NFL Capsules - AFC: Ray Lewis: Jets have 'no excuses' with Revis
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Ray Lewis is thrilled Darrelle Revis is back with the New York Jets.
This way, the Baltimore linebacker says, the Ravens won't have to hear any nonsense if they beat them Monday night.
"I'm just glad he is signed, so there are no excuses," Lewis said in a conference call with New York media Thursday. "Don't come and say, 'Oh, we didn't have Revis.' Have everybody you need to have. ... Stack your deck and let's play football."
Game on!
"If you need to put it in your locker room," Jets coach Rex Ryan said, "then go for it."
Revis signed a four-year deal Monday, ending his 36-day holdout and rejoining his Jets teammates. He will be on the field against the Ravens when the Jets play their first regular-season game at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
"I'd just tell Ray that that's a good quote and we'll see him Monday night," Revis said with a huge smile. "And, he can't do his dance, either, because it isn't his home turf. Just tell him that."
Ryan coached Lewis for several years as an assistant with the Ravens, and they won a Super Bowl together in 2001. Ryan jokingly said Tuesday that maybe he'd spell Revis to give Baltimore "hope that he's not out there."
"The only hope I'm looking for is in God," Lewis said. "That's it. I don't look for any hope (elsewhere). Darrelle Revis puts his pants on one leg at a time. He's not a machine. He's a simple man, and he has to deal with everything that we're willing to bring to the table."
Revis was a full participant at practice Thursday, with Ryan taking him out just for a few plays.
"Hopefully, his 36-day layoff didn't hurt him," Lewis said. "When you talk about giving us hope, we don't need hope. You all bring your own hope. We have enough hope over here. We're packing our bags. We're not packing our bags to play water polo. We're packing our bags to come play football."
Ryan, who was close to Lewis and even tried to recruit him to come to the Jets when he became coach, was amused by the comments.
"Ray was the most inspirational player that I've ever had the honor of coaching," Ryan said. "Guy's an amazing guy. He's all-in. It's team, and his team only, and that's all he cares about. That's the way it should be. He's going to be going up against a team this week that, trust me, we don't care about them, either. It's going to be a no-holds-barred match."
Lewis has heard a lot of what Ryan has said in the last several months — all the big talk about winning a Super Bowl and having the best defense in the league again.
"The only danger it can be is writing a check that you can't cash," Lewis said. "Rex can talk all he wants to. Rex isn't putting on pads, so that's pressure on his players. If it's pressure and his players respond to that, then let them respond."
Ryan said everyone's "fortunate" that he's not in pads — something that he agrees with Lewis on. But, he doesn't think his confidence makes his players targets.
"My players haven't made those comments, I've made those comments," Ryan said. "So, the pressure is on me, not on our players. ... If you want to win it, you ought to be man enough to stand up there and say, 'We expect to win.' And, I've got news for you: We expect to win this week, next week and every week."
A lot of the Jets' success rides on the right arm of quarterback Mark Sanchez, who threw 12 touchdown passes, but also was intercepted 20 times as a rookie. Lewis knows the game plan is to shut down the running game and force Sanchez to make plays.
"All we have to do is look at the film," Lewis said. "He struggles a lot when he has to throw the ball a lot. That's just not his forte. It's not their team's thing."
All that said, Lewis and Ryan share a mutual respect — but they'll put aside their friendship when they kick things off Monday night.
"We understand that Rex had a long career here and we understand what Rex represents, but now Rex is with the Jets," Lewis said. "The Ravens are the Ravens, and we will continue to be the Ravens. I just think everybody is excited.
"Rex wants to win bad, but at the same time, we want to win bad, too."
NOTES: On the Jets' first injury report of the season, linebacker Calvin Pace is officially listed as out, as expected, with a broken right foot. Safety Brodney Pool did not participate in practice with a sprained ankle, while defensive end Shaun Ellis (knee) was limited. ... Ryan confirmed that the Jets brought back quarterback Kevin O'Connell, who'll be placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. O'Connell was waived on Aug. 31.
Ravens' well-rested Rice looks forward to Jets
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Ray Rice was hardly even bruised during the preseason as the Baltimore Ravens preserved their all-purpose running back for the regular season.
The Pro Bowl runner only touched the football 13 times during the preseason, rushing eight times for 30 yards and catching five passes for 56 yards.
