As in more from the team's running game.

"We weren't as productive as we would like," Shanahan said. "We need to be better."

On the surface, the 121 yards on the ground the Broncos finished with in the 30-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers won't look all that bad, nor will the 5.3 yards per carry. But the Broncos had only 63 rushing yards until they piled up 58 on their last possession in the game's waning minutes.

P.J. Pope led the team with 51 yards, but 24 of those came on one carry in that final drive. Tatum Bell had 43 rushing yards, 30 of those on two carries in the final drive.

It meant Pope had 27 yards on his other six carries combined and Bell had 13 yards on his other six carries combined.

"Once we settle down, we're a pretty tough group," Panthers linebacker Jon Beason said.

The Broncos are 16th in the league running the ball at 113.6 yards per game and never have finished below 12th in Shanahan's tenure with the team. They have five running backs on injured reserve, and of the tailbacks on the roster now, only Selvin Young was on the 53-man roster when the Broncos broke training camp.

For Young, who led the team in rushing last season with 729 yards, Sunday was the first game in which he had at least two carries since Oct. 5.

He had missed eight of the previous nine games because of a groin injury and had only one carry in Cleveland before aggravating his injury.

Young fumbled at the Broncos 25-yard line just before halftime Sunday. The Panthers recovered and kicked a field goal on the last play of the first half two plays later.

Asked Monday if Young was rusty, Shanahan said, "That's part of the equation. When a guy's been out, hasn't been hit as much as you would like, those things do happen."

Shanahan also was asked if Bell had lost some of his breakaway speed since his last stint with the Broncos (Bell played three seasons with Denver before being traded to Detroit).

"Usually when guys get a little older they lose some of that speed," Shanahan said. "We have them run the 40-yard dash in the workout, so we get a chance to see how much they dropped off when they come back."

The Broncos' final two regular-season opponents - Buffalo and San Diego - are 19th and 12th in the league in run defense.

Play big

Broncos rookie cornerback Josh Bell is listed at 177 pounds, but that might be a little optimistic.

After watching Bell hurl himself into enough piles to be credited with nine tackles Sunday - the total led the Broncos defense - Shanahan called Bell "165 pounds" while Bell himself said, "I go about 170."

No matter what the scale says, Bell continues to get noticed. He has started five games in Champ Bailey's left cornerback spot and in Sunday's loss kept himself active in the team's run defense as well.

"There's a guy about 165 pounds, takes on guards, takes on fullbacks, he makes tackles, he'll compete with the best of them . . . ," Shanahan said. "He's made some mistakes as most young guys do, but the effort's there and he's just going to get better and better."

"I just try to do my part," Bell said. "I'm 170 pounds and I'm going to give you all 170 pounds. Some may just bring 150 or so, but when I go up in there, I'm bringing all 170 to the party."

Bell also said he felt, after having had Panthers veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme complete some passes his way, he needed to add something else to his defensive effort as well.

"I wish I could have traded three or four of those tackles for deflections. I made the tackle because I gave up a completion. But I take pride in being a complete corner. When you have a couple 30-yard passes caught on you like I did, you want to do anything you can to help your defense," Bell said. "When I got my opportunity in the run game, I went in there like I was going to terrorize things."

Working on it

Broncos kicker Matt Prater said Monday he's trying to address his approach to regain his early-season accuracy.

Prater missed one of two field-goal attempts Sunday - a 47-yarder - and it made it the sixth game in the past seven outings in which he has missed at least one kick. And in five of those games, at least one miss has come between 40 and 49 yards.

Prater said he wanted to fix his foot placement just before he begins his steps up to strike the ball, believing his stance might be too wide, but that there is only so much others can tell him.

"You've kind of got to figure it out on your own, both the good and the bad," Prater said.

Shanahan recalled former Broncos kicker Jason Elam going 26-of-35 on field-goal attempts in his rookie season with the team. Prater is now 22-of-30 overall.

"Hopefully, he gets back on track . . . ," Shanahan said. "It's kind of like a golf swing. I can't figure it out; that's why I'm so lousy at it.

"Sometimes when guys are young and they miss, they change their alignment, change their swing, all of a sudden everybody's down on them - the players, the town. They got to fight through it."

Injury report

Guard Chris Kuper, who fractured a bone in his left hand Sunday, was sent to a specialist Monday afternoon for an examination.

But the Broncos believed Kuper would be able to practice and play with some kind of cast on his hand.

Shanahan said they still were going to have to see how much Kuper could do in practice later in the week. Kuper played with a similar cast on his right hand during training camp and in the preseason.

Left tackle Ryan Clady, who suffered a sprained ankle on the last play of the game when his leg was rolled by another player, was in for treatment. Center Casey Wiegmann also had heavy wrap on his left hand.

Receiver Brandon Stokley, who was a question mark last week because of a bruised left heel, said he came through the game fine.

"Feel about the same I felt last week, no worse. Hopefully, I'll just keep improving and get better by Sunday," Stokley said.

Etc.

* Bailey, who has missed seven games because of a groin injury, continues to work on a treadmill to maintain his conditioning and has practiced on a limited basis in recent weeks. Shanahan said he continues to hope Bailey will play in one of the remaining regular-season games. "He's able to stay in shape," Shanahan said. "You don't know about his agility, his ability to sprint, turn and do those type things."

* The Broncos waived running back Cory Boyd. Boyd had been on the practice squad since Nov. 4 but was signed to the active roster last week when Peyton Hillis was moved to injured reserve. As a rookie, Boyd is eligible to re-sign with the Broncos practice squad once he clears waivers. If he isn't re-signed to the practice squad, he would be a free agent.

He said it

"It goes to show how much fight they have. They still played hard and were making plays when they needed them. Knock on wood we don't have to beat them when it counts, but if we do, we know we're going to get their best effort."

Ebenezer Ekuban, Broncos defensive end, on the Chargers' comeback to beat the Chiefs 22-21 on Sunday.

Numbers game

12games lost to injury so far this season to linebacker D.J. Williams (five) and Bailey (seven), the team's two defensive captains.

Turn it over

The Broncos continue to reflect on their turnover margin, including Sunday's loss in Carolina when they were minus-1.

Win the turnover margin, the Broncos are 3-0.

Lose the turnover margin, the Broncos are 2-6.