ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos had their top three defensive players on the field together Wednesday for the first time since training camp. Now, the question is: will they have Elvis Dumervil (shoulder), Champ Bailey (hamstring) and D.J. Williams (elbow) suited up to face the Green Bay Packers (3-0) this weekend? “We need to be at full throttle against this team,” Dumervil said. That’s something the Broncos (1-2) haven’t been all season. Williams, their weakside linebacker and leading tackler in three of the last four seasons, went down in the preseason with a dislocated right elbow. Dumervil, their relentless pass-rusher who led the league in sacks in 2009 before missing last season with a chest injury, got hurt in practice before the opener and played only sparingly against Oakland after aggravating the injury, which kept him out the next weeks. Bailey, their perennial Pro Bowl left cornerback who added nickel back duties to his plate this year, has also missed the last two games after pulling his left hamstring making a touchdown-saving tackle on Darren McFadden. “Like anything else, you feel more comfortable in the fight when you have all your troops with you,” coach John Fox said. “So I think they were a welcome addition, for sure.” Although Denver has allowed back-to-back 300-yard passing games and dropped winnable games to the Raiders and Titans, the trio’s understudies had held up nicely, thanks to some creativity from defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard leads the team with 28 tackles, cornerback Jonathan Wilhite recorded the first two sacks of his career on well-timed blitzes in each of the last two games and defensive end Jason Hunter has 11 tackles and a sack. “I think the (second-stringers) stepped up and did a good job,” Dumervil said. “But it’s always good to have all your guys in there.” Dumervil also practiced Wednesday and Thursday of last week only to shut it down Friday and miss the Broncos’ 17-14 loss at Tennessee. He said that shouldn’t be the case this time. “It felt good today going out to practice, I didn’t feel anything, so I’m looking forward to playing this week,” he said. Williams was the only one of the three who wasn’t limited in practice, but even with his return to health, the Broncos will try to find ways to keep Woodyard on the field as much as possible. “I was already coming in on third down. But you never know how things go. My job is to come out there and play as hard as I can and what decisions that the coaches make, that’s not in my hands,” Woodyard said. “So, whether he’s out there or I’m out there, we’re both going to play hard and that’s the only thing that matters.” Also returning to action Wednesday was defensive tackle Marcus Thomas, who had been sidelined since Aug. 15, when he strained his right pectoral muscle, then pulled a groin during his rehab earlier this month. “It was pretty good, went well,” said Thomas, who got hurt on the same day starting nose tackle Ty Warren suffered a season-ending torn triceps. “I’m just working myself back in, basically getting in better shape. I did a lot of the scout team reps to get back into game shape. It felt pretty good.” Thomas said he hopes to play Sunday, but that’s unlikely given the nearly seven weeks he’s been out. His replacement, Kevin Vickerson, has led a patchwork D-line that held Chris Johnson to 21 yards on 13 carries last week. “That would help our defense tremendously, just to have all our guys back and to be out there as a unit, like how we started in camp,” Thomas said. “That’s what we built around. Basically right now, we’ve had guys stepping up. But when everybody gets back, we’ll have our full piece together.” Bailey, Dumervil and Williams have a better chance of leaving the sideline Sunday. “We’re planning for all three of those guys to play,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “And if they don’t, we’ll react accordingly.” Rodgers said he’s been watching film of the Broncos both with and without Dumervil, who led the NFL with 17 sacks two years ago. “Elvis is a difference-maker, a big-time player,” Rodgers said. “He’s fun to watch when he’s on TV. … It’s exciting to watch Elvis come off the edge and wreak havoc. So, it will be interesting to see what his status is for the game.” Notes: Hunter played three seasons for the Packers and in `08 he returned a Kyle Orton fumble for his first NFL touchdown, celebrating with a Lambeau Leap. “He might vaguely remember it. I don’t even try to mention it to him,” Hunter said of the Broncos’ QB, who used to play for the Bears. Orton remembers: “Now that you brought it back up, I do. Turning around and watching a guy go into the end zone is never a good feeling as a quarterback.”

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—Defensive tackle Marcus Thomas is practicing with
the Denver Broncos for the first time since injuring his right pectoral muscle
on Aug. 15.

Thomas, who suffered a setback earlier this month when he strained a groin
while rehabbing from his initial injury, was limited in the 20 minutes of
practice that were open to the media.

Thomas was hurt within five minutes of free agent nose tackle Ty Warren(notes)
going down with a torn triceps during a drill during training camp. Warren
underwent surgery and was placed on I.R. for the second straight season.

The Broncos (1-2) haven’t had their top three defenders on the field at the
same time this season, but cornerback Champ Bailey(notes) (hamstring), middle
linebacker D.J. Williams (elbow) and pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil(notes) all practiced
Wednesday.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—Just when it looked as though the Denver Broncos
were finally returning to health, coach John Fox went over the injury list
following practice Friday.

