Peyton Hillis' right hamstring injury that ended his afternoon Sunday put Larsen in emergency mode.

Tatum Bell was the only other running back in uniform, and if something would have happened to him, Larsen - a fullback/linebacker - was on deck in the seasonlong revolving door among Broncos ball carriers.

"I opened up the book and went through all the protections and all the routes off protections," Larsen said, adding, "I was praying that Tatum stayed healthy. I would have gone in and done it, but it wouldn't have been a position I would have felt very comfortable in."

Hillis scored a touchdown for the fourth straight game before he was injured on a third-and-2 play in the second quarter.

He went out into the pass pattern and was double-teamed. He leaped high in the air to make an 11-yard catch. But his right leg planted firmly in the ground on his landing while the leg of Kansas City safety Jarrad Page struck Hillis in the shin.

Hillis was diagnosed with a hamstring injury, and regarding the recovery time, coach Mike Shanahan said "normally it's a month at best," when a player "comes off the field like he did."

Hillis was more optimistic, said he felt "fine" and while "it's one of those things that's unfortunate . . . I should be back fairly early." He also declined to put a timetable on the injury, saying, "they're trying to figure out stuff and they're not sure."

He'll have a magnetic resonance imaging exam today.

"It's just tight," Hillis said. "Maybe it's a contusion. Maybe it's something that slight."

Bell, signed off the street on Nov. 11, had six carries for 39 yards in the second half, keeping Larsen as a blocker.

"I want to prove to the coaches I can handle the carries and that's my role," said, Bell, who finished with 52 yards on 11 carries. "I'm ready for whatever they want to give me. . . . I'm just glad they trust me."

P.J. Pope, who played solidly against Atlanta but has battled a rib injury, also should be available. Selvin Young (groin) was listed as participating fully in recent practices but still might not be healthy enough to play.

Shanahan said the Broncos likely will activate Cory Boyd from the practice squad this week.

Head-scratcher

Broncos kicker Matt Prater was wide right on a 48-yard field-goal attempt in the third quarter, the fifth time in sixth games he has misfired on at least one attempt.

Prater's now 18-of-20 this season on all of his kicks except from the 40- to 49-yard range, including 5-for-5 from 50-plus.

But he's 3-of-8 from 40-to-49.

"It's something to work on, I guess," he said, adding his plant foot slipped on his missed kick Sunday, forcing him to open up and push the ball.

"I don't think about it when I go out there. I try to kick the ball the same. It's just strange that it's all from that 40-49 range because I should be making them all."

Beyond frustrated

Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey spent his sixth game inactive because of a groin injury, an ailment that has cost him eight calendar weeks in recovery.

He'd vowed to play Sunday but couldn't when he failed to make enough physical progress.

"I don't want to set it back and it's feeling like it'll do that," he said.

Bailey added his gut is telling him to be patient, even while he's dying to play.

"When I feel like I can go, I'll go, that's all it is," he said. "But I haven't felt like I can go yet."

Uncertain future

Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez extended his consecutive-games reception streak to 128 with a 15-yard reception from Tyler Thigpen in the second quarter.

Gonzalez finished with five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, but the Chiefs' close loss wasn't much of a consolation to the player who has caught more touchdown passes than any tight end in NFL history.

"For a young team, yeah, that might be great, but my window is closing," Gonzalez said.

Asked if he will remain with Kansas City next season, he gave an uncertain answer.

"I don't know where I'll be next year, but I know that this team is moving in the right direction," he said.

Missed it by this much

Kansas City's chance to tie the score was lost when Thigpen tried to run the ball in from the 5-yard line on fourth down with 4:44 left in the game. He was stopped by cornerback Dre Bly on the 1-yard line.

"It was close, but I didn't get in," he said.

Thigpen said the play was supposed to be a pass to Gonzalez, but he had to improvise when Gonzalez couldn't get open.

"It was a called pass where we were trying to isolate Tony one-on-one," he said. "The defensive ends got a good rush and they had Tony covered. I saw an opening in the middle and decided to go for it."

Injury report

* Receiver Brandon Stokley said he suffered a right heel injury on an incomplete pass in the end zone in the third quarter.

The Broncos reported it as a sprained ankle, but Stokley said, "I got rolled up on. I don't think it's the ankle. We'll see. But I think it's more heel."

Stokley did not return to the game and will have an MRI today. He missed one game earlier this season because of a concussion.

"Anytime you don't get to finish the game and I've got the pain I do now, I'm worried about it," Stokley said. "But we'll know more the next couple days. Sometimes you get those things and you can play through it and be fine. I tried to go back out there and I knew I couldn't do anything."

* Linebacker Mario Haggan, who alternated with Nate Webster in the middle linebacker spot during the game and was limping badly in the locker room after it was over, had a right knee injury that will be examined today.

After missing three games because of a sprained knee, Webster started.

"It's been a long time," Webster said. "It's like an old girlfriend, we broke up, but now we're back together."

Webster was credited with one assisted tackle in the game.

* Larsen also left the game after suffering what Shanahan called a groin injury on a kickoff return in the first quarter. Larsen did return to the game but already had been limited some in the past week because of a groin/hip injury.

* Guard Ben Hamilton, who was sporting a heavily wrapped right hand, said he didn't believe he had suffered any fractures.

Etc.

* After losing a replay challenge of a Gonzalez reception in the third quarter, the Broncos are 1-8 in replay challenges this season.

* The win moved Shanahan into a tie for 15th - with Hall of Famer Marv Levy - on the league's all-time victory list. Shanahan has 150 wins overall, including the postseason.

* The Broncos did not allow a sack for the third consecutive game. It is the first time since 1995 the Broncos have gone three consecutive games without allowing a sack.

* In addition to the injured players who were held out of the game - Bailey, Young, linebacker D.J. Williams (knee) and safety Marlon McCree (ankle) - running back Pope, fullback Andrew Pinnock, safety Herana-Daze Jones and defensive end Tim Crowder were the team's game-day inactives.

It the eighth time Crowder, the team's second-round pick in the 2007 draft, has been a game-day inactive this season.

* The Broncos wore their alternate orange jerseys for the second time this season and fourth occasion overall and are 2-2 in that look.

* The Broncos surpassed their seven wins from 2007 and is assured a .500 or better record for the 12th time under Shanahan.

Numbers game

6times this season, including Sunday, the Broncos have thrown at least 34 passes and not allowed a sack.

He said it

"It looks good lately. But it's a long year. We've got to keep that pedal to the metal."

Elvis Dumervil, Broncos defensive end, on the team winning four of the last five.

Finally

The Broncos won for the second time this season when they were on the losing end of the turnover margin.

Turnover

Opponent margin Result

Saints -1 Won 34-32

Chiefs -3 Lost 33-19

Jaguars -1 Lost 24-17

Patriots -5 Lost 41-7

Dolphins -2 Lost 26-17

Raiders -2 Lost 31-10

Chiefs -1 Won 24-17