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TXBRONC
10-28-2009, 07:52 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13655543

Broncos take precautions against flu
By Jeff Legwold
Posted: 10/28/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 10/28/2009 02:10:37 AM MDT

The Broncos have tried to take as many precautions as they can to avoid an outbreak of the flu — either traditional strains or the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.

The Cleveland Browns have been hit hard by the flu — the team said it was checking to see if it was H1N1 — with about a dozen players missing parts of last week's work because of it. Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan also came down with the flu.

"Best thing to do is try to be smart, take care of our bodies the best we can," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said. "If we don't feel well, get in (the training room) and try to get treated for something as quickly as we can.

"(We) try to prevent something from spreading more than anything else."

The NFL sent a series of directives on infectious diseases, written by two specialists, to the medical staffs of each team this season. The first of those was devoted to H1N1 and included basic information about the virus, general recommendations about prevention and do's and don'ts to prevent spreading.

The Broncos' players and coaches received traditional flu shots this season.

"I think every season, you try to take care of yourself, get your rest, eat right, all the things you know you're supposed to do," safety Brian Dawkins said.

Pick a side.

The Ravens will either use a rookie or a player who has missed the past two games with an injury to try to slow down Broncos outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil on Sunday. Dumervil leads the league in sacks with 10.

The Ravens' starting left tackle, Jared Gaither, has missed the past two games with a neck injury. Rookie Michael Oher has moved over from right tackle to play in Gaither's spot.

Gaither has said he expects to play against the Broncos, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh would not reveal whether Oher would stay on the left side because he's healthy and Gaither would play right tackle, or if the two would simply move back into the spots where they started the season.

The Broncos have rushed Dumervil from both sides of the formation this season. He has five sacks rushing from the defensive right and five from the defensive left.

Flacco coming back.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco also has been hurting. Flacco injured his right ankle in the first quarter of the 33-31 loss to the Vikings on Oct. 18 but finished the game and had a career-high 385 yards passing.

Flacco did not participate in workouts last week, but he practiced Monday and is expected to do so the rest of the week. He has been sacked 10 times this season.

"They give the quarterback time, and he's got a great arm," McDaniels said. "He can do a lot of good things with the ball."

Footnotes.

Former Broncos punter Brett Kern was signed by the Titans on Tuesday. Tennessee released punter Reggie Hodges earlier in the day. Kern was released Monday when the Broncos signed veteran punter Mitch Berger. . . . The Broncos will release their first injury report of the week today, so it will be revealed whether safety Brian Dawkins' hamstring injury has lingered. He was hurt early in the victory against the Chargers. . . . Running back Ray Rice leads the Ravens in receptions, is 13th in the NFL in rushing and is fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage. "He's very difficult to bring down," McDaniels said.

By Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post

TXBRONC
10-28-2009, 07:54 AM
This is the part that really caught my eye:



Pick a side.

The Ravens will either use a rookie or a player who has missed the past two games with an injury to try to slow down Broncos outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil on Sunday. Dumervil leads the league in sacks with 10.

The Ravens' starting left tackle, Jared Gaither, has missed the past two games with a neck injury. Rookie Michael Oher has moved over from right tackle to play in Gaither's spot.

Gaither has said he expects to play against the Broncos, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh would not reveal whether Oher would stay on the left side because he's healthy and Gaither would play right tackle, or if the two would simply move back into the spots where they started the season.

The Broncos have rushed Dumervil from both sides of the formation this season. He has five sacks rushing from the defensive right and five from the defensive left.

Lonestar
10-28-2009, 09:54 AM
Anyone hear anything abiut larsen. That slip in the shower now has me wondering.

BroncoWave
10-28-2009, 09:57 AM
Anyone hear anything abiut larsen. That slip in the shower now has me wondering.

He is practicing this week and expected to play.

Denver Native (Carol)
10-28-2009, 10:02 AM
Anyone hear anything abiut larsen. That slip in the shower now has me wondering.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_13647795

Perhaps the six long weeks Spencer Larsen spent in the training room and away from the football field would have been easier for the linebacker- fullback to take had he injured his shoulder in some macho way, like in some nasty on-field collision.

Instead, he spent all that time unable to practice and play knowing his injury came from a slip-and-fall accident in the Broncos' locker room in Cincinnati only a short time before the kickoff of the season opener.

"We went through all the preseason, you make the team, you're excited to go, you get to opening day and you have a slip like that," Larsen said. "It's been a really challenging time for me just because it wasn't something like I had a big hit or something, a cool story I could tell everybody. It was something very weird that happened."

Larsen returned to practice Monday for the first time since the injury and could be part of the Broncos' special teams and offensive and defensive game plans as soon as Sunday's game at Baltimore.

Coach Josh McDaniels said he did not consider putting Larsen on injured reserve. He stayed on the active roster while his shoulder healed.

"Spencer's a valuable player on our team. He contributes on every phase on the team, which is unique. There's not many players you can say that about," McDaniels said. "A player like that, that can add depth and versatility to your team, I think is the kind of guy you want to wait on."