Wade Phillips is everything his age is not. He is 68 going on 18. He coaches young, emphasizing aggressiveness, attitude,while allowing for individuality within the team scheme. He enjoys Twitter on his @sonofbum account.
He drew attention after last Sunday’s victory when he appeared to be trolling Packers’ fans.
“Chicken Parm tastes so good-I like it especially with Cheese,” Phillips posted Monday. He coached the Packers general manager Ted Thompson, respects their organization. So what was behind the tweet?
“I try to be lighthearted about it,” Phillips said Thursday. “I never want to offend anyone. Evidently, some of the Packers’ fans took it really the wrong way. All I said was cheese. I try to give our fans a little insight sometimes or say, ‘Hey we caged the Lions,’ or something clever like that. Sometimes it’s not always clever.”
Hillman remains starter
Ronnie Hillman suffered a thigh bruise in Sunday’s victory, limiting him to 60 yards on 19 carries. He will start against the Colts, but will continue to split time with C.J. Anderson. Anderson rushed for a season-high 101 yards against the Packers.
“They’re both going to see the ball,” offensive coordinator Rick Dennison said.
Fully capable
Denver’s James Ferentz stands 6-foot-2, weighs 285 pounds. He’s a tree stump of muscle. And he’s from Iowa, so of course he wrestled in high school. He serves as the backup center and sometimes fullback, embracing one-on-one matchups.
“I played it in junior high, so I have some experience,” Ferentz said of playing fullback.
He helped Hillman to a 1-yard touchdown run with a textbook block from the fullback position on Green Bay’s 337-pound defensive tackle B.J. Raji.
“He’s a big man,” Ferentz said.
Norwood returns
Slot receiver Jordan Norwood can be excused for his head spinning. He’s working to return to full practice after a hamstring injury, and spent Tuesday at the hospital where his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child, Franni Grace Norwood.
“It was surreal,” Norwood said.
Footnotes
Shaquil Barrett (toe) returned to practice, but was limited. He’s expected to be a full participant on Friday. … The Broncos won’t overlook the Colts, not after they knocked them out of the playoffs last season. “When you think about this game, you’re going into a hornet’s nest. We know how good they are at home,” linebacker DeMarcus Ware said.
