a 20-0 lead into halftime.
Originally a sixth-round pick out of Nebraska, Janovich has spent his entire career with the Denver Broncos. He has been viewed primarily as a blocker, having only logged 12 career rushing attempts prior to Sunday’s game. However, the veteran FB did enter week 11 with 21 career receptions for 230 yards. He also tallied three career touchdowns prior to his score against the Vikings.
Without Janovich in the lineup, the Broncos continued to take care of business in enemy territory. The 3-6 team added another field goal to increase the lead to 23-7 over the 7-3 Vikings and kept the pressure on. The upset in Minnesota wasn’t guaranteed, but the Broncos certainly made it less likely that quarterback Kirk Cousins would be able to mount a comeback.
Janovich may have left Sunday’s game early after suffering this gruesome injury, but his touchdown was a critical play in what could be one of the biggest upsets of the week.
Photo Credit: Adam Bettcher/Getty
