ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --Injuries are starting to accumulate for Denver's defense.

ILB Todd Davis did not practice Friday because of a sprained shoulder, and by the end of practice, safety T.J. Ward had joined him out of action because of a hamstring injury that was being evaluated.

"We're not sure or how serious or how mild [Ward's injury is]," Head Coach Vance Joseph said after practice.

Davis is considered "day-to-day" with his injury. He received a veteran's rest day Thursday, but was sidelined Friday.

... With ILB Brandon Marshall, DE Derek Wolfe, safety Darian Stewart, OLB Von Miller and CB Chris Harris Jr. all receiving an off-day Friday and starting OLB Shane Ray out for another five to seven weeks because of torn wrist ligaments, the No. 1 defense looked dramatically different than its intended form for Friday's practice, which took place in shells (shoulder pads and shorts).

... Denver's pass defense was effective even without so many key members of the "No-Fly Zone," breaking up a handful of passes, especially early in practice as the cornerbacks quickly got their hands in to prevent receivers from completing catches.

The cornerbacks also picked off three passes. First, Bradley Roby intercepted Paxton Lynch in the end zone during a red-zone seven-on-seven period, stepping in front of a pass to prevent a touchdown. Later, during a five-play span of a team period, Lorenzo Doss and Brendan Langley each intercepted passes. Doss intercepted a Lynch pass that was tipped by OLB Danny Mason, while Langley intercepted a Kyle Sloter pass on a play that went askew from the start after an errant snap.

... RB C.J. Anderson continues to make plays in the passing game as well as on the ground. He broke outside in a seven-on-seven period and caught a Lynch pass near the right sideline despite tight coverage from ILB Corey Nelson.

... QB Trevor Siemian looked steady from the start. He opened the day with a well-placed pass to WR Isaiah McKenzie, hitting the rookie in the back right corner of the end zone for a touchdown, and he remained consistent from there. He was the only one of the Broncos' three quarterbacks who did not throw an interception Friday.

"I saw Trevor being consistent, making his reads and making the throws where the reads told him to make the throws," Joseph said. "He did a good job today."

... QB Paxton Lynch eventually settled down, overcoming an early stretch of six consecutive incompletions in team and seven-on-seven periods.

During a subsequent team goal-to-go period, he completed three consecutive passes, including two for touchdowns, one of which saw him roll right, look to the middle, then spot RB Stevan Ridley out of the corner of his eye near the right pylon.

Lynch then fired a strike to the recently-acquired Ridley for the score. One play later, Lynch had another touchdown pass, hitting WR Hunter Sharp.

"We scored two or three touchdowns [in the red zone], and that's critical to our success," Joseph said. "You get in that scoring area, you have to score touchdowns."

Lynch sustained the momentum in a seven-on-seven red-zone period that immediately followed the goal-to-go snaps. He completed five of his six passes, and bounced back from his lone incompletion (the Roby interception) with a touchdown strike to WR Demaryius Thomas in the back right corner of the end zone.

... Both Lynch and Siemian moved the offense from midfield into field-goal range during their move-the-ball periods. Lynch got the offense moving with a third-down pass to Anderson, overcoming a Thomas drop on second down after hitting the Pro Bowl wide receiver on a first-down slant. He then got what would have been another first down in game conditions on third-and-7 when he scrambled out of a collapsing pocket.

Siemian got the offense down to the 20-yard line via a 20-yard strike to Isaiah McKenzie after a Ridley 7-yard run opened the drive.

... K Brandon McManus drilled a 73-yard field goal during a special-teams period.

"That's a true weapon," Joseph said. "That's special."

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PARTICIPATION REPORT:**

... On the offensive side, WR Emmanuel Sanders and RB Jamaal Charles each received off-days.

... RG Ron Leary saw a handful of team-period repetitions as he eases his way back to first-team work following a groin injury.

... DE Adam Gotsis was held out of practice for precautionary reasons after banging his thigh on the knee of OT Donald Stephenson on Thursday, Joseph said. Gotsis is expected to practice Saturday.

... Ty Sambrailo rotated in for Menelik Watson at right tackle during practice Friday. Watson was not injured; the change "was a rotation thing," Joseph said. "It's a rep count for those guys."

... RB Bernard Pierce continues to be sidelined because of a hamstring injury.

WEATHER REPORT:The clouds parted, and the Broncos practiced under clear skies with temperatures that rose from 69°F to 80°F during the two-hour practice.

ATTENDANCE:6,567.