Eddie Royal(notes)—out.

Julius Thomas(notes)—out.

Elvis Dumervil(notes)—out.

In all, there were eight players listed as either out or questionable for
the game Sunday at Tennessee.

Royal (groin) and the rookie tight end Thomas (high ankle sprain) were
hardly surprises. But Dumervil was a little bit of a stunner.

His dinged-up left shoulder looked to be on the mend and the Pro Bowl pass
rusher appeared to be on his way to chasing around quarterbacks again.

Sure, Dumervil was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday but that
looked to be more precautionary than anything.

On Friday, he went through early stretching exercises and then didn’t take
any reps.

Did Dumervil have a setback?

“I wouldn’t call it a setback,” Fox said. “This is a physical game. It’s
hard to play with one (healthy) arm.”

The Broncos also are taking a cautious approach with leader and top
returning linebacker D.J. Williams after he dislocated his right elbow in a
preseason contest.

Williams, the team’s top tackler in 2010, missed the opening two games, but
has returned to practice in a limited capacity this week. He’s listed as
questionable for the Titans game.

“If we deem him healthy … obviously he’ll play,” Fox said.

Knowshon Moreno(notes) and Champ Bailey(notes), who both have hamstring ailments, also
were listed as questionable. Moreno went through a partial practice Friday,
while Bailey had to observe from the sideline.

“I’m trying to be smart about this,” Bailey said.

The perennial Pro Bowler has done some light running and cutting, just to
test out the hamstring. Bailey said he needs to fully push it in order to
declare himself ready for Sunday.

“At this point, I’m still working toward that,” Bailey said. “We all want
to be back as soon as possible.”

Almost lost in the litany of players either “out” or “questionable” was
that receiver Brandon Lloyd(notes) could be back on the field Sunday.

Lloyd has been dealing with a nagging groin injury that led him to be a late
scratch in a win over Cincinnati last weekend. Lloyd made quite a few leaping
catches in practice Friday and is listed as probable.

Asked if he was healthy enough to play as he made his way into the training
room, Lloyd simply responded, “I don’t know yet.”

The declaration of Dumervil being held out caught some of the Broncos off
guard. Linebacker Joe Mays(notes) hadn’t heard the news yet as he slipped into a suit
and tie for the team’s plane ride to Tennessee.

“It’s difficult,” Mays said. “We definitely want our leaders out there on
the field. When one of our leaders goes down, another guy has to step up.”

Williams could be quite an addition to the defense, provided he’s healthy
enough to play. An eighth-year linebacker out of Miami, Williams was counted on
to patrol the weak-side linebacker spot in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s
scheme.

It’s yet another switch for Williams, who has constantly been shuffled
between linebacker spots as different coordinators have attempted to shore up
Denver’s leaky defense.

“D.J.’s an outstanding football player,” Allen said. “He’s kind of one of
our leaders on the team and so having a guy like that back would be real
beneficial for us.”

In the absence of Williams, Wesley Woodyard(notes) has stepped in and the team has
hardly missed a beat. Woodyard had a team-high 13 tackles against the Bengals.

“Wesley just shows our depth at linebacker is pretty good,” Mays said.
“When D.J. returns, it will help a lot. Guys feed off the way he plays. It
boosts you.”

Notes: The Broncos have won three straight over the Titans. … Broncos P
Britton Colquitt(notes) averaged a net of 51 yards on six punts against Cincinnati, the
second-best performance in team history. Tom Rouen averaged 52.3 yards against
San Diego on Nov. 11, 2001. … K Matt Prater(notes) is the franchise’s leader in field
goal percentage, hitting 74 of 91 of his attempts (81.3 percent) for Denver.

Read More: Brandon Lloyd (WR – DEN), Champ Bailey (CB – DEN), Elvis Dumervil (DE – DEN), Knowshon Moreno (RB – DEN), Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos will be without star defensive end Elvis Dumervil for another game as he was declared out for this Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, reports the Denver Post‘s Lindsay Jones. Dumervil hurt his shoulder during practice before the first game of the season against the Oakland Raiders. He attempted to play through it, but the pain was too much. He played sparingly on third downs and obvious passing plays.

Then he missed last week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, along with Champ Bailey, Brandon Lloyd and Knowshon Moreno. Those three players, along with D.J. Williams are traveling with the team to Tennessee, but are listed as questionable. Williams dislocated his elbow during the preseason while the other three picked up injuries against the Raiders.

UPDATE: Lloyd, it turned out, was listed as probable on the official injury report.

Receiver Eddie Royal, defensive tackle Marcus Thomas (groin), tight end Julius Thomas (high ankle sprain) and receiver Demaryius Thomas (Achilles, pinky) have also been declared out for the game.

