NFL teams welcome breaks to heal, recover and decompress. But the body doesn’t always cooperate. The Broncos returned to practice Monday after a three-day layoff missing two starters, left guard Orlando Franklin and defensive tackle Derek Wolfe.
Both sat out with illnesses.
The Broncos face the New England Patriots on the road Sunday, a pivotal game in determining home-field advantage in the playoffs. Recovered fully from a neck injury suffered last season, Wolfe has played in 326 snaps this year, grading out among the team’s top run defenders in three of the past four weeks. He posted a half-sack in .
Franklin moved from tackle to left guard this season. Like the rest of the offensive line, he has turned in solid performances during the four-game winning streak as the Broncos re-established their running game behind Ronnie Hillman.
The Sunday hype began in earnest in Boston as the Patriots demolished the Bears, opening a 38-7 halftime lead. Tom Brady finished with five touchdowns, including three to tight end Rob Gronkowski.
“There’s nothing (Brady) does that surprises me,” coach John Fox said. “At the end of the day, they (Peyton Manning and Brady) have had some great battles. That will get a lot of publicity. But it’s a team game, and about Broncos versus Patriots. It’s going to be a huge test.”
The Broncos have struggled to win at New England, where Manning is 2-8 in his career. Only half-joking, Fox has asked why the Broncos travel to New England every season.
“I was reassured that it will flip in the future. When exactly that is, I am not sure. I am kind of a one-week-at-a-time guy, so I don’t want to confuse myself,” Fox said.
Told that the Broncos should host the Patriots next season, Fox said, “I like the way you are thinking.”
Footnotes. Defensive back Omar Bolden, who had been out with a concussion, returned as partial participant. . … Montee Ball (groin) and Steven Johnson (ankle) worked out and continued to make progress.
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck
