"I'm just trying to get this team to the playoffs and go from there," he said.

Clady, the Broncos' No. 1 draft pick in April, has been a revelation in his first year.

He has allowed only one-half sack and assessed only three penalties while single-blocking in pass protection more than three- quarters of the time this season.

Yet, while he might be winning his share of battles, he doesn't beat his chest regarding his season.

"I don't know if I deserve it," Clady said when asked about potentially gaining Pro Bowl recognition. "There's a lot of great players out there."

And isn't Clady seemingly consumed with the prospect of gaining the attention of fans and his peers. Joe Thomas (2007), Marcus McNeill (2007), Richmond Webb (1991) and Chris Hinton (1984) are the only offensive tackles who have gone to the Pro Bowl after their rookie seasons.

Miami rookie first-rounder Jake Long did lead fans' voting, which accounts for one-third of the total in results announced Thursday by the league. Clady did not finish in the top five.

"If it happened, it happened," Clady said when asked whether such recognition was a preseason objective. "My main goal was to be in and contribute the best I could and go from there, trying to get better. It's been getting progressively better. But I've still got work to do."

Clady figures to have his hands full Sunday.

He'll be matched up against Carolina's Julius Peppers, whose 121/2 sacks are tied for fourth in the league.

Clady already has faced off against NFL leader Joey Porter (161/2) of Miami and Atlanta's John Abraham (121/2) and held his own against both.

"We're going to do some stuff with the line, just helping out with Ryan," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "But we have a lot of confidence in Ryan and his ability to block against those high-profile defensive ends. It will be a good test for him."

Clady compared Peppers' combination of strength and quickness with New England's Richard Seymour, "but a little faster."

"He's a great all-around player," he said. "You've got to do what you can to contain him."

And he knows his matchup with Peppers will be watched more closely than others he might have had this year.

"You know a guy like that is going to be up for it," Broncos right tackle Ryan Harris said of the unassuming Clady.

The Pro Bowl teams will be announced Tuesday, with final results also taking into account the two-thirds coaches
Barrett's time arrives

Safety Josh Barrett, above, before finally playing Sunday against Kansas City, watched week after week as many of his fellow Broncos rookies logged substantial playing time and became an integral part of the roster.

Meanwhile, he stayed in shape and tried to learn the defense to finally gain enough of the coaches' confidence to put him on the active roster and ultimately play him.

"I wasn't ready," Barrett said of his early-season stint on the practice squad that ended Nov. 22. "That's what was expressed to me, and I understood it. And that's the approach I took, that I needed to get better."

Given the revolving door at safety - Barrett could be the sixth player at the position to start a game this season for the Broncos - the former Arizona State player knows he potentially finds himself this month in an audition situation for next year.

"That's the kind of mentality I want to have out there, that I'm preparing for exactly that," he said.

"So I'm going to run with this opportunity and make the best of it."

Young is restless

Through the number of Broncos backs logging carries then landing on injured reserve, Selvin Young has remained in limbo.

A groin injury has limited him to one carry and seven deactivations since Oct. 5. But he has practiced fully the past two weeks and is on the verge of possibly returning.

"It's been tough, but it hasn't been stressful," Young said. "The things that I've been through in life have helped me stay mentally strong, mentally tough. . . . And as I've gone through the process, I've been real positive with it, doing the things I can staying around the team and helping guys coaching. And as soon as I get back in there, I'm not going to be missing a beat."

Young admitted his brief appearance Nov. 6 against Cleveland set him back but if asked to do it again, he would "100 times" because the Broncos were short on backs.

That trend has continued through this week, with Cory Boyd and Tatum Bell in line for carries as a result of Peyton Hillis' season-ending hamstring injury.

Young still sees "big things" happening in his own future during the next several weeks as he regains his playing shape and sees potential merit in rejoining the lineup fresh.

"I'm feeling a lot better than I have been. Over the last two weeks, I've been able to do some stuff, take some hits and get off balance and the groin's held up . . . ," he said. "And I'm hoping to help this team reach a goal that everyone has in common."

He said it

"We want to win fast. We want to win now. We don't want to wait until the last game, especially in the position we're in now where one more win will seal it for us getting to the playoffs. That's what we're thinking about."

Dre Bly, Broncos cornerback, on the Broncos' current postseason scenario. One win or a San Diego loss will clinch a playoff berth long before the regular-season finale against the Chargers on Dec. 28.

Staying clean

The Broncos' current streak of three games without a sack ties for the longest in club history since sacks became an official statistic in 1992.

Dates Games

Nov. 16, 2008 to present 3

Nov. 19 to Dec. 3, 1995 3

Oct. 25 to Nov. 15, 1992 3

Etc.

* Receiver Brandon Stokley (heel) returned to practice in limited fashion. But fullback/linebacker Spencer Larsen (groin) missed a second straight day. It doesn't look good for cornerback Champ Bailey (groin), who hasn't practiced fully this week.

* Receiver Brandon Marshall was the leading fans' vote-getter among AFC receivers for the Pro Bowl, gaining 416,791 votes. Bailey led his position with 283,155 despite missing most of the season. Cutler (536,162) was third at AFC quarterback behind Brett Favre (880,833) and Peyton Manning (588,342).

* NFC South teams have the most combined wins in the league this season (34). The AFC West has the second-fewest victories as a group (18). In this topsy-turvy season, the Broncos with a win Sunday can complete a sweep of Tampa Bay, Carolina, Atlanta and New Orleans.