Broncos

By Arnie Stapleton, AP Sports Writer
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) ― Jay Cutler was stumped. Who's the team's rookie of the year?

Left tackle Ryan Clady has kept him upright and, with help from second-year right tackle Ryan Harris, has yet to allow a full sack three months into the season.

But where would the Broncos be without wide receiver Eddie Royal? He has had a play of 50 yards or more in four of the last five games, and leads all NFL rookies in receptions (63), yards receiving (757) and touchdown catches (five).

"It's hard to tell. They both have performed at a level you don't really expect a rookie to perform at, especially being thrown in there since Game 1," Cutler said. "We put a lot of pressure on both them. The first game, Eddie was pretty much our game plan, and if he couldn't get open, we probably weren't going to win. Ryan's been going against some pretty good pass rushers all year. He's been up to every challenge. They're both playing amazingly well right now."

And then there's Peyton Hillis, another rookie, who rushed 22 times for 129 yards and a touchdown in Denver's 34-17 win over the New York Jets at the soggy Meadowlands on Sunday.

"I think this offense and this running scheme is kind of designed for him," Cutler said of the 6-foot-2, 250-pound fullback by trade. "It's more of a one-cut, get downhill, get your 5, 6 yards and then every once in a while he'll break a 30- or 40-yarder. He's done a good job. He's a smart kid.

"I think we've used him effectively and tried to play off his strengths. We haven't really tried to put him in positions where we ask him to do things he can't do. He's stepped up to the challenge. He's been fun to watch."

Tight Ends: With Tony Scheffler back from a groin injury and Daniel Graham catching passes aplenty, the Broncos are making teams pay for double-teaming receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal.

Scheffler and Graham combined for 149 yards on 13 catches against the Jets on Sunday night.

Kansas City coach Herm Edwards has certainly taken heed.

"It's difficult," he said. "They did a good job last week of getting both of those guys involved. It presents matchup problems, especially when you get in your base defense and try to defend those guys because if you get in nickel you've got smaller guys on the field and they have a chance to run the ball, so it puts you in a quandary a bit when they use those tight ends."

Cutler said it's made things easier on the whole offense.

"Getting Tony back and I think we've been getting the ball to D.G. a lot more, it takes some pressure off those guys on the outside," he said. "Whenever we were struggling, Tony wasn't in the lineup, they were doubling outside a lot. Whenever we get Tony and we get D.G. involved, it takes them out of that two-deep and it gets them into some more single coverage, so they can get some guys covered up inside and it opens up outside."

Cutler Diabetes: It was at this time a year ago that Cutler was stumped by his rapid weight loss, including eight pounds in one week. In the offseason, he found his answer to his stumping symptoms that included frequent thirst and urination: Type 1 diabetes.

Cutler said he's feeling fine now that his disease is under control through diet, medication and exercise and because he's not getting sacked silly, either.

"I feel great," Cutler said. "You've got to credit the offensive line. I haven't taken a lot of hits. They've kept me upright for most of the year. I'm in pretty good health right now."

Extra Points: CB Champ Bailey, who has pledged he'll end his five-game hiatus with a torn groin and return to the lineup this Sunday, wasn't able to participate fully in Wednesday's practice on a bitterly cold day. "He was limited," Coach Mike Shanahan said. "We're going to evaluate that every day. Hopefully there's no setback, but any time you're dealing with a groin injury it's tough to say what's going to happen because it just takes a tweak here or there or trying to go full-speed or make a cut and you set it back another two weeks. A little premature at this point." ... DE Ebenezer Ekuban (back) did not participate in practice nor did S Marlon McCree, who has been sidelined for several weeks with a sprained ankle.

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