"They are the guys behind The Guys?.

And when Broncos coach John Fox tries to push aside his team's rather long, star-studded injury report, he does it with what is a common NFL refrain these days.

"It's the next man up," Fox said. "That's our philosophy."

Well, Jason Hunter, Cassius Vaughn and Lance Ball are the next men up. And when the Broncos take the field against the Bengals on Sunday, there is a good chance they will be in the lineup.

Defensive end Elvis Dumervil (shoulder), cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring) and running back Know-shon Moreno (hamstring) did not practice this week, and wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (groin) practiced on a limited basis Friday.

So the Broncos face the prospect

Eric Decker is alone in the open field while returning a punt for a 90-yard touchdown Monday night against the Raiders. ( John Leyba, The Denver Post )of replacing three players who have been to the Pro Bowl (Bailey, Dumervil and Lloyd) and their leading rusher the past two seasons (Moreno).

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