DENVER (AP) -The Denver Broncos will ignore the San Diego Chargers on Sunday in hopes they can render them irrelevant.
The injury-riddled Broncos (8-6), who have given new meaning to the term “empty backfield” with their top five tailbacks out for the year, have led the woeful AFC West from wire to wire. They can clinch a playoff berth by beating Buffalo at home.
Actually, they could lose to the Bills (6-8) and still get in if Tampa Bay ties or beats San Diego in an earlier game Sunday.
“We’re not looking forward to any other team helping us to get in the playoffs,” Broncos tight end Daniel Graham insisted. “We want to do this on our own.”
The Broncos won’t be tuning in to the San Diego game because coach Mike Shanahan, worried about his young team’s psyche, ordered that no TV set in the locker room will show the Chargers-Buccaneers.
Shanahan said he felt the Broncos lost their emotional edge last week in a blowout loss at Carolina after watching Kansas City build an 18-point lead over the Chargers, whose stirring 22-21 comeback kept the Broncos from securing their postseason spot.
“I think I made a mistake by allowing that to happen,” Shanahan said.
If things don’t go Denver’s way Sunday, it will come down to an all-or-nothing trip to San Diego next week – with the possibility the Broncos will have led the West by themselves from opening weekend through Christmas with nothing to show for their dominance of the dismal division.
“We definitely don’t want to go into that game with the playoffs on the line,” said right guard Chris Kuper, who will try to play Sunday with a club covering the broken bone in his left hand. Left tackle Ryan Clady hopes to protect Cutler’s blind side despite a twisted ankle that coaches initially feared was broken.
“Obviously, we don’t want to go down to San Diego and have to play them in their back yard” for the division title, Cutler concurred. “If it does happen, we’ll get ready for that game and it’ll be a big one.”
Nothing has come easy this season for the Broncos, who have been without star cornerback Champ Bailey for two months; have placed 13 players on injured reserve; and have watched a dozen rookies, including four undrafted free agents, make a combined 50 starts at 10 positions.
rs, Jets and Falcons.
So, who knows what will happen when they face the bumbling Bills, who have lost seven of eight and spent the week answering questions about coach Dick Jauron’s job security?
Quarterback Trent Edwards, who was awful before getting hurt, is set to make his first start in three weeks since being sidelined by a groin injury. Former starter J.P. Losman has been demoted to third-string behind Gibran Hamdan after his late fumble was returned for the decisive touchdown in Buffalo’s 31-27 loss to the Jets last weekend.
“We don’t consider ourselves spoilers,” Bills wide receiver Lee Evans said. “… Regardless of what other teams have on the line, we still come out here to win and that is really the bottom line.”
Edwards said it’s not hard getting up for a game that won’t mean much win or lose.
“I really don’t think it’s all that hard because everyone, all 53 guys on this team, love playing the sport of football regardless of if we’re going to the playoffs or not,” Edwards said. “A lot of people here have a lot of pride with the body of work they’ve put in on Sundays and I know everyone out there that’s going to be suiting up in a Bills jersey will be ready to go.”
The question for the Broncos is just who will be ready to go?
Bailey hasn’t played since tearing his groin against New England on Oct. 20, although he’s been back at practice since Nov. 13. With five tailbacks on IR and Selvin Young seemingly in Shanahan’s doghouse for his costly turnover on a shoestring tackle last week, the Broncos are down to Tatum Bell, who was selling cell phones and wireless plans a month ago, and P.J. Pope, who has of 11 NFL carries.
The Broncos’ battered backfield has become among America’s Most Dangerous Jobs.
“I don’t even pay attention anymore,” Cutler said. “I don’t know for sure what we’re going to do this week, who’s going to be back there. But, hopefully we get the running game going and open some stuff up for us.”
Then there’s placekicker Matt Prater, who has missed seven of his last 15 attempts and is a miserable 4-of-10 from 40 to 49 yards, making fans long for Jason Elam.
“There’s going to be people that have your back and people that don’t. That’s part of the business,” Prater said. “You’re either on the top or the bottom. Right now, I wouldn’t say I’m on the bottom, but I’m not on the top.”
When a reporter’s windshield was shattered during Thursday’s practice, the scribes joked that he’d have been safer parking his car behind the uprights.
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report from Orchard Park, N.Y.
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