Now, a well-rested Rice figures to be heavily involved as the Ravens prepare for Monday night's season opener against the New York Jets.
"I feel great," he said. "It's the best I've ever felt. Our training camp was physical. It felt good to get tackled during training camp by our guys. You don't necessarily want to be tackled by another team, but I feel fresh going into this game. It feels great to know that you got your workload in camp, but now you're ready to play the regular season."
The former Rutgers star rushed for a career-high 1,339 yards in his second NFL season. He also caught 78 passes for 702 yards. Only Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson ranked ahead of Rice's 2,041 all-purpose yards from scrimmage.
The game means a little bit more to him because it will be held near his hometown of New Rochelle, N.Y. He says he has requested 35 to 40 tickets for friends and family for the game at the new Meadowlands stadium.
"It's a new stadium, my family is up there and I'm trying to get my high school coaches to come," he said. "I'm trying to make it a special event."
The Ravens aren't worried about Rice being rusty. They've seen him enough in practice to be convinced that the 5-foot8, 212-pounder is ready for another big season.
"Hopefully, he'll come out ready to go," quarterback Joe Flacco said. "You know what Ray can do, so I expect him to come out and do all that — have some good carries, be effective first in the pass game."
But the Jets are the league's reigning top-ranked defense from last season, featuring a strong front seven anchored by nose guard Kris Jenkins and inside linebackers David Harris and Bart Scott.
"We both play that physical game," Rice said. "It's going to be who out-executes each other. I don't think it's going to be a first-quarter knockout. I want the game to go four quarters. That way, our true testament and will, will come out."
Steelers hope offense takes off with Dixon at QB
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Hines Ward believes Dennis Dixon must run. Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians warns he'd better not run too much.
Coach Mike Tomlin wants Dixon to take advantage of his ability to move the ball by himself, but to do so smartly.
Dixon's running skills add a different dimension to the Steelers' offense for their season-opening game Sunday against Atlanta, one that even the suspended Ben Roethlisberger can't match at quarterback.
Still, the Steelers themselves can't seem to agree on how much running for a quarterback is too much.
"Let Dennis be Dennis, that's all we ask for," said Ward, the Steelers' career receptions leader. "If the protection breaks down and he's unsure about the coverage, take off, run. I like the ball in Dennis' hands when he's running. Good things happen."
Before he knew Dixon would be the opening game starter, Arians decided against drawing up an expansive set of such plays for Dixon because he said no NFL quarterback could stand up long to the punishment.
"If he's your starter, you're not going to expose him to running the football because they're going to break him up," Arians said during training camp. "That wildcat stuff, you can forget about that if he's the starter. He wouldn't last two ballgames."
Arians's reluctance to expose a quarterback to such pounding is one reason why the Steelers didn't feature Dixon last season in a wildcat-type formation, one that resembles the old-style single wing offense because the ball is snapped to a back who can either run or pass. They did have a package of plays designed for Dixon if the now-injured Byron Leftwich had started this season, but not all were running plays.
Ward remembers the indecision that Dixon's running skills caused Baltimore's defense last season during the quarterback's one and only NFL start to date. Ward believes Dixon won't be reluctant to abandon the pocket if a play breaks down against Atlanta.
"One thing he adds that you can't coach is athleticism, speed," Ward said. "A lot of defensive coordinators, when a quarterback utilizes his legs the way Dennis does, it changes your whole game plan. Some teams might blitz him, and some might sit back to see if he can read coverages. You really don't know how to play us."
Early in the preseason, Arians felt Dixon was too eager to take off running because he was ignoring open receivers downfield. Likewise, the Steelers don't want to take away the one skill that separates Dixon from most NFL quarterbacks.
"We just want him to do what comes natural," Tomlin said. "I think if you give him too much instruction, then it's not going to be natural. It's not going to be fluid. It's not going to be comfortable. And those are the things I want his performance to be."
No doubt the Steelers are hoping the Falcons focus too much attention on Dixon's scrambling ability and ignore his throwing skills. The former Oregon quarterback completed 71.9 percent of his preseason attempts (23 of 32, 327 yards) and threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes during that 20-17 overtime loss at Baltimore last season. Dixon started that game because Roethlisberger had a concussion.
