"After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey? said he was taking no chances this week when fellow defensive backs Rahim Moore and Jonathan Wilhite? missed practice time with an illness.

"I told everybody, I'll be in the meeting room, but I'll cover my face and don't anybody talk to me," Bailey said with a laugh. "Obviously, I want to be out there this week."

Bailey has missed the Broncos' last three games since injuring his hamstring in the season opener against the Oakland Raiders?. And the last three quarterbacks the Broncos have faced threw for 332 yards (Bengals rookie Andy Dalton?), 311 (Titans' Matt Hasselbeck?) and 408 (Packers' Aaron Rodgers?) with the Broncos going 1-2 in those games.

There is certainly more at work there than simply Bailey's absence, especially with Rodgers throwing for four touchdowns and running for two more to go with his impressive passing yardage last Sunday, but Bailey's return from an injury always gives his teammates a boost.

"What he brings, when I look over to my left and see him standing out there, there's a different confidence level that he just gives," safety Brian Dawkins said.

Bailey has missed just 14 games in his career, all of those in his eight seasons with the Broncos. The Broncos are 8-6 in those games, but in the last four he's missed — three this year, one last season — opposing quarterbacks all have topped 300 yards and the Broncos are 1-3 in those games.

One of those was against this week's opponent, the Chargers, in the 2010 season finale. Philip Rivers? threw for 313 yards but did not throw a touchdown pass.

"When he's on the field, they're an improved secondary," Rivers said of Bailey.

The flip side.

The Chargers have been notoriously slow starters over the last four seasons but have still rallied to win the AFC West title in three of those years.

San Diego opened 1-4 in 2007 and 2-3 in '08 and '09 and went on to the postseason in those three years.

The Chargers opened 2-5 last season and rallied to a 9-7 finish, but missed the playoffs."