The question for the Broncos since Ron Dayne ran them to a Thanksgiving victory at Dallas was how Dayne will fit in the rest of the season.
How much he plays Sunday at Kansas City remains to be seen, but expect him to play.
“I’m not sure if Ron will get 10 carries, 15 or get two, but when he does play, hopefully he plays at the level he did against Dallas,” Denver coach Mike Shanahan said Wednesday.
Against the Cowboys, Dayne set up the winning field goal by Jason Elam with a 55-yard run on the second play of overtime. Dayne ran for 98 yards on seven carries.
Starter Mike Anderson and backup Tatum Bell also will get carries against Kansas City. Bell’s playing time could depend on his health. He missed the Dallas game because of a bruised chest. Bell practiced Wednesday and is listed as probable on the injury report. He said he definitely will play against the Chiefs.
“If Tatum is healthy, it would be hard to say that we are not going to put him back in there,” quarterback Jake Plummer said. “Ron did a great job for us when we needed him, and I think he knows his role on this team and is ready if he is called upon to come in here and do it again.”
Staying hungry
In Kansas City, talk is the Broncos’ visit to Arrowhead Stadium is like a playoff game the Chiefs (7-4) can’t afford to lose.
In Denver, the game is considered a step toward the Broncos’ first AFC West championship since 1998. The Broncos (9-2) lead Kansas City and San Diego by two games in the division and have the second-best record in the AFC, behind Indianapolis (11-0).
If Denver wins four of its final five games, it will win the division regardless of what the Chiefs or Chargers do.
San Diego plays at Kansas City on Dec. 24.
“The best thing we can do is keep on stacking victories,” Broncos safety John Lynch said. “We’ve been so week-to-week here and so focused, and it is helping us.”
Raiders release Walls
Veteran cornerback Lenny Walls was released by the Raiders on Wednesday after failing a physical. Walls had been claimed off waivers by Oakland on Tuesday.
On Monday, Walls passed a physical for the Broncos and was released. If the Raiders had not released Walls, they would have had to pay his salary while he heals. Walls said Tuesday he still was a week or so from being healthy. He suffered a strained groin Oct. 23 against the Giants and and was put on injured reserve Nov. 1.
Walls likely will sign as a free agent once he is healthy, and Oakland still could be his landing spot.
Footnotes
Shanahan will auction off a 2003 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, along with two helmets, with all proceeds going to Hurricane Katrina victims. Bidding will begin Dec. 13 and run through Dec. 23 on eBay and can be accessed through DenverBroncos.com. Bidding will start at $20,000. The motorcycle is autographed by every member of the 2005 Broncos, Shanahan and owner Pat Bowlen. … The availability of linebacker Keith Burns (knee) and offensive tackle Cornell Green (shoulder) for Sunday’s game still is in question.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
