AFC PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK : Kay Hurt, Doubtful for Denver

Starting tight end Clarence Kay of the Denver Broncos suffered a pulled thigh muscle in practice, putting his status for Sunday’s AFC championship game in doubt.

Kay injured the muscle in his left thigh while running wind sprints at the end of Wednesday’s practice.

“Right now, you’d have to list him as doubtful,” Denver Coach Dan Reeves said. “If it’s sore today, I’d say it would be even more sore tomorrow. And he doesn’t have much time to recover. A thigh muscle is awful hard to come back from.”

If Kay can’t play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, it would be a blow to Denver’s running game. Kay is considered one of the best run-blocking tight ends in the NFL.

Reeves said Pat Kelly probably will make his first pro start if Kay can’t play, with Orson Mobley in reserve. The Broncos might also activate former USC tight end Paul Green.

Ozzie Newsome of the Browns has reached all but one of his goals in pro football. And time is running out in his quest to reach the Super Bowl.

“I’ve accomplished everything a tight end can accomplish except getting the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl,” Newsome said. “That’s the one thing that has eluded me. I guess that’s why this has such a big meaning to me.”

The 33-year-old Newsome is the NFL’s all-time leading tight end with 639 receptions--fifth among all receivers. His streak of 150 consecutive games with at least one catch ended Oct. 29 against Houston, but he has remained an important part of the offense. In last week’s 34-30 victory over Buffalo, he had four catches for 35 yards.

For the last several weeks, his resolve to retire at the end of the season seems to have weakened, and Newsome now says he won’t make a final decision on his career until the Browns finish the year.

His teammates, however, are treating the playoffs as though they are Newsome’s last gasp. Cleveland’s kicking team chanted his name before the opening kickoff against Buffalo.

So they’re 0-3 in the Super Bowl.

So another loss in the big game will tie them with Minnesota for the worst Super Bowl record.

But the Denver Broncos are still willing to risk everything for another chance at the Big One.

And, yes, they are fully aware of the talk of the town: if the Broncos are going to be humiliated again in the Super Bowl, they’re better off losing Sunday’s AFC championship game against Cleveland before they even get to New Orleans.

“We’ve heard that they’re saying, ‘Hopefully we won’t go back because we don’t want to go and lose again,’ ” quarterback John Elway said. “Those people who ask, ‘Why go back?’ ought to go hide in their closets. That’s the easy way out.

“I want a chance, at least a chance to step up to bat. We’ll give it all we’ve got. If we lose, we lose. If we win, we’re world champs. I’d hate to be stuck in my closet. No one wants to go 0-4 like the Minnesota Vikings, but I’m not worried about that.”