Name	Position	Injury	Wed.	Thu.	Fri.	Status
Champ Bailey	CB	Hamstring	DNP	DNP	DNP	Questionable
Elvis Dumervil	DE	Shoulder	LP	LP	DNP	Out
Brandon Lloyd	WR	Groin	LP	FP	FP	Probable
Knowshon Moreno	RB	Hamstring	LP	LP	LP	Questionable
Eddie Royal	WR	Groin	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
Demaryius Thomas	WR	Finger	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
Marcus Thomas	DT	Groin	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
Julius Thomas	TE	Ankle	DNP	DNP	DNP	Out
D.J. Williams	WLB	Elbow	LP	LP	LP	Questionable

For more on this game, visit our Broncos blog Mile High Report and our Titans blog Music City Miracles.

DENVER — Orange Crush was still just a soft
drink the last time the Cincinnati Bengals won in Denver.

 Since that 17-16 squeaker over the Broncos on Nov. 9, 1975, Cincy
has lost eight straight times in the Mile High City, not that any
of these Bengals care.

 ‘‘The past doesn’t exist at this moment,’’ said Cedric Benson,
Bengals tailback and existentialist philosopher. ‘‘There’s an
opportunity here to rewrite the future.’’

 The past isn’t pretty for the Bengals in Denver, where they’re
2-11, including losses to the ‘‘Orange Crush’’ in ’77 and to John
Elway’s Super Bowl champs in ’98.

 ‘‘It’s a new season, a new year,’’ Bengals run stuffer Domata Peko
said. ‘‘Those old stats don’t really come into play too much when
you have a young team like this. We’re looking to change that
stat.’’

 Doing so would give the Bengals back-to-back road wins to start a
season for the first time.

 They opened with a 27-17 victory at Cleveland despite losing
rookie quarterback Andy Dalton to a bruised right wrist and forearm
after he’d led the Bengals to a touchdown and two field goals on
their first three drives.

 The Bengals think Dalton could start in Denver after taking it
easy during the week.

 After getting hurt, Dalton couldn’t grip the ball very well,
forcing him to the sideline for the second half. Bruce Gradkowski
led Cincinnati to the win with a quick-snap 41-yard touchdown pass
to rookie receiver A.J. Green.

 The Broncos will have to rely on a bevy of backups themselves as
they try to avoid starting a season with two straight losses at
home for the first time in their history.

 The Broncos lost Pro Bowlers Champ Bailey (hamstring) and Brandon
Lloyd (groin) in the opener, along with fellow starters Knowshon
Moreno (hamstring) and Elvis Dumervil (shoulder).

 The seven starters who are likely to be sidelined today own 53
years of collective experience in the NFL, having played in 649
games, plus a dozen Pro Bowls.

 ‘‘You can’t replace Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers. They’re not a
dime a dozen,’’ said undrafted second-year cornerback Cassius
Vaughn, who will replace Bailey. ‘‘But it’s a team effort. We’ve
got to be the best team, not the best individuals.’’

 The Broncos will have to correct their many mistakes with plenty
of their stars strolling the sideline.

 ‘‘I’m going to be anxious to see how they respond this week with
the short week and coming off of a loss,’’ Denver coach John Fox
said. ‘‘I’m still worried about our team.’’

 ROSTER MOVES: The Broncos have given up hope of getting free agent
defensive tackle Ty Warren back this season, placing him on injured
reserve.

 The Broncos had kept Warren on the 53-man roster in hopes he’d
return from surgery to repair his torn right triceps by
mid-November. But they needed his roster spot to promote running
back Jeremiah Johnson from their practice squad with Moreno hobbled
with a hamstring injury.

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

If rookie quarterback Andy Dalton(notes) isn’t healthy enough to play, the
Cincinnati Bengals have no doubt that Bruce Gradkowski(notes) can lead them to a
victory.

If Kyle Orton(notes) doesn’t produce a win soon, more questions about his ability
to guide the Denver Broncos will likely be raised.

The Bengals go for their first victory in Denver since 1975 as the Broncos
try to avoid their first 0-2 start in 12 years.

A second-round pick out of TCU, Dalton is questionable after taking a helmet
to his right wrist late in the first half of last Sunday’s 27-17 victory at
Cleveland.

Dalton, who completed 10 of 15 passes for 81 yards and threw a 2-yard
touchdown to Jermaine Gresham(notes), saw a specialist Monday and said he’s “hopeful”
of starting.

Gradkowski, who started eight games for Oakland over the last two seasons,
played the entire second half Sunday. The veteran went 5 for 12 for 92 yards,
including a 41-yard, go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter to first-round pick A.J.
Green(notes) on a quick snap that caught the Browns off-guard.

