PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AFC : Broncos Will Allow Pritchard to Play

One day after being arrested for allegedly striking two young women pedestrians with his car in an alcohol-related accident, Denver Bronco receiver Mike Pritchard was told by Coach Mike Shanahan he can play Sunday against Arizona.

He will not be disciplined by the team but could face sanctions from the NFL. “Any time something like this happens, with alcohol involved or an arrest, it goes right to the league,” Shanahan said.

Pritchard’s convertible jumped the curb at 1:07 a.m. Sunday near the University of Colorado campus. One of the women hit by the car was hospitalized with broken ribs and a broken vertebra and the other was treated and released.

Pritchard, 26, was arrested for investigation of vehicular assault and driving while impaired, police said. Breath tests showed Pritchard’s blood-alcohol level was 0.079%--below the Colorado standard for driving under the influence (.10%) but in the range of driving with impaired ability.

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Rick Mirer, demoted last week as Seattle’s No. 1 quarterback, probably will start Sunday against the New York Giants because John Friesz has a separated shoulder. Friesz was injured in the first quarter of the Seahawks’ 20-14 overtime loss at Arizona. Mirer then came in and threw two interceptions in two series and now leads the NFL with 14 interceptions. Friesz, who returned, also threw two interceptions, including one returned 72 yards by Lorenzo Lynch for the Cardinals’ winning touchdown in overtime.