ENGLEWOOD – Marvin Mims Jr. helped save the Broncos last Sunday with an impressive late-game catch, but not many folks saw it live in his home area.

This Sunday, though, Mims will be on a lot of televisions in the Dallas area.

The third-year Denver wide receiver is a native of Frisco, Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas and where the Cowboys have their training facility. He is excited about facing the Cowboys for the first time at Empower Field at Mile High .

“Everybody back home will be watching, so it will be cool,’’ Mims said about the game on CBS after a practice this week at Broncos Park.

Mims has been hearing from plenty of friends from the area.

“They’re rooting for me and then they’re going for the Cowboys,’’ Mims said.

Although Denver’s dramatic 33-32 home win over the New York Giants last week wasn’t shown on network television in the Dallas area, highlights from the game were no doubt welcomed. With the Broncos defeating a Cowboys’ NFC East rival, Mims had six catches for 85 yards. Denver scored 33 points in the fourth quarter and overcame fourth-quarter deficits of 19-0 and 26-8.

With the Broncos trailing 32-30 with 33 seconds left, Bo Nix threw a 29-yard pass to Mims down the middle to the Giants’ 48. After a 5-yard penalty on the Giants and a 22-yard throw from Nix to Coutland Sutton, Wil Lutz kicked a game-winning 39-yard field goal on the final play.

“They ended up playing safeties really deep, so I just go through the first level and get halfway to the second level and turn around and the ball ends up being right there and I just made a play on it,’’ Mims said of his catch between three Giants defenders.

Mims will test a team Sunday that ranks No. 32 and last in the NFL in total defense. So odds are good he could have another strong showing.

When Mims grew up in the Dallas area, he followed the Cowboys.

“I liked (wide receiver) Dez Bryant,” Mims said. “He was probably my favorite (player) to watch. He was the guy in Dallas. Just throw it up to him and he made plays.’’

Mims said he also closely followed quarterback Tony Romo and running back DeMarco Murray. He said it was “cool” having Murray, who is Oklahoma’s running back coach, on the staff for three seasons when Mims played for the Sooners.

Broncos stress faster starts

Coming off a game in which they went scoreless in the first three quarters, Broncos coach Sean Payton has been stressing to his players the need to start faster.

“We want to start better. … I thought (that being the) point of emphasis this week with the whole group, they handled it well,’’ Payton said Friday.

Payton said in practice during the week the Broncos stressed “attention to detail” and looked at ways to “create more stress and urgency.” The hope is it will carry over to Sunday.

“(It was) just making sure of everybody having that mentality,’’ said wide receiver Troy Franklin.

Bailey hopeful for elevation

With linebacker Dre Greenlaw suspended by the NFL for Sunday’s game for verbally harassing referee Brad Allen after the win over the Giants, Levelle Bailey would welcome being elevated from the practice squad to face the Cowboys.

With Greenlaw missing the first six games of the season due to a quad strain, Bailey was elevated for the opener and Garret Wallow was elevated for the next three games before Wallow was signed to the 53-man roster and got into two more games. But Wallow was placed on injured reserve after being hurt in Denver’s 13-11 win over the New York Jets in Week 6. So the Broncos won’t have Greenlaw or Wallow on Sunday.

“Just be ready for the opportunity, whatever role that is,’’ Bailey said of his mindset. “Whenever my number is called, just go out and be confident and just play the best I can.”

Payton mum on Strnad fine

With Greenlaw out, linebacker Justin Strnad again will fill in for him.

Strnad was shown on video making contact with Allen in the celebration after Lutz’s winning field goal against the Giants. NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent told Pro Football Talk on Thursday that Strnad was fined for the incident with the referee.

Strnad shrugged off a question Thursday about a possible fine. Payton did so Friday when asked about Vincent having confirmed the fine.

“I’m not going to comment on that because over the years I’ve learned it doesn’t matter,’’ Payton said. “My opinion relative to that doesn’t matter.”

After a controversial late-game pass interference call on Riley Moss late in the win over the Giants, Payton ran onto the field in protest and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. Asked if he received a fine for that, Payton said, “Not that I’m aware of.”

Briefly

Outside linebacker Jonah Elliss will return Sunday for Denver after missing two games with a shoulder injury. While the Broncos listed no players with an injury designation on their final report of the week, the Cowboys listed as out two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs (concussion), starting safety Donