The Green Bay Packers have been in close games each of the first three
weeks, but have emerged undefeated. The Denver Broncos have also been in three
tight contests, yet they’ve already lost twice.

Such is the margin for error between the defending Super Bowl champions and
a team that hasn’t had a winning record in five years.

Aaron Rodgers(notes) and the Packers look to continue their strong start Sunday
when they host a Broncos team coming off another tough loss.

Green Bay (3-0) is one of the league’s three undefeated teams after beating
Chicago 27-17 last Sunday. Rodgers threw for 297 yards and three touchdown
passes to tight end Jermichael Finley(notes), while the defense finally came up with
some crucial stops.

After yielding at least 475 yards in each of the first two games – a 42-34
win over New Orleans preserved in the final seconds and a 30-23 comeback victory
at Carolina – the Packers held the Bears to 291 yards.

Green Bay is off to its best start since opening 4-0 in 2007, and it’s
undefeated through three games for the ninth time in 50 seasons. That bodes well
for the Packers, as they advanced to the postseason in each of their previous
3-0 starts.

“I think we have the potential to get better, and I don’t know how many wins
that means or the playoffs or whatever, but I just think we can play better
football,” said Rodgers, who owns the NFL’s highest passer rating (120.9). “The
standard we’ve set around Green Bay is excellence.”

The Broncos (1-2) aren’t quite held to the same lofty standards, and have
seen several of John Fox’s calls backfire in the first three games – all decided
by a field goal or less.

Last Sunday at Tennessee with Denver up 14-10, Fox called a timeout and
pulled his kicker off the field on fourth-and-goal from about a foot out early
in the fourth quarter. Willis McGahee(notes) was stopped for no gain, and the Titans
rallied to hand Denver a 17-14 loss.

“Every play is a consideration,” Fox said. “When they work, you’re a genius
and when they don’t, you’re an idiot.”

Fox’s personnel decisions are also being scrutinized, as fans are clamoring
for Tim Tebow(notes) to get the start at quarterback over Kyle Orton(notes).

Orton passed for a season-low 173 yards and two interceptions last week.

“I know that’s a popular belief,” Fox said, “but there’s a lot of people in
our building that understand quarterback play, and right now Kyle, in our
opinion, gives us the best chance.”

Orton was 3-1 against the Packers with Chicago, but didn’t put up flashy
numbers, completing 49.4 percent of his passes for 447 yards with two touchdowns
and three interceptions.

While Green Bay certainly doesn’t have any concerns about who is under
center, two other key players on offense won’t be available.

Right tackle Bryan Bulaga(notes) sprained and bruised his knee last week, running
back Ryan Grant(notes) bruised a kidney against the Bears and both players have been
ruled out of this game.

James Starks(notes) had been splitting carries with Grant but now will shoulder the
workload, while Marshall Newhouse(notes) will get his first start in place of Bulaga.

With those injuries, Green Bay’s running game could have trouble against a
Denver team that’s held its last two opponents to a combined 110 rushing yards.
The Broncos shut down three-time Pro Bowler Chris Johnson last week, holding him
to 21 yards on 13 carries.

The Packers put together a similar effort last week, limiting the Bears to
13 yards on 12 attempts – tied for the fourth-fewest rushing yards allowed in
franchise history. Green Bay, which has won 12 of 13 at Lambeau Field, is
allowing just 55.0 yards per game on the ground – No. 1 in the league.

Denver is 28th in the league in rushing, averaging 76.0 yards, and McGahee
got the start last week with Knowshon Moreno(notes) out with a hamstring injury. Moreno
participated in practice Wednesday, a good sign he may be ready to return
Sunday.

The Packers have won two of the last three regular-season meetings with
Denver since losing Super Bowl XXXII, and are 4-0-1 all-time against the Broncos
in Wisconsin.

In the last meeting on Oct. 29, 2007, Green Bay won 19-13 on an 82-yard Greg
Jennings(notes) touchdown reception on the first play from scrimmage in overtime.

By Russ Oates

– Senior Editor

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Sep 28, 2011 – The Denver Broncos will be on the road this Sunday to face the Green Bay Packers in historic Lambeau Field. It’s not going to be a banner day for the players or their fantasy football owners. Looking at ESPN’s fantasy football projections for Week 4, only Brandon Lloyd is expected to go over 10 points. But even that might be a stretch. Let’s break down the roster positions again:

QB: A year ago, Kyle Orton was enjoying a great start to the season in Josh McDaniels’ pass-happy offense. He had just thrown 476 yards against the Colts and was in the middle of a four-game streak of throwing for over 300 yards. One year later, Orton is still throwing for touchdowns, but he’s failed to pass for over 200 yards in the last two games.

Still, he faces a Packers team that is 31st against the pass this season. Drew Brees and Cam Newton threw for over 400 yards against the Packers while Jay Cutler went for over 300. Will Orton follow in their footsteps? If you play in a two quarterback league, START him as your secondary. Otherwise, SIT since he likely wasn’t your starter before this week.

RB: Willis McGahee was brought in to help shore up a red zone/goal line offense that needed improvement. It looked like McGahee had brought that against the Bengals, but then he failed to put the ball into the end zone in those situations. We can say all we want about the fourth down call, but McGahee failed to put it into end zone on the previous two plays, as well. He struggled to reach 50 yards in the game.

Knowshon Moreno was active last week, but was only going to play in an emergency. His hamstring should allow him to play this week, but will he be the hot hand that Fox will go to during the game? Both Moreno and McGahee are risky starts against a rush defense that has allowed a league-best 55 yards a game on the ground. SIT McGahee and Moreno

WR: Brandon Lloyd was back, but he didn’t look quite like his old self. Eric Decker received plenty of targets and had seven catches. The 48 yards could have been improved, but it shows that Lloyd isn’t the only option when healthy. If one feels confident that Orton is going to shred the Packers’ secondary like other quarterbacks have this season, START Decker and Lloyd.

TE: Daniel Fells continues to pick up a catch or two, but he’s not a fantasy factor.

K: Matt Prater is also not a fantasy factor, except in the deepest of leagues.

DEF: Aaron Rodgers is the opposing quarterback, and even if Champ Bailey is back. He might be a tad rusty. But I’m not sure why the Broncos’ defense would have started in other weeks. SIT

For more on the Broncos, visit Mile High Report. For more fantasy football, check out SB Nation Fantasy.

Read More: Brandon Lloyd (WR – DEN), Willis McGahee (RB – DEN), Jay Cutler (QB – CHI), Kyle Orton (QB – DEN), Knowshon Moreno (RB – DEN), Eric Decker (WR – DEN), Denver Broncos, Denver Broncos at Green Bay Packers, Oct 2, 2011 2:15 PM MDT

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Updated Sep 23, 2011 5:37 PM ET

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 – out.

Julius Thomas – out.

Elvis Dumervil – 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 and Champ Bailey, 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 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 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 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 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 is the franchise’s leader in field goal percentage, hitting 74 of 91 of his attempts (81.3 percent) for Denver.

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.

Julius Thomas — out.

Elvis Dumervil — 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 and Champ Bailey, 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 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 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 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 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 is the franchise’s leader in field goal percentage, hitting 74 of 91 of his attempts (81.3 percent) for Denver.

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

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.

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

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – The Denver Broncos sorely needed a tight end and they were fortunate to find one who already knows the playbook and the coaching staff.

Fifth-year pro Dante Rosario re-signed with the Broncos on Thursday, 48 hours after being waived by the Miami Dolphins, who had scooped him up when Denver cut him earlier this month.

“I’ve been here in training camp and I know the playbook, and I should be able to jump back in pretty easily,” Rosario said.

Rosario was in Detroit on Wednesday night for a tryout when the Broncos called his agent “and said that they wanted me to play this weekend,” Rosario said.

Rosario was a casualty of Denver’s final roster reduction Sept. 3.

“He did a nice job in camp here,” offensive co-ordinator Mike McCoy said. “And we had a bunch of tight ends in camp, so his opportunities were limited throughout training camp, but having worked with him before in Carolina, both myself and John (Fox) … we know what type of player he is, so it was easy once he was out there. With our current situation, it was easy to grab him.”

The Broncos needed another tight end after losing rookie Julius Thomas to a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over Cincinnati. Thomas hasn’t practiced all week and could be out a while.

To make room for Rosario, the Broncos waived rookie linebacker Mike Mohamed.

Rosario has played in 64 games in his career with 82 catches for 894 yards and four touchdowns. He spent his first four seasons in Carolina but has moved three times since August.

“I feel like I’m travelling more than anybody else in the United States right now,” Rosario said. “I lived out of the hotel in Miami and I’ll probably do the same thing here. It’s difficult, I’m not going to lie.”

Rosario said he knows he might very well be checking out of that hotel soon and catching a flight to yet another city.

“I’m OK with that. For me, it’s just about playing; it’s getting the opportunity. If I end up here, that would be great; Denver’s where I wanted to be from the beginning,” Rosario said.

Thomas is one of four players who hasn’t practiced this week and isn’t expected to play Sunday at Tennessee.

Receiver Brandon Lloyd (groin) participated in Thursday’s workout and defensive end Elvis Dumervil (shoulder), tailback Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and linebacker D.J. Williams (elbow) were limited, although their availability is unknown.

Cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring) sat out again Thursday and didn’t seem too optimistic about his chances of playing against the Titans.

“It’s one of those things if I’m not going full speed a couple days before then I’m probably not going to go full speed two days later,” Bailey said. “I’ve got to be smart about it, for one. I don’t want it to linger throughout the season and make it hard for me to play every week.”

Moreno has dealt with hamstring issues the last two seasons and he isn’t pushing it yet, either.

“It’s just like any injury. You’ve got to ease your way back into things,” Moreno said. “It’s tough to go out there and go full speed because you don’t want to go out there and re-aggravate it.”

Willis McGahee ran for 101 yards on 28 carries in Moreno’s place last week.

___

Connect with AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton at http://twitter.com/arniestapleton

By Russ Oates

– Senior Editor

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Sep 20, 2011 – On Tuesday afternoon, the Denver Broncos announced three roster moves. First, wide receiver Quan Cosby was signed to active roster. In order to clear roster space for him, running back Jeremiah Johnson was waived. The other move was the addition of tight end John Nalbone to the practice squad.

Cosby played in 32 games for the Cincinnati Bengals over the last two seasons, but he was let go during the final cuts and waiver wire process. He was used more as a punt and kick returner than as a receiver, but he will likely wind up playing in the slot for the Broncos. At 28, Cosby got a late in football because he played minor league baseball for several years.

Johnson joined the Broncos’ active roster last week after it was clear that Knowshon Moreno was not going to play. However, it now appears that Moreno has a better chance at playing this week with this move.

Nalbone was a fifth-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2009, but his only NFL action came in two games during the 2010 season. The Broncos are down to two wide receivers following Julius Thomas’ injury, but adding another tight end to the roster is not in the air right now.

For more on the Broncos, visit Mile High Report.

Read More: John Nalbone (TE – CIN), Quan Cosby (WR – DEN), Jeremiah Johnson (RB – DEN), Denver Broncos

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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.

Read More: Brandon Lloyd (WR – DEN), Willis McGahee (RB – DEN), Champ Bailey (CB – DEN), Elvis Dumervil (DE – DEN), Jonathan Wilhite (DB – DEN), Lance Ball (RB – DEN), Knowshon Moreno (RB – DEN), Cassius Vaughn (CB – DEN), Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd returned to practice today, as the team’s official Twitter feed sent out, but injury news on other fronts don’t look as good. Champ Bailey, Elvis Dumervil and Knowshon Moreno were non-participants in practice for the third day in a row, reports Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post.  All four of these players left Monday’s loss to the Oakland Raiders with issues from hamstrings (Bailey, Moreno) to shoulders (Dumervil) to groins (Lloyd). 

While Kyle Orton appears to have his main target on the sidelines back, the other injuries are cause for alarm. Dumervil missed all of last season with a torn pectoral muscle and there’s no indication on how long his strained shoulder will keep him out. Bailey’s absence would force Cassius Vaughn into the starting lineup opposite Andre Goodman, and Jonathan Wilhite would see increased playing time. Both are many steps below Bailey’s level.

If Moreno is unable to play, Willis McGahee will get his carries, though Lance Ball should also pick up the rock a few times. Moreno was ineffective before he left the game, picking up just 22 yards.

For more on the Broncos, visit Mile High Report. Check out Cincy Jungle for more on the Bengals. And stick with SB Nation NFL for league-wide coverage.

Englewood, Colo. • It’s only the second week of the season and already the Denver Broncos have come up with their motto.

“Next man up.”

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 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.”

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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.”

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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.