“He’s a guy we know we can count on,” offensive coordinator Jay Gruden told
the Bengals’ official website. “His won-loss record (6-14 as a starter) and
passing percentage (53.0) isn’t comparable to some of the great quarterbacks.
But for what we’re asking him to do if Andy goes down, he’s a perfect fit.

“He’s a great guy to have in the locker room, he’s got a lot of input on
game day and during the week, and players rally around him.”

Orton likely wishes he had that type of support from the Denver community.
Walking off the field following Monday’s 23-20 home loss to Oakland, Orton was
showered with chants of “Tebow! Tebow!”

Orton was sacked five times and completed 24 of 46 passes for 304 yards with
an interception, but first-year Broncos coach John Fox has no plans of turning
to Tim Tebow(notes) or Brady Quinn(notes).

“We came up a little short. There were plenty of reasons why. It wasn’t just
the quarterback by any stretch,” Fox said. “Kyle is our starting quarterback and
I don’t think too many guys are firing all their guys because their team
happened to lose in Week 1.”

Orton, though, could face another hostile Denver crowd as his favorite
receiver, Brandon Lloyd(notes), is questionable after injuring his groin Monday.

Starting tailback Knowshon Moreno(notes) (hamstring), who had 22 of Denver’s 38
rushing yards, also might not be available.

With Bengals running back Cedric Benson(notes) coming off a 121-yard effort, the
Broncos’ rush defense needs to step up after allowing the Raiders to run for
190.

“If we don’t stop the run, it’s going to be a long season,” said 10-time Pro
Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey(notes), who is questionable with a hamstring injury.

Second overall pick Von Miller(notes) made an immediate impact for Denver, causing
a fumble on his first professional snap, but Cincinnati might not see much of
defensive end Elvis Dumervil(notes) after he aggravated a left shoulder injury in the
opener.

“It could be worse,” said Dumervil, who missed all of 2010 with a torn chest
muscle. “At least, I have a chance of recovering, so that’s a good thing.”

The Broncos, who haven’t dropped their first two since an 0-4 start in 1999,
have won eight straight over Cincinnati in Denver since a 17-16 loss Nov. 9,
1975.

The last time these teams met in the Mile High City, Denver won 24-23 on
Dec. 24, 2006, when the Bengals’ 2-point rush failed in the final minute.

The Broncos won 12-7 in Cincinnati on Sept. 13, 2009, as Brandon Stokley(notes)
caught a deflected Orton pass and went 87 yards for a score with 11 seconds
left.

The bruised and battered Broncos practiced Wednesday without a half-dozen key players. Pro Bowlers Champ Bailey (hamstring) and Brandon Lloyd (groin) were out along with fellow starters Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and Elvis Dumervil (shoulder).

All of them were hurt Monday night against Oakland and all might join D.J. Williams (elbow) and Marcus Thomas (chest) on the sideline Sunday when the Broncos (0-1) host the Cincinnati Bengals (1-0).

“There are no excuses, no explanations; just find solutions,” coach John Fox said. “Our solution is next man up.”

Including wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (Achilles) and run-stuffer Ty Warren (triceps), both of whom are out for a while, the eight players who missed Wednesday’s workout have a collective 55 years of NFL experience.

Bailey, Williams, Dumervil and Marcus Thomas represent four of the five players on the roster who have been with the Broncos the longest. The other is Chris Kuper, who had a toe injury in the preseason but is healthy again.

“You can’t replace Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers. They’re not a dime a dozen,” said second-year cornerback Cassius Vaughn, who would replace Bailey. “But it’s a team effort. We’ve got to be the best team, not the best individuals.”

If Bailey is out, newcomer Jonathan Wilhite moves into Vaughn’s nickel back spot.

If Moreno can’t play, Willis McGahee and Lance Ball move up the depth chart.

“I learned a long time ago that in this business no one comes and rescues you, so we’ll prepare just as hard as we have in the past and hopefully a little bit better and see how it goes against Cincinnati,” Fox said.

The Broncos began the season with a patchwork defense because of injuries in the preseason. Against the Raiders, Wesley Woodyard was in for Williams (dislocated elbow) at middle linebacker, Brodrick Bunkley replaced Marcus Thomas at nose tackle and Kevin Vickerson is the long-term sub for Warren at defensive tackle.

Dumervil was deemed ready to play before the opener only to sprint off the field in the opening minutes and fling his helmet in frustration after aggravating his injured shoulder.

After that, he only played on obvious passing downs with Jason Hunter replacing him on first and second downs.

Dumervil might not even suit up Sunday.

“As far as medically, I don’t like taking guys into a game that I have a pretty good idea that they’re ailing just because once you turn in that inactive list, you can’t go back,” Fox said. “Keeping guys fresh is all part of the wave of defensive linemen you play and that was a factor Monday night, in particular that it was our first 60-minute game for the starters. We’ll kind of play that by ear and take it day-to-day.”