Ward said the Steelers substantially cut down their playbook for the Ravens game, and called one passing play multiple times because Dixon was comfortable with it.
"I can never remember us calling the same play six or seven times," Ward said.
Such hand-holding isn't needed now, Dixon said.
"The playbook is totally wide open," Dixon said. "It all depends on what B.A. (Arians) is trying to attack at any given moment. Regardless if it's a run or a pass, I can be a threat on both of them. When he calls it, I have to execute it."
Dixon also believes Arians will call running plays for him.
"I have to manage the game, regardless of if it's a run or a pass," he said. "I want to be able to be effective. I don't have to take control of the whole game. I have a lot of playmakers out there."
-- Alan Robinson
Business as usual as Brady practices after crash
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady went through his usual stretching. Then he threw passes.
Less than seven hours after being involved in a two-car crash near his home in Boston's Back Bay on Thursday, all appeared normal as Brady practiced with the New England Patriots for Sunday's season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The star quarterback lay on his back on the field, his hands under his helmet. He raised his left leg high, then did the same with his right leg. Then the two-time Super Bowl MVP stood up and ran about 40 yards to one end of the field and began throwing.
There were eight high lobs to receivers running along the right side, then eight to the left. Then he tossed eight soft liners to the right and did the same to the left.
"I was hoping, obviously, that he was OK," outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said. "I saw him walking in. He had a smile on his face, no abrasions, so I think he's fine."
Brady participated in a walkthrough practice at 10:45 a.m., about hour hours after the crash. Then he was on the field with his teammates, all in full uniform, for the full practice shortly after 1 p.m. During the 11-minute media access period, he went through his usual activities.
Players were told by coach Bill Belichick that Brady might be late because of the accident but "he didn't make it seem like it was anything serious," Banta-Cain said.
A passenger in the other vehicle involved in the crash went to a hospital with injuries that were serious but not considered life-threatening, officials said.
"Your thoughts go, 'I hope he (Brady) is OK and everybody involved is OK,'" center Dan Koppen said, "and once you find out everybody is OK, you just move on from there."
Brady is coming off an outstanding season in which he threw for 4,398 yards, second most in his career. His 28 touchdown passes tied for second. In 2008, he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener. He played late last season with finger and rib injuries but appeared healthy and was very productive during the preseason.
"We're all preparing like we have been all week," tight end Rob Gronkowski said. "He's fine, which we're all thankful for."
The accident sent many reporters who usually don't cover the Patriots to Gillette Stadium. Brady, who only speaks to the media on Wednesdays, wasn't in the locker room during the 45 minutes in which reporters and cameras were allowed inside. Belichick had no news conference scheduled for Thursday and didn't address the crash publicly.
"He's here. He's ready to go," tight end Alge Crumpler said before the afternoon practice. "I think everybody's worried outside this locker room, but I wouldn't be worried about it."
Brady is in the last season of a six-year, $57.3 million contract and would like a new deal before Sunday's opener.
On Wednesday, he was asked whether, assuming a new contract is finalized, he's excited about playing for the Patriots for a long time.
"I don't assume anything anymore in life. I don't think anything's really guaranteed to us beyond what we have today," Brady answered.
-- Howard Ulman
Nolan ready to unveil Dolphins' revamped defense
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — The man who knows the Miami Dolphins' defense best says he's unsure what he'll see in the season opener.
Under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, the Dolphins will unveil a revamped lineup and more aggressive scheme Sunday at Buffalo. Miami may have new starters at nine positions, with end Kendall Langford and strong safety Yeremiah Bell the only certain holdovers from last year.
All the changes have Nolan wondering how good his unit will be.
"I really don't know," he said Thursday. "The important thing is that wherever we start, we keep getting better. That's what good defenses do."
Miami's defense regressed last year, which prompted the shakeup. The Dolphins gave up 349 yards per game, their worst average since 1989, and collapsed in the final three games.
Defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni was replaced by Nolan, who has been a coordinator for five other NFL teams, including Denver last year. The Dolphins parted with thirtysomethings Joey Porter, Jason Taylor and Jason Ferguson, and devoted seven of the team's eight draft choices to defense, including top picks Jared Odrick and Koa Misi.
