The Broncos ditched the pads for their final practice before the preseason opener at Chicago, working out for two hours in shorts and shells.  Much of the practice was at a low tempo, with no full contact and no game-condition simulations as they'd had the previous two days. 

Broncos coach John Fox hasn't gone into detail about how long his starters will play, but in previous years with Denver and Carolina, his first-teamers rarely lasted beyond the first quarter and often were pulled before the end of it, depending on performance and the number of plays.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT -- ON EVERYTHING: The Broncos closed the session by spending several minutes rehearsing the pre-game routine, covering when groups take the field, how everyone lines up for stretching and the order in which warm-up drills happen. "It's been a while -- even for me," Fox said.

WHO'S OUT: Six Broncos will not make the trip to Chicago: safeties Jim Leonhard and Quinton Carter, NT Justin Bannan, WRs Tyler Grisham and Greg Orton and LB Keith Brooking. Fox declined to rule out LB D.J. Williams, terming him a "game-time decision," but his complete lack of repetitions through 12 practices makes it highly unlikely he'll play ? Running back Ronnie Hillman will be a game-time decision; he was eased back into practice the last two days after missing time because of a hamstring injury. 

SPECIAL VISITOR: Former Broncos coach Red Miller greeted Fox after practice. Miller, the first coach to guide the Broncos to an AFC Championship, attended the session with his wife and grandson.

For up-to-the-minute Broncos updates, follow Andrew Mason on Twitter at @CBSSportsNFLDEN and @MaxBroncos.