That’s how Fox likes to describe the prognosis for any of his injured players.

He didn’t give specific updates on any of his sidelined players Wednesday, saying only that the four who were hurt Monday night are all day-to-day.

Read More: Jason Hunter (DE – DEN), Elvis Dumervil (DE – DEN), Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos lost defensive end Elvis Dumervil to a shoulder injury during their Monday Night Football 23-20 defeat to the Oakland Raiders. Dumervil did play in some nickel situations and obvious passing downs, but Jason Hunter replaced him in the base defense. After the game, Dumervil told reporters that he strained his shoulder in practice and still attempted to play in the game.

This could potentially be a serious injury since Dumervil is unsure if he can play in next week’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. An MRI is expected to come on Tuesday, reports the Denver Post.

Dumervil was the first, but not the last, of injured Broncos. Champ Bailey, Brandon Lloyd and Knowshon Moreno all left the game with groin or hamstring injuries. If any of these are significant, the Broncos are going to be in deep holes, given the lack of quality depth the team has.

For more on the Broncos, check out Mile High Report.

DENVER — Sebastian Janikowski tied an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal and the Oakland Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 23-20 Monday night in a chippy and clumsy game between the AFC West rivals.

“I had a dream I broke the record and it was here in Denver,” Janikowski said. “The ball really carries here.”

The Raiders (1-0) won in Denver for the fourth straight season in coach Hue Jackson’s NFL head coaching debut, and handed the Broncos (0-1) their first loss in a home opener since 2000.

John Fox lost his debut as Denver’s coach, and he lost at least two playmakers in the process.

Pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil (shoulder) was relegated to situational duty for three quarters, and perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey injured his left knee making a touchdown-saving tackle of Darren McFadden, who ran 22 times for 150 yards.

The Broncos cut the deficit to 23-20 on Kyle Orton’s 9-yard TD toss to Lance Ball with both Brandon Lloyd and Knowshon Moreno on the sideline, apparently with cramps, with 3:43 left.

Other than that, Orton had a tough night. He completed 24 of 46 passes for 304 yards with an interception. As he left the field, fans were chanting, “Tebow! Tebow!” for second-year quarterback Tim Tebow, who had an awful camp and is probably the No. 3 quarterback behind Brady Quinn.

The Raiders salted away the win by controlling the clock and were able to line up in victory formation after Michael Bush’s 12-yard run to midfield for the first down at the 2-minute warning.

“There’s no consolation for close but we’re still optimistic,” Fox said. “We just happen to be 0-1 like half the teams in our football league.”

After a first half filled with fouls, fists and frustration, the Raiders took a 16-3 lead into the locker room in wild celebration as Janikowski’s 63-yard field goal fluttered over the crossbar as time expired.

That tied the mark set by Tom Dempsey in 1970 and matched by Denver’s Jason Elam in 1998 at the old Mile High Stadium.

The Raiders had gotten the ball with just 24 seconds left in the half when safety Matt Giordano intercepted a pass thrown by Orton at the Raiders 24. A 15-yard facemask on Broncos defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson, one of 16 fouls committed in the first half — eight by each team — helped Janikowski move into range.

Janikowski’s teammate, punter Shane Lechler, would add a 77-yard punt in the fourth quarter.

But his 57-yard punt in the third was returned 90 yards for a touchdown by Eric Decker. It was the eighth TD on a punt or kickoff return on opening weekend, the most in a single week in NFL history.

Orton drove the Broncos 74 yards in a dozen plays on Denver’s first drive after halftime but once again they stalled in the red zone, this time reaching first-and-goal from the 6 before settling for Matt Prater’s 30-yard field goal that made it 16-13.

Prater was wide right from 56 yards out in the first half.

The Broncos were driving again and reached the Raiders 24 when Orton had tight end Daniel Fells open going into the end zone. But the ball slipped out of his hand and defensive end Lamarr Houston pounced on it for Oakland.

The Raiders, who committed 15 penalties for 131 yards, quickly capitalized, covering 65 yards in just three plays for the decisive touchdown.

Darrius Heyward-Bey caught a 17-yard pass and McFadden reeled off a 47-yard run before being dragged down just shy of the goal line by Bailey, who left the game with an injured left knee.

Campbell took it in from there on the next snap to give the Raiders a 23-13 lead with 12:33 remaining.

Pass-rusher Von Miller, the second overall pick in the draft, speared the football out of Jacoby Ford’s arms on his first snap as a pro and fellow rookie Rahim Moore, a strong safety, scooped it up at the Raiders 15. But the Broncos had to settle for Prater’s 28-yard field goal.