Randy Starks moved from end to nose tackle, and Ikaika Alama-Francis moved from end to linebacker. Beyond the personnel changes, veteran linebacker Channing Crowder has been sidelined since Aug. 17 because of a groin injury and may miss the opener.
Odrick will start at end and Misi will see significant action at outside linebacker, while three other starters — linebacker Cameron Wake, cornerback Vontae Davis and safety Chris Clemons — are second-year pros. Nolan acknowledges his young players face a learning curve.
"You're not going to give them the experience until they have it," Nolan said. "They're going to make mistakes. All of them make mistakes. That's the game."
Change is not as dramatic on the offensive side, where there are three newcomers — Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall and guards Richie Incognito and John Jerry.
Still, that's enough new faces to leave offensive coordinator Dan Henning uncertain about how quickly his unit will mesh.
"Concerned? Confident? I'm both of those things," Henning said. "I like our people. There's a new mixture. We've changed offensive linemen, we've changed receivers. The concern is we don't have the same synergy. You hope you have it, but you don't know.
"If we get in a rhythm and it's what I think it can be, we're in pretty good shape. If we don't get in a rhythm, then that's where I get concerned."
This will be the 31st NFL season for Henning, who was a head coach for Atlanta and San Diego. He has been with the Dolphins since the first year of the Bill Parcells regime in 2008.
Nolan was San Francisco's head coach in 2005-08, and his father, Dick, spent 11 years as an NFL head coach.
"I'm fortunate that both my coordinators have been head coaches in this league," coach Tony Sparano said. "It's good for me to be able to bounce things off them."
Sparano's staff has decided turnover differential will be the biggest key to beating Buffalo, and the Dolphins are looking for improvement in that area from the defense. Their 21 takeaways last year tied for fifth-fewest in the league.
Nolan has tweaked the 3-4 defense Miami played last year, introducing more blitzing and allowing players more freedom. One goal with the changes is to force more mistakes by the offense.
Nolan kept the scheme mostly under wraps through four exhibition games, and said his players are still getting comfortable with it.
"It's an ongoing process," he said. "It's always that way when you're starting out: They have to learn the language. You practice scheme all week; it's about plays all week. And it's about players when the game comes around.
"It really comes down to the players. That's what you get excited about. Good players will overcome bad situations sometimes and make you look like you're doing a pretty good job of calling a game."
-- Steven Wine
C Grove released by Dolphins
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Bill Parcells skipped practice Thursday, and instead could be seen standing by his car at the Miami Dolphins' complex, holding a golf club and practicing his swing.
Meanwhile, the team's surprising personnel moves continued. The Dolphins terminated the contract of center Jake Grove, meaning Joe Berger will start in the opener Sunday at Buffalo.
The shake-up in the middle of the offensive line came two days after the Dolphins announced Parcells was stepping back into a consulting role and turning over the operation of the team to general manager Jeff Ireland.
Last year the Dolphins gave Grove a multiyear deal that included at least $14 million guaranteed. Grove nursed shoulder and knee injuries during the preseason and missed four games last season.
But Coach Tony Sparano said finances weren't a factor in his departure, nor were his injury-prone history.
"He got beat out," Sparano said. "Joe's a little bit more physical at the point of attack. He has been the most consistent at the position."
To give themselves more flexibility up front, the Dolphins re-signed offensive lineman Cory Procter, who had been released last week. Procter can play guard or center, while Grove is strictly a center.
The Dolphins have added eight players since Saturday, an unusual flurry of activity so close to the start of the season. They've parted with several key 2009 acquisitions in recent days, including second-round draft pick Pat White and third-round pick Patrick Turner.
Linebacker Channing Crowder (groin) again missed practice Thursday, and tackle Jake Long (left knee) was limited. Receiver Brandon Marshall (ankle) was added to the injury report but fully participated.
-- Steven Wine
Browns' big man back
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Veering to the middle of Cleveland's locker room, which was buzzing as players dressed for practice, nose tackle Shaun Rogers leaned most of his humongous frame on an industrial fan serving as his temporary podium.
Impressive fan. Imposing man.
Arguably Cleveland's best player and easily it's most dominant, Rogers, the Browns' bigger-than-big man returned to practice this week after sitting out training camp with a leg injury that cost him the final five games last season. He's not in game shape yet, but he's getting there.
