Willis McGahee downplays hand injury

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee says his broken right hand shouldn't hinder him Sunday at Oakland.

McGahee practiced Thursday for the second straight day and was able to carry the ball in either hand.

"He's looked great," offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said. "It's great to have him back out there."

McGahee missed last week's game against Detroit after undergoing an operation to insert screws and a plate into his right hand, which he broke on a defender's face mask at Miami a week earlier.

This week he's been wearing padding over the incision.

"I don't think it will affect me," McGahee said. "I'm feeling pretty good about it. It's actually not getting in the way, so there's no problem there."

McGahee said he's not worried about defenders targeting his right hand, either, because he can always cover it with his left hand.

"If they do" go after it, "then I'll go after them," he said. "I will get the last laugh."

McGahee said he suffered what doctors call a boxer's fracture.

"I can bend my hand without it hurting or anything," he said while demonstrating by clenching his fist and relaxing his hand.

McGahee wasn't the Broncos' starting tailback when Denver lost 23-20 to Oakland in the opener. Denver rushed 13 times for 38 yards in that game, and coach John Fox said Thursday that he "abandoned the run too quickly" that night.

"We're going to have to do a better job of balancing the attack this time around," he said.

And that's where McGahee comes in, broken hand and all.

He's had three 100-yard games since supplanting Knowshon Moreno as the starter in Week 2.

"We really didn't do nothing at all in that first game," McGahee said. "I had four carries and Knowshon had the rest. I probably had like 9 yards (actually just 3), so I know I didn't do anything. This is the time right now to do something to turn our season around."

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(espn.com)