Darryl Blackstock’s block of Britton Colquitt’s punt led to a 3-yard TD toss from Campbell to Marcel Reece, who trotted into the end zone after Moore failed to follow the fullback into the flat, giving Oakland a 7-3 lead it would never give up.

Knowshon Moreno fumbled two snaps later, and Janikowski split the uprights through a driving rain from 37 yards out for a 10-3 lead. He added chip shot from 21 yards out before his record-tying 63-yarder.

Colquitt’s next punt traveled 65 yards and was downed at the 1, but the Broncos couldn’t turn loose their “Doom and Gloom” pass-rush because Dumervil, in his first game in 21 months, jammed a shoulder in the first quarter and was used only sparingly afterward, replacing Jason Hunter on some passing downs.

Anytime he spoke about reasons for optimism this season, Fox would start the conversation by saying, “Well, we get Elvis Dumervil back.”

Dumervil missed last season with a torn chest muscle after leading the league with 17 sacks in 2009. He moved back to defensive end from outside linebacker this summer and packed on extra muscle, making him more stout against the run with his long arms and built-in leverage.

But he was relegated to watching helplessly from the sideline as McFadden ran roughshod over the Broncos yet again.

The Raiders walloped the Broncos 59-14 in their last visit to Denver, on Oct. 24, when they scored the most points in their history. The Broncos didn’t dwell on the debacle during the week as Fox declared, “This year is 2011. Last year was 2010.”

The result was the same.

Raiders 23, Broncos 20

Oakland 0 16 0 7 — 23

Denver 3 0 10 7 — 20

First Quarter

Den – FG Prater 28, 9:55.

Second Quarter

Oak – Reece 3 pass from J.Campbell (Janikowski kick), 13:28.

Oak – FG Janikowski 37, 11:14.

Oak – FG Janikowski 21, 1:27.

Oak – FG Janikowski 63, :00.

Third Quarter

Den – Decker 90 punt return (Prater kick), 12:31.

Den – FG Prater 30, 1:55.

Fourth Quarter

Oak – J.Campbell 1 run (Janikowski kick), 12:33.

Den – Ball 9 pass from Orton (Prater kick), 3:43.

A – 75,671.

Oak Den

First downs 20 25

Total Net Yards 289 310

Rushes-yards 39-190 13-38

Passing 99 272

Punt Returns 0-0 5-128

Kickoff Returns 0-0 0-0

Interceptions Ret. 1-0 0-0

Comp-Att-Int 13-22-0 24-46-1

Sacked-Yards Lost 1-6 5-32

Punts 6-58.2 4-41.3

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 4-2

Penalties-Yards 15-131 10-91

Time of Possession 32:35 27:25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Oakland, McFadden 22-150, Bush 9-30, Reece 1-11, J.Campbell 6-2, Ford 1-(minus 3). Denver, Moreno 8-22, Orton 1-13, McGahee 4-3.

PASSING – Oakland, J.Campbell 13-22-0-105. Denver, Orton 24-46-1-304.

RECEIVING – Oakland, Heyward-Bey 4-44, Reece 3-23, Ford 3-22, Myers 2-10, McFadden 1-6. Denver, Lloyd 6-89, McGahee 5-32, Decker 3-53, Fells 3-32, Moreno 2-35, Royal 2-33, Larsen 1-15, Ball 1-9, Willis 1-6.

MISSED FIELD GOALS – Denver, Prater 56 (WR).

DENVER — Here are seven letters representing a trade from the Josh McDaniels era that worked in the Denver Broncos’ favor: Joe Mays.

“You have to have faith in yourself,” said Mays, now Denver’s starting middle linebacker. “I worked harder than I’ve ever worked before in an offseason. I have coaches who have faith in me, and it’s paid off. They believe in me to go out there and lead the defense.”

For all the personnel moves, all the draft picks that were traded, all the players who came and went in the past two years while not panning out for the Broncos, there is Mays. He came to Denver last August when McDaniels, the Broncos’ coach at the time, traded tailback J.J. Arrington to the Eagles for Mays and a draft pick.

A year later, with McDaniels fired late in the 2010 season, Mays has found a home playing for a new Broncos regime and coaching staff.

“Joe was one of those guys you thought could have big things in his future,” said Denver defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley, a teammate of Mays’ in Philadelphia. “I think he just needed somebody to give him a chance.”

That chance rose out of the Broncos’ turmoil in the past year. Out of a coaching change, immense roster turnover and the reality that the team couldn’t repair everything from a 4-12 season during one offseason.

A roster incumbent or two were going to have a golden opportunity to push themselves to the front of the line under new coach John Fox.

Mays was coming off a career-high five starts last season. He had his best game — nine tackles against San Diego — just before suffering a knee injury Nov. 28 against St. Louis, ending his 2010 season.