Beware, Buccaneers. You, too, Chiefs, Ravens and others.
"He's 380 pounds and runs like the wind," Browns Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas said. "There aren't many people like that."
In case they had forgotten what a disruptive force Rogers can be to an offense, the 6-foot-3, 350-and-then-some pounder, spent Wednesday's practice tossing Cleveland's linemen around like they were stuffed animals. With Rogers clogging the middle, tying up two blockers at a time, the Browns' first-team offense barely budged the ball.
Evading Mount Rogers ain't easy.
"He was excited. That's the big guy," defensive end Robaire Smith said. "It was great to see him out there. It's too bad he had to throw some of our teammates around before the game."
Before agreeing to speak with reporters Thursday, Rogers had not formally addressed the media in nearly one year. He broke his left leg in a Nov. 29 game at Cincinnati and had surgery, although the team has not commented on the operation of severity of his injury.
Not fully recovered, Rogers was sidelined all summer, relegated to riding a stationary bike as the Browns prepped for the season. On Wednesday, the team practiced inside their field house, which was balmier than usual. Coach Eric Mangini turned up the thermostat to simulate Central Florida's swampy conditions that the Browns will likely encounter on Sunday in Tampa Bay.
Rogers felt the heat.
"Sucking wind," he said.
After backup Ahtyba Rubin played so well while filling in for Rogers late last season, the Browns have kicked around playing them together, with Rubin at nose tackle and Rogers shifted to end in Cleveland's 3-4 scheme. Rogers took all his snaps at nose tackle on Wednesday, but said he's open to moving outside.
"I'll do whatever they ask of me," Rogers said. "It's still a process that we're going through to try and get the best me out there. So, whatever I'm allowed to do (because of the injury) and whatever they think is best, is what we're going to do. If that's what they ask me to do.
"It's D-line. As long as they don't ask me to play wideout, we'll be all right."
Rogers' best hasn't translated into team success during his NFL career.
Losing has a steely grip on him.
In his nine seasons with Detroit and Cleveland, Rogers' record is a combined 40-104 with zero winning seasons. His best year came in 2007, when the Lions went 7-9. The losses have resulted in Rogers being labeled "the best player on bad teams."
He'd like to change that.
"Every year I want to be on a winner," Rogers said before pausing. "It takes an individual — let's see how can I put this so ya'll don't mess this up. Individually, you have to do your part so providing the best me I feel is always the right way to go."
"It's always frustrating to lose, but again, this game builds character in so many forms. All I do is play hard and try to win."
Cleveland's defense actually improved while the 31-year-old Rogers was sidelined last season. With him, the Browns allowed 159 rushing yards per game. Without him, they gave up 110. The drop could be a coincidence or a sign that Cleveland could survive with Rubin at nose tackle.
Asked about Rogers' inside impact, Mangini didn't take long to shift his praise toward Rubin.
"He's got good size and he ties up a lot of blockers as well," Mangini said. "That's what you are looking for from that spot.
Rogers has mentored Rubin, a sixth-round draft pick in 2008 who anchored Cleveland's defense during the season-ending four-game winning streak that saved Mangini's job. During that stretch, the Browns held their opponent under 100 yards three times and allowed just one individual 100-yard rushing performance.
"I'm real proud of him," Rogers said. "We've worked together and I've tried to give him as much knowledge as I can and he's using it and he's done very well."
Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, who came over as a free agent from New Orleans, only heard about Rogers and seen him on tape before lining up behind him at practice.
Fujita was floored.
"For him to come in and do the things he can do with the amount of power he has, it's pretty special," he said.
Alex Mack can attest to that. Cleveland's second-year center cut his teeth working against Rogers, a gifted athlete who can still dunk. Mack said Rogers belongs to a small, elite fraternity of nose tackles along with Kris Jenkins of the New York Jets and Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots.
"You see how big he is and someone who moves as fast as he does, it's hard to stop," Mack said. "A lot of guys are big and run stoppers and other guys are quick. He's kind of both, which makes it way harder to deal with him. He's moving fast, he's heavy.
"He's the best I've ever seen."
-- Tom Withers
McDaniels beefs up O-line with newcomers
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Knowshon Moreno, the first tailback selected in last year's NFL draft, never seemed to find a rhythm as a rookie, failing repeatedly to move the chains in short-yardage situations.
Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels insists it wasn't Moreno's fault.
He defended his first-ever draft pick by suggesting "we had some linemen up front that aren't here anymore that were light, weak, old," an unusually candid criticism of former Broncos Ben Hamilton and Casey Wiegmann, especially considering the Broncos will face both of them this season.
A lot was made of McDaniels beefing up his defensive line with the free agent additions of Jamal Williams, Justin Bannan and Jarvis Green — who was waived last week — but the Broncos also bulked up their offensive line this offseason.
McDaniels drafted guard/tackle Zane Beadles of Utah in the second round and center J.D. Walton of Baylor in the third round. Both are slated to start Sunday at Jacksonville along with guard Stanley Daniels, who was claimed off waivers from Green Bay this year.
Walton and Beadles are both 305 pounds and Daniels is 320.
Hamilton, 33, who signed with Seattle, weighs 290 pounds. Wiegmann, 37, who returned to Kansas City in the offseason, weighs 285.
Both are on the smaller side nowadays as NFL linemen typically top 300 pounds. Both were good fits in the Broncos' old zone-blocking system but not so much in McDaniels' power-based scheme.
McDaniels made his remarks about his former linemen while discussing his first draft class in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He said he expected more out of that group this season, including pass-rusher Robert Ayers, tight end Richard Quinn and also Moreno, the University of Georgia star who was taken with the 12th overall pick.
Although Moreno rushed for 947 yards and seven touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 213 yards and two TDs his rookie season, he repeatedly came up short in short-yardage, and his per-carry average was a run-of-the-mill 3.8 yards.
Even last year, McDaniels placed the blame on his offensive line, which was a hybrid of both systems as the Broncos moved away from the synchronized movement of the zone-blocking scheme to the man-on-man power method that McDaniels prefers.
Asked if Moreno's health had anything to do with his struggles in short yardage last year — he injured a knee on his first series of the preseason last year — McDaniels said, "I think he was fine."
"Again, he ran for 950 yards or whatever it was and split time with another back (Correll Buckhalter), you know," McDaniels said. "And we had some linemen up front that aren't here anymore that were light, weak, old, and he made some of the most spectacular 1- and 2-yard runs you'll ever see in the NFL, so hopefully we can get him started and get him going a little better this year."
Asked about McDaniels' quote, Hamilton, whose Seahawks visit Denver next week, refused to comment.
Wiegmann, who returned to AFC West rival Kansas City as a free agent this offseason after two years in Denver, which included a Pro Bowl appearance following the 2008 season, didn't seem bitter or upset when told of McDaniels' comments.
"It is what it is. That's the way they believe. They can think what they think," Wiegmann said matter-of-factly. "I mean, I've been playing the game for 15 years for a reason. So if he didn't like me, that's fine. There's 31 other jobs out there. That's why I'm here in Kansas City now."
Wiegmann said he wasn't surprised by McDaniels' comments.
"That's what they told me when they called me and said they were going to release me, that they were going to go with a bigger offensive line, a more powerful running game," Wiegmann said. "And that's what they did. They drafted two guys. So be it."
Despite the changes, the Broncos are full of questions up front and in the backfield as they head into their opener.
Moreno again missed most of training camp after injuring his right hamstring an hour into the first workout on Aug. 1 and he didn't play in the preseason. He has, however, practiced all this week.
The Broncos' new, younger, heavier line has been in a state of flux all offseason.
All-Pro Ryan Clady (325) blew out his left knee playing basketball in April and returned to action last week, a relatively quick recovery from a torn patellar tendon. He's not even listed on the injury report this week, although his snaps will be closely monitored Sunday in the heat and humidity.
Right guard Chris Kuper (303), 27, is the elder statesman as he enters his fifth season in Denver. He missed time in the preseason with an ankle injury but is back in the lineup.
And right tackle Ryan Harris (300) — the "lightest" of Denver's offensive linemen, sprained his left ankle in the preseason finale in Minneapolis last week. He's missed practice all week, meaning the Broncos will more than likely feature three offensive linemen in Walton, Beadles and Daniels who will be taking their first NFL snaps Sunday.
In that case, the line will average 24½ years and 312 pounds, much to McDaniels' liking.
-- Arnie Stapleton
