Karl Joseph finally turning heads in positive way for Raiders

Denver Broncos: Head coach Vance Joseph confirmed Wednesday that rookie running back Phillip Lindsay's wrist injury is serious and will require surgery, with a recovery timetable of three to four months. Lindsay should be ready for OTAs in May, but he'll miss Sunday's season finale and won't play in the Pro Bowl, for which he was the first undrafted offensive rookie ever selected. "To go out that way is not good for him, but it doesn't take from the year he's had," Joseph said. "He's had a great year. He's a great find for this football team, and moving forward he's going to be a great player for this franchise." Because Lindsay won't play in the Pro Bowl, the NFL won't pay his way to attend the event in Orlando.

Kansas City Chiefs: The last time the Chiefs played the Raiders -- in Week 13 in Oakland -- Tyreek Hill had by far his least productive game of the year, catching just one of six targets for 13 yards. "They had a good game plan for him," quarterback Patrick Mahomes said Wednesday. "There were a lot of times they were double covering him, had guys on top of him, but there were also opportunities I missed him on where he could've had a big game. ...I think we just stay within our game plan. If they're going to devote more players to Tyreek, then more guys will go off like (Travis) Kelce did last time we played them." While Oakland stymied Hill in the first meeting, Kelce caught 12 of 13 targets for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Los Angeles Chargers: After battling significant injuries to key players throughout much of the season, the Chargers enter Sunday's season finale in Denver surprisingly healthy. Not a single player missed practice on Wednesday and only two were limited, with just one (left tackle Russell Okung, ankle) being a starter. "We've been through some lumps and recovered, so hopefully our guys are getting ready at the right time," head coach Anthony Lynn told reporters. Running back Melvin Gordon (knee) has been removed from the report entirely, while backup Austin Ekeler has cleared concussion protocol and will play Sunday. Keenan Allen (hip) practiced in full on Wednesday.

Oakland Raiders: Stuck on the bench early in the season and then the subject of trade rumors before October's deadline, 2016 first-round safety Karl Joseph is finally turning heads in a positive way for the Raiders. He now has seven tackles and a sack in each of the last two games. "I think he's just feeling the defense now," head coach Jon Gruden said of Joseph. "I think he's learning a new defense... it's tough on a safety now. He's got to be the quarterback back there. ...It's a transition period for him. But he's really accelerated in the last four or five ball games and become a really good player for us." The team must decide this offseason whether or not to pick up Joseph's fifth-year option for 2020, which would be guaranteed only for injury.