Throughout the offseason when Fox was asked about reconstructing what had been the NFL’s worst defense, he routinely hit the high spots, mentioning players such as veterans Elvis Dumervil and Champ Bailey.

Often, when asked about the middle linebacker position, Fox would add “and we’ve got Joe Mays.”

“I thought I put some good things out on film before I got hurt,” Mays said. “The coaches saw the same thing. I think that’s why they had some faith I could come out and do what a middle linebacker is called on to do.”

Mays, now in his fourth season, said during the NFL lockout that he realized his marginal playing time in two years with Philadelphia was partly because he didn’t force coaches to give him an opportunity.

Mays stepped up his workouts this spring and summer, determined to show new Denver linebackers coach Richard Smith that he was ready for the starting job despite the Broncos using a third-round draft pick on North Carolina State’s Nate Irving with the intention that Irving compete for the No. 1 job at middle linebacker.

“I knew that was going to happen in the draft,” Mays said. “You know you have a defensive-minded coach, he’s going to bring a lot of defensive players in, so get ready to compete. I had to get out of my comfort zone too. I had to work a lot harder than I’d ever done in the offseason, push past where I used to. (Smith) wants the best out of me.”

Mays opened training camp at middle linebacker with Denver’s No. 1 defense and has stayed there, putting himself in position for another career first — starting the Sept. 12 opener against the Raiders on “Monday Night Football.”

“When I got here last year after the trade, I didn’t know what to expect,” Mays said. “You just know it’s going to be a new beginning. You believe they brought you here for a reason, but maybe you don’t know the reason right away. I felt like I was going to find out the reason. I hope this is the reason.”

If you visited any of the open practices at Dove Valley over the last three weeks, undoubtedly you heard at least one, and probably both, of the following two phrases being yelled by defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

“Find the ball, get the ball.” And, “Knock their (behinds) back.”

We’ll clean up Allen’s language because this is a family-friendly publication, but his attitude is clear: The Broncos’ defense will be aggressive.

What some 64,000 fans saw at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Saturday night was a defense that recorded one sack, eight quarterback hurries, six tackles for a loss and one interception in a 24-10 win against the Buffalo Bills.

It was a refreshing change from what was seen

last season — a defense that was last in the NFL in sacks, last in total yards allowed and second-to-last in interceptions.

In two preseason games, the starting defense has allowed only two field goals and 180 total yards — 90 each against Dallas and Buffalo.

“Coaches preach the same thing of playing physical, playing fast, playing tough, and I think we showed that (Saturday), especially with being physical,” middle linebacker Joe Mays said.

Yet that aggressive nature came perilously close to costing the Broncos. On one drive in the second quarter, the starting defense committed three third-down penalties, allowing the Bills’ offense to stay on the field. First was rookie linebacker Von Miller’s offside flag as he blitzed.

Elvis Dumervil was penalized for roughing the passer on the next play, giving the Bills a first down instead of fourth-and-long.

The most serious penalty came three plays later when rookie safety Rahim Moore received a 15-yard personal foul for unnecessary roughness for his sideline hit on Buffalo receiver Donald Jones.

Dumervil understands that playing smart and playing aggressively aren’t necessarily the same thing. In the preseason, and against a team such as Buffalo, those mistakes won’t hurt. But with regular-season games against quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, the defense wouldn’t be able to escape.

“I think we flirted with that a little,” Dumervil said. “It’s just the second preseason game, and eventually we’ll get better with that.”

Dumervil joked that he would like to see film of Miller’s offside penalty, that his new pass-rush partner’s “get off” first-step is so quick that it might have only appeared he got an early start.

The veteran Broncos — and the staff — were nothing but encouraged by the pluck those young players showed, though not condoning the penalties.

Broncos executive vice president John Elway stopped by Moore’s locker and shook the rookie’s hand and told him, “Good job,” and coach John Fox said he wouldn’t fault the effort Moore showed.

“I think we took a step forward today,” Miller said. “We still had some mental errors, still some technical issues we’ve got to work out, but I think, as a whole, as a team, we took a step forward today.”

Lindsay H. Jones: 303-954-1262 or ljones@denverpost.com

By Russ Oates

– Senior Editor

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Aug 11, 2011 – The Denver Broncos kick off their 2011 preseason with a road game in Arlington against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. All eyes will, naturally, turn to the quarterback controversy between Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow and even Brady Quinn.

Orton was named the first-string quarterback earlier this week when the first depth chart was released. Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn followed in order, but both will likely see the majority of playing time. Undrafted rookie Adam Weber should be in line for some playing time in the fourth quarter.

But we should also watch how the new defensive line plays. Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers both return to defensive end while Kevin Vickerson and Brodrick Bunkley man the middle. Backups Ty Warren, Jeremy Jarmon and Derrick Harvey are also persons of interest in this game.

