ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley is aching to return after missing the New England game with a concussion.
“It’s really painful not to be out there playing with your teammates,” Stokley said Wednesday. “Win or lose, it is painful when you’re not out there because you feel like you can help the team, and when you’re not out there it hurts.”
He suffered a concussion on Oct. 12 while making his first of three catches against Jacksonville. Stokley was inactive a week later in a 41-7 loss at New England.
“I don’t know if I could have helped,” Stokley said. “I just think as an offense we didn’t do very well, but hopefully, this week, I can come back and make some plays for us.”
Stokley used the team’s bye week to continue his progression to get back on the field. He has worked out on a stationary bike on a treadmill.
He practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, running pass routes and joking with teammates.
“I’m feeling a lot better,” he said.
Good enough to play Sunday against Miami?
“Keep your eyes tuned to see,” Stokley said, grinning.
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No HOMETOWN TEAM: Defensive end Elvis Dumervil grew up in Miami. He went to Jackson High school before moving on to the University of Louisville.
Naturally, you would think the third-year player was a Miami Dolphins fan as a youth.
Not so much.
“Growing up as a kid, I was not a Dolphin fan,” Dumervil said. “Football is not that big. The only thing that was kind of big was UM.”
That would be the University of Miami.
“Professional sports is not that big, especially with so many different nationalities and people into other things,” Dumervil said. “It’s not like Denver.”
Dumervil figures to be involved in one of the more intriguing matchups on Sunday when he lines up against Miami’s Jake Long, the NFL’s No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft.
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PORTER MAKING AN IMPACT: Joey Porter made an impact locally as a collegiate player at Colorado State, enough to have the football locker room at Moby Arena named after him.
The 10-year pro did the same in eight seasons as a linebacker with Pittsburgh. He continues that trend now in his second year with Miami.
“He is one of the guys that we count on to get pressure on the passer,” Miami coach Tony Sparano said. “He’s a veteran player that understands how people are going to block him and slide protection to him or chip him or do some of those things. He knows what he’s going to see during the course of ball games.”
Porter leads the NFL with 10 1/2 sacks. He’s had 9 1/2 in the last five games and has done it despite seeing two blockers.
“This guy’s motor is pretty good when he’s out there and he’s been able to be effective that way,” Sparano said.
Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler will definitely keep his eyes peeled for Porter.
“Absolutely,” Cutler said. “He is kind of taking (Shawne) Merriman’s place from last year being a guy in a 3-4 system that gets a lot of pressure off of the edge.”
