Kirk Cousins and the Redskins took a seven-point lead late in the second quarter. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

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Game analysis

Broncos keep bumbling away points, trail 10-7 at the half

Isaiah McKenzie received a pass well inside of field goal range for the Denver Broncos with 11 seconds remaining, but rather than running out of bounds, he cut back to the middle of the field. After he was tackled, the Broncos were forced to watch time expire as they had no time outs remaining.

Critical mistakes have already cost Denver at least six points in this game.

Brock Osweiler is a gift that keeps on giving to Redskins

Brock Osweiler throws a perfect strike to D.J. Swearinger for the interception. Broncos’ QB needs are glaring on a day when they’re sharing the field with a possible solution in Kirk Cousins. — Mark Maske

Redskins find the end zone | Redskins 10, Broncos 3

Kirk Cousins throws the TD pass to Jamison Crowder and has rebounded nicely from his slow start today. Cousins has connected on 6 of 9 passes since his 1-for-8 beginning to the day.

Nothing that happens the rest of the season, barring an injury, will really affect Cousins’s market value. It’s going to be very high. But it doesn’t hurt to play well against a team with a desperate need for QB help. — Mark Maske

Cousins takes a shot, gets a first down

Someone tell Kirk Cousins to get rid of the football and stop taking hits like that in the second-to-last game before he’s eligible for free agency. — Mark Maske

Fumble gives Redskins another good shot for points

A strip sack by Preston Smith gave the Redskins back the ball after Zach Vigil secured the fumble. Washington took over at the Denver 38 with 4:33 left in the half.

Hopkins puts Redskins on the board | Broncos 3, Redskins 3

Dustin Hopkins capped off Washington’s first successful drive of the game with a 26-yard field goal. It could have been a significantly better ending had Josh Doctson been able to hold on to a low pass in the end zone from Cousins through a tight window of two closing defenders two plays earlier.

Ziggy Hood helped off the field

After a collision with Bashaud Breeland while trying to make a tackle, Ziggy Hood appeared to significantly injure his right arm. After being attended to by trainers, he was taken to the locker room.

One quarter is over. Mercifully.

Did the Broncos take insurmountable 3-0 lead? Denver’s early lead might serve to even things up by taking the fans out of the game. Both of them. — Mark Maske

Broncos score first | Broncos 3, Redskins 0

Denver’s third drive was unspectacular but effective in producing the game’s first three points on a 31-yard field goal by Brandon McManus.

A first-quarter snoozer

This is about as uninspired and uninspiring as an NFL game gets. The only interesting thing about this game is the potential that it’s a live audition for Kirk Cousins in front of John Elway and the Broncos. But the Redskins can’t protect Cousins against this Denver defense and it seems unlikely at this point that he’s going to be able to have a productive day. — Mark Maske

Offense struggling to ignite against Broncos D

Washington’s offense has produced a grand total of zero first downs and minus-2 yards in its first two drives.

Better start for defense

After spending 80 plays on the field last week against the Arizona Cardinals, the Redskins forced the Broncos three-and-out on the opening drive of the game.

A game about nothing?

Given non-guaranteed contracts, there’s never really a time when players can just show up and punch the clock. But the stakes for the Week 16 game between the Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins is distinctly lacking in the high-stakes department.

The best Washington can hope for this season is a .500 record, which actually would be a notable achievement given the steady tide of injuries that have crashed over this roster. Meanwhile the Broncos are playing for pride and their quarterbacks are playing for the right to start next season … perhaps instead of Washington’s Kirk Cousins, bound for another offseason of free agency.

To that end, Sunday’s game could amount to a live audition for the Broncos. What will the game hold?


Pregame reading

Get ready for the Redskins-Broncos game with the best of The Post’s reporting from the past week:

• Kirk Cousins is expected to leave. Is Colt McCoy ready for his Redskins’ close-up?

• Brewer: Trying to get a handle on this Redskins season? You’ve come to the wrong place.

• Five story lines to follow when the Redskins meet the Broncos

• How Redskins can improve the fan experience at FedEx Field

• Running back LeShun Daniels the latest to IR with broken hand

• In survey, Redskins ask fans for their level of confidence in team’s executives

• With two games left, DeAngelo Hall uncertain what future holds with Redskins, NFL

• Redskins-Broncos: Von Miller and Denver’s elite defense could cause problems

• The Kirk Cousins market may have changed, but demand has not

• Redskins’ Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan and Brandon Scherff named to Pro Bowl


Injury report and inactives

Linebacker Zach Brown will miss his second straight game, dealing with Achilles, toe and hamstring injuries. Left tackle Trent Williams has been placed on injured reserve with his ongoing knee injury, so he won’t play against Denver, either. Second-round rookie linebacker Ryan Anderson will also miss the contest with a knee injury, and running back LeShun Daniels is out with a broken hand. Here’s the full inactive list heading into the game:

Wide receiver Jamison Crowder (hamstring), running back Samaje Perine (groin), cornerback Kendall Fuller (foot), right tackle Morgan Moses (illness/ankle), and defensive lineman Terrell McClain (toe) had all been listed as questionable entering the game, along with Maurice Harris, who is out.

You can read more on each injury coming into today’s game and potential impact here.

Denver Broncos (5-9) at Washington Redskins (6-8)
Kickoff: 1 p.m. ET, FedEx Field
TV: Fox
Radio: 980 AM; 92.7 and 94.3 FM
SiriusXM: SIRI 157 or 146, Internet 831
Streaming: NFL Mobile | Reddit NFL streaming thread
Line: Redskins by 3, o/u 40.5
Box score: Updates every 60 seconds here
Redskins roster | Depth chart | Injury report
Broncos roster | Depth chart | Injury report

Twitter: @lizclarketweet, @markmaske, @ByKimberleyA, @JerryBrewer, @DCSportsBog, @ScottSAllen

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