The No. 2 overall pick the 2011 NFL Draft, Von Miller, will see his first action in the league and Broncos fans are looking for big things out of the rookie. The same goes for rookie safeties Rahim Moore, tentatively the starter at free safety, and Quinton Carter.

Wide receivers Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal are iffy for the game on Thursday morning. Tune into K-USA 9 at 6:30 p.m. MT for the scheduled kickoff. There will be 30-minute pre- and post-game shows as well.

For more on the Broncos, visit Mile High Report.

Read More: Kyle Orton (QB – DEN), Brady Quinn (QB – DEN), Tim Tebow (QB – DEN), Rahim Moore (S – DEN), Quinton Carter (S – DEN), Von Miller (LB – DEN), Denver Broncos, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys, Aug 11, 2011 6:30 PM MDT

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By Russ Oates

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Aug 8, 2011 – On Thursday, the Denver Broncos will be in Dallas to play the Cowboys in their first 2011 preseason game. To no surprise, Kyle Orton will be starting quarterback for the Broncos in that game. He was listed as the No. 1 quarterback in the first 2011 preseason depth chart for the Broncos.

The quarterback position follows the depth chart we saw for most of the 2010 season. Orton is at the top, Tim Tebow follows as the backup quarterback and Brady Quinn is third. Undrafted rookie Adam Weber is fourth on the depth chart and is more likely to be on the practice squad than on Opening Day roster.

At this point, the entire depth chart can be considered fluid, but it will take a lot out of Tebow to overcome Kyle Orton over the course of the preseason. The tougher challenge for Tebow may be to halt Brady Quinn’s challenge for the No. 2 spot. With the NFL dropping the third quarterback rule, there’s always the possibility that the Broncos could keep three quarterbacks active during the season, but we’re far away from a decision on that point.

The offense is shaping up as on this first depth chart. Knowshon Moreno is first and Willis McGahee is second, as expected. Brandon Lloyd and Eddie Royal are the starting wide receivers while Matthew Willis and Eric Decker are the respective backups. David Anderson, signed last weekend, is behind Decker on the depth chart for now, but he’s likely to help in the receivers 4-6 range.

Rookie Orlando Franklin is entrenched as the starter at right tackle right now, but Ryan Clady anchors the line on the left side. Second-year players Zane Beadles and J.D. Walton are still the starters at left guard and center, respectively, but will need to prove they can be strong players for an entire season.

At tight end, Daniel Fells, signed as a free agent, sits atop the depth chart over Richard Quinn and Dan Gronkowski. The latter two could be displaced by Dante Rosario and rookies Julius Thomas and Virgil Green by the end of training camp.

The defense has been fairly easy to project and most predictions have been spot on. Elvis Dumervil and Robert Ayers are the starting defensive ends and Kevin Vickerson is one of the starters at defensive tackle. Brodrick Bunkley, acquired through a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, is starting their right now. Maybe a mild surprise is that Ty Warren, picked up after the New England Patriots released him, is a second-teamer behind Bunkley. Jeremy Jarmon and Derrick Harvey, picked up via a trade and through free agency, are the backup defensive ends.

The starting linebackers are Von Miller on the strong side, D.J. Williams on the weak side and Joe Mays in the middle. Rookie middle linebacker Nate Irving is third on the depth chart behind Mario Haggan, who is strictly a linebacker this season. Deron Mayo, undrafted rookie and younger brother of the Patriots’ Jerod Mayo, is fourth on the weak side.

Champ Bailey and Andre Goodman are the starting corners. Perrish Cox, in legal trouble over an alleged sexual assault incident, is third on the depth chart behind Cassius Vaughn. Brian Dawkins mans the strong safety spot while rookie Rahim Moore is the starter at free safety. Fellow rookie safety Quinton Carter is third right now, but he did receive first-team reps while Dawkins sat out to rework his contract.

All in all, a fairly reasonable first depth chart. Nothing controversial to be found here, but there will be changes after Thursday’s game with the Cowboys.

Read More: Daniel Fells (TE – DEN), Ty Warren (DE – DEN), Willis McGahee (RB – DEN), Elvis Dumervil (DE – DEN), Kyle Orton (QB – DEN), Brady Quinn (QB – DEN), Eddie Royal (WR – DEN), Knowshon Moreno (RB – DEN), Jeremy Jarmon (DE – DEN), Tim Tebow (QB – DEN), Eric Decker (WR – DEN), Perrish Cox (CB – DEN), Rahim Moore (S – DEN), Quinton Carter (S – DEN), Julius Thomas (TE – DEN), Virgil Green (TE – DEN), Nate Irving (LB – DEN), Von Miller (LB – DEN), Deron Mayo (DE – DEN), Denver Broncos

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