It figures. Just as the Broncos got each of their top three running backs back to practice for the first time in five weeks, they find out they don’t have three receivers.
No. 2 receiver Brandon Stokley sat his second consecutive practice Thursday with a knee strain. No. 3 and formerly No. 1 receiver Javon Walker also was limited in practice Thursday as he continues to struggle in his recovery from knee surgery seven weeks ago.
“Still a little bit sore,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said of Walker. “Not at full speed.”
No. 4 receiver Glenn Martinez has been back at practice, although he missed last week’s game at Oakland with a right ankle injury.
“I told them before the game I was 90 percent and they said, ‘We want you at 100 percent. You’re down,’ ” Martinez said. “If I’d have known that, I would have told him I was 100 percent.”
Croyle or Huard?
Because of their quick turnaround next week when they play Thursday at Houston, Broncos coaches have been working an hour or two longer than usual this week. Not only do they have to take a quick peek at the Texans, the Broncos’ defense may have to come up with two game plans for the game Sunday against Kansas City — one if Damon Huard is the Chiefs quarterback, another for Brodie Croyle.
The two quarterbacks are vastly different. Huard is a veteran who stays in the pocket. Although he is accurate on short to intermediate routes, he is not much of a downfield passer. Croyle is a second-year quarterback with the athleticism to move around. He has an extremely strong arm, but is erratic.
As of practice Thursday, it appeared Croyle, who was sidelined last week with a bruised kidney, would start.
“We’ve played against both, and we’ve been practicing against both,” said Broncos nickel back Karl Paymah. “It’s really going to come down to what we do, read our keys.”
Footnotes
Shanahan said backup safety and special teams leader Nick Ferguson would be “closer to doubtful than questionable” for the game Sunday because of a knee injury.
The Chiefs have turned in 300 tickets for the game Sunday. They can be purchased at .
Inside the lockers of several Broncos players was the No. 21 decal they wore on their helmets last week in tribute to slain Washington safety Sean Taylor.
Mike Klis, The Denver Post
