Linebacker Chase Blackburn found out via a text message last Friday night that Antonio Pierce was sidelined with a bulging disk in his neck, meaning Blackburn virtually had no practice time with the starting defense before filling in vs. the Falcons.
With Pierce out again, Blackburn worked the entire week as the starting middle linebacker.
“It definitely can’t hurt,” Blackburn said of the extra preparation. “Last week I got the Saturday walk-through. I study all the positions every week anyway. I’ve been a middle linebacker my entire life so it’s not a big deal to move from the weak side to the middle.”
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As expected, RB Ahmad Bradshaw has been declared out for the game and will not make the trip because of injuries to both ankles. That means the first extended playing time for Danny Ware and an increased workload for starter Brandon Jacobs.
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DE Justin Tuck said he’s not fretting about missing out on a turkey dinner.
“I am not worried about necessarily eating on Thanksgiving Day,” Tuck said. “Hopefully I get to eat some quarterbacks.”
DE Osi Umenyiora has never played football on Thanksgiving. Growing up in Nigeria, he didn’t celebrate the American holiday.
“I was in Africa, man, we don’t have Thanksgiving,” he said. “Not a lot of thanks going on in Africa.”
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CB D.J. Johnson is a rookie from Jackson State signed two weeks ago off the Broncos practice squad. He knows his first-hand knowledge of Denver’s defense is one of the main reasons the Giants brought him in.
“I’m kind of snitching this week,” Johnson said. “I’m being a volunteer. After all, they pay my checks now.”
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The Broncos will be without right tackle Ryan Harris again.
Harris dislocated two toes in a game at Baltimore on Nov. 1 and missed the second half of that game and the next three, all of them Denver losses.
Harris returned to practice this week, but coach Josh McDaniels declared him out and said second-year pro Tyler Polumbus would start again in his place. McDaniels said safety Brian Dawkins (neck) should play, and said Chris Simms remains Kyle Orton‘s backup.