DENVER -- As the boos rained down in the Broncos' home opener for a ragged first half by the team's offense, Denver also lost two of its frontline players to injuries before halftime.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was hurt when he landed awkwardly as he attempted to snare a Russell Wilson pass with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter. The team initially called it a shoulder injury, but after Denver's 16-9 win, coach Nathaniel Hackett said the injury was to Jeudy's ribs.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II then left the game with a left shoulder injury early in the second quarter.
Both players will undergo additional testing Monday, according to Hackett.
Jeudy's injury impacted an already-thin depth chart at the receiver position. Tim Patrick suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp, and KJ Hamler was a game-day inactive Sunday as he returns from hip and knee surgeries last season.
Jeudy, who had four catches for 102 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks this past Monday night, had one catch for 11 yards Sunday.
The Broncos struggled to keep things moving on offense as Wilson was just 6-of-19 passing in the first half. He was better in the second and finished 14 for 31 for 219 yards, with a TD and an interception.
"Losing a guy like Jerry -- not sure where that's at and whether he'll be able to make it back for (Sunday's) game or not -- but any time you lose a guy like that ... it's always going to be hard," Hackett said.
Surtain's injury also robbed the Broncos of their best coverage player and the cornerback they are most likely to match up on an opponent's best wide receiver. He shadowed DK Metcalf for much of the season opener and was matched up on the Texans' Brandin Cooks early in Sunday's game.
Rookie Damarri Mathis, whom the Broncos selected in the fourth round of this past April's draft, replaced Surtain on Sunday.
"Got to see him step up. .... Thing about Damarri is it's not too big for him,'' Hackett said.