Broncos third-year cornerback Damarri Mathis suffered an ankle injury in the 38-12 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, but he may have avoided catastrophe.

The injury occurred on the second play of the game when Mathis and defensive lineman Angelo Blackson made a tackle on Arizona running back Tony Jones Jr. with 14:21 on the clock. Mathis remained down on the ground before trainers rushed onto the field to check on him.

Moments later, Mathis was carted off the field. He was questionable to return before being ruled out near the end of the first quarter.

Broncos coach Sean Payton said after the game that he doesn’t think Mathis suffered anything significant.

“The images (from the MRI) were real positive,” Payton said. “That’s good news.”

Entering his third season in the league, Mathis has been in a heated competition with Levi Wallace and Riley Moss for the starting cornerback job. Mathis was a starter for the first six games of 2023 before he was replaced by former Denver cornerback Fabian Moreau.

Mathis started in his second preseason game on Sunday. He came off the bench in last week’s win over the Packers.

During training camp and the offseason program, Mathis received praise from the coaching staff for playing with more confidence and improving on his technique.

Bailey rebounds with pick-six: Before inside linebacker Levelle Bailey secured one of the best plays of the game, he received an earful from Payton.

Payton thought Bailey had a pair of bad plays, including a missed tackle in the fourth quarter that allowed Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder to scramble down the sideline for a 27-yard gain. When Bailey returned to the sideline, Payton approached the undrafted rookie to express his displeasure.

“I’m a better football player than that, and (Coach Payton) let me have it,” Bailey said.

Bailey was grateful that Payton allowed him to stay in the game, and the former Fresno State standout returned the favor. Three plays after the missed tackle, Bailey intercepted a pass from quarterback Clayton Tune before sprinting down the field for a 94-yard touchdown with 3:57 remaining.

“Knowing that he gave me an opportunity to stay in the game and to actually make that play is definitely an exciting feeling,” Bailey said.

Bailey has been competing for a roster spot along with fellow inside linebackers Jonas Griffith, Cody Barton and Justin Strnad. Griffith and Barton have been competing for a starting job throughout camp. Barton started the game on Sunday before Strnad, Bailey and Griffith played the rest of the way.

Payton said postgame that the inside linebacker room has had its ups and downs. He mentioned that the group has done well on special teams, but there are areas to improve.

“I think instinctually, they have to come along a little bit more,” Payton said.

With the Broncos cutting down the roster over the next 48 hours, Bailey said he plans to live in the moment and not dwell on the future. Last season, Denver kept four undrafted rookies on the initial 53-man roster. And after Bailey had a strong training camp, he believes he has shown enough to the coaching staff that he belongs in the NFL.

“I’m just blessed I had the opportunity to display my skills (during) the training camp and preseason,” Bailey said.

Wattenberg among players sidelined:Sunday was a day off for a handful of Broncos players. Quarterback Bo Nix, tight end Greg Dulcich, wide receiver Courtland Sutton, cornerback Pat Surtain II, and edge rushers Jonathon Cooper and Baron Browning were among the starters who did not play in the win.

Luke Wattenberg, who has been in a center competition with Alex Forsyth and Sam Mustipher, did not play as well as the rest of Denver’s starting offensive line. Second-year cornerback Riley Moss, running back Samaje Perine and wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey were also not in uniform.

Wallace made his preseason debut after not playing the previous two weeks due to a hamstring injury. Safety Brandon Jones (hamstring) suited up and participated in warm-ups but didn’t play during the game.

Payton said he never intended for Jones to play.

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Originally Published: August 25, 2024 at 7:37 p.m.