After Broncos practices this week, rookie receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie remained on the field with assistants and the team’s JUGS machine to field punt after punt. With each catch, he would cradle the ball to make sure his head and body were in sync.

At Kansas City last Monday, McKenzie muffed a punt that resulted in a turnover — a costly turnover — and was nearly pulled from the game and replaced by Jordan Taylor.

“His confidence is OK,” Joseph said. “After the dropping the ball on Monday night, my instinct was to take him out, but that wouldn’t have been right for Isaiah. So putting him back in and making him perform on Monday Night Football in a tight game was right for his future. So that’s what I did and he caught the ball and it worked out for us. But he’s got to possess the ball first. That’s his job. It’s a hard job, but it’s his job. Possessing the ball first, it’s a must.”

Added special teams coordinator Brock Olivo: “We keep having egregious error after egregious error, and that’s on me as a coach. It’s attention to detail. We fix the leak on one end of the boat and another pops up on the other end. So I’ve got to dial in and get the guys focused.”

Game status. Right tackle Donald Stephenson was ruled out for the second consecutive game as he recovers from a calf injury. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders (ankle), inside linebacker Todd Davis (ankle) and right guard Ron Leary (biceps) were all listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Eagles.

Joseph on Thursday said chances are good Sanders will play after missing two games with an ankle sprain. Davis, who was limited in practice all week and sat out the team’s loss at Kansas City, said he’s “optimistic” of being ready Sunday.

Davis suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s loss at Los Angeles and though such injuries typically take a longer recovery, Davis seems to be ahead of schedule. Related Articles Jackson: Silence at empty Broncos, NFL stadiums never sounded so terrible

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“Todd wants to be out there and he’s gotten better and better each day,” Joseph said.

For the Eagles, tight end Zach Ertz was added to the injury list Thursday with a hamstring injury and is questionable to play Sunday.

Status quo. Joseph said the Broncos’ playbook doesn’t change with Brock Osweiler taking over as quarterback.

“We don’t have to,” he said. “And again, each week it’s a different gameplan. We have a playbook, but we never go into a game with the entire playbook. It’s always parts of the playbook that attacks that defense that we’re playing that week. So our gameplan is a normal gameplan for Brock. He’s a veteran player. he’s a smart player. He studies hard. So there was no need to pare it down for him.”

Fined. Safety Justin Simmons was fined by the league $24,309 for his hit on Chiefs receiver Demarcus Robinson last Monday. Simmons was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play.