LONDON – The Broncos are No. 2 in the NFL in points allowed and No. 5 in total defense. Now, their defense could be getting even stronger.

As expected, the Broncos on Saturday activated top reserve defensive lineman Malcolm Roach off injured reserve after he missed the first five games of the season with a calf injury. As expected, he replaced Ben Powers on the 53-man roster, who is out until at least December with a biceps injury and was put on injured reserve.

Roach will be available to be active for the Broncos in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, he remains listed as questionable.

The Broncos also elevated guard Calvin Throckmorton from the practice squad for Sunday’s game. Throckmorton, expected to be active for his first game this season, will provide veteran depth due to Powers being out.

More help could be arriving later on defense for the Broncos. Starting inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who has missed the first five games with a quad injury, will be eligible to come off injured reserve after the game against the Jets. However, it is uncertain if Greenlaw will be back this month.

The Broncos on Friday listed Roach as questionable for Sunday’s game, and a source said it was “likely” he would be activated Saturday. Roach returned to practice last Wednesday on a limited basis and was a full participant Thursday and Friday.

Powers suffered a torn left biceps in last Sunday’s 21-17 win at Philadelphia and underwent surgery the next day. A source said the Broncos hope he will be back in early to mid-December.

Broncos to work out Burks

After they return from London, a source said the Broncos in the coming week will work out wide receiver Treylon Burks.

Burks was taken by Tennessee with the No. 18 pick in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Arkansas. Playing with the Titans from 2022-24, Burks caught 53 passes for 699 yards and one touchdown.

Burks suffered a broken collarbone during training camp and was waived by Tennessee with an injury designation in July. He moved to the team’s injured reserve list and was waived off it last Tuesday.

Payton thrilled with NFL growth

Broncos coach Sean Payton has been paying close attention to football in the United Kingdom for nearly 40 years, and he’s thrilled with the growing popularity of the game.

Payton played quarterback in 1988 for the Leicester Panthers of the now-defunct UK Budweiser National League. Then, as head coach with New Orleans, he brought the Saints to games in London in 2008 and 2017.

“I think it’s been fantastic,’’ Payton said of the growth.

With flag football being added to the Olympics for 2028 in Los Angeles, Payton said that will spur international growth of the NFL even more.

“The flag game being added to the Olympics coming up (is) good news,’’ Payton said.

Broncos tight end Evan Engram, who will play his sixth game in London after appearing in five the previous three years with Jacksonville, is glad to help support the growth of the game overseas.

“It’s honestly incredible growing up playing football in the States and then coming over here,’’ Engram said.

Payton vs. Glenn

Payton has 182 NFL regular season and playoff wins in 18 years. The Jets’ Aaron Glenn has zero in his first year as a head coach.

It is quite the contrast between coaches on Sunday. But while Glenn heads the 0-5 Jets, the NFL’s only remaining winless team, Payton has great respect for him.

Glenn was a Dallas defensive back in 2005, Payton’s last of three seasons as a Cowboys assistant. As the Saints’ head coach, Payton had Glenn as a player in his final season of 2008 and as defensive backs coach from 2016-20.

“I’ve known Aaron Glenn a long time,’’ Payton said. “As a player, he was with us in Dallas, and then luckily, I was able to hire him as a coach. You see a team that’s playing their tails off.”

Payton called Glenn “a tremendous coach” and said he “was a huge asset to us in New Orleans” as an assistant.