ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Broncos right guard Chris Kuper got his left hand stuck in a facemask against Carolina, fracturing a finger in the fourth quarter and leaving the game. Rookie left tackle Ryan Clady twisted his ankle on the final play.
Just like that, an offensive line that hadn’t missed a snap before a 30-10 loss Sunday, is dinged up.
Kuper and Clady both missed practice Wednesday, but each claimed they’ll be ready to play Sunday against Buffalo.
“Just precautionary,” Clady said as he made his way to a team meeting.
“I want to play,” Kuper said.
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan isn’t so convinced.
“We’ll just kind of have to wait and see,” he said.
The line entered the game having allowed just eight sacks all season. But the Panthers broke through, sacking Jay Cutler three times.
Still, they’re on pace to break a franchise record for fewest sacks allowed in a season (15 in 2004).
Cutler is certainly hoping Kuper and Clady are fast healers.
“We’ll see how they are at the end of the week, evaluate them and hopefully we can have them,” he said.
Kuper could be fitted for a club cast to protect his dinged-up digit. He wore a similar cast on his right hand in the preseason.
Not that he’s excited to wear a cast again.
“It makes a difference. Part of the staple of every lineman’s game is to have hands to grab and push,” Kuper said. “But that’s how it goes.”
Kuper and Clady weren’t the only players to miss practice Wednesday as Brandon Stokley (foot) and Vernon Fox (concussion) also sat out. Champ Bailey, who’s missed the last seven games with a groin injury, suited up on a limited basis.
Shanahan said Bailey is looking better, a positive sign for the eight-time Pro Bowler.
“Champ knows if he can go,” Shanahan said. “He is very competitive. He is not a guy that you have to tell to go. He is a guy that wants to go before you tell him.”
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BOWL SUCCESS:@ Bills coach Dick Jauron isn’t surprised that Colorado State is bowl bound in Steve Fairchild’s first season taking over the program.
Jauron thinks that highly of his former offensive coordinator.
Fairchild bolted from the Bills after last season to take over a program where he was once a player and coach.
The Rams play Fresno State in the New Mexico Bowl on Saturday.
“I’m really happy for him,” Jauron said. “It’s just great that he got the opportunity.”
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STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS:@ The last time the Broncos needed to beat an underdog to get to the playoffs came in the season finale two years ago, when the San Francisco 49ers upset Denver 26-23 in overtime.
What does Mike Shanahan remember about that game?
“Four turnovers, and a fumble that we had there that shouldn’t have been a fumble that was a mistake by the officials. Yeah, I remember that quite well,” Shanahan said.
Can he be fined for criticizing an official’s call two years after the fact?
“I don’t think so,” Shanahan said through a smile. “We’ll find out.”
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COLD WEATHER:@ With temperatures expected in the single digits Sunday, Shanahan joked that it wasn’t his players he was worried about but the scribes and his assistant coaches.
“Our players will be fine. We get used to it. The hot chocolate will get a little bit cold, the hot dogs up in the press box will get a little bit cold, but I’m sure our coaches will fight through it, as well as you guys,” Shanahan told a roomful of reporters.
“I think it’s dealing with the elements. It’s part of the game. I don’t care of it’s rain, snow. It’s how you handle things. It’s more mental than it is physical. If you say you hate the cold and you don’t want to be out there, it’s miserable. If you’re saying, ‘I’m going to handle it better than the opposing team,’ the chances are you’re going to handle it better than the opposing team,” Shanahan said.
He couldn’t resist getting in one more crack, either.
“Buffalo is not used to cold weather, so we’ve got a big advantage,” he said.
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LOOKING AHEAD:@ If the Broncos clinch a playoff berth this weekend, what will they do for their season finale at San Diego, which would be rendered meaningless?
Would they use the time to rest some of their ailing players? Or would they use it to get some of those players back up to game speed?
“Let’s hopefully have that conversation next week and I’m hoping I can actually answer that question honestly,” Shanahan said. “But, we’re going to play to win all of our games, regardless what the scenario is. Hopefully we can take care of business this weekend, but regardless what happens, we will play to win a football game.”
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FIRST DOWNS:@ Shanahan can pass former Buffalo coach Marv Levy for sole possession of 15th place in career wins Sunday. Both currently have 154 victories. … The Broncos re-signed safety Herana-Daze Jones to their roster Wednesday, replacing running back Cory Boyd, who was released earlier in the week but re-signed to their practice squad. The team released running back Steve Baylark from its practice squad.
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AP Sports Writer Arnie Stapleton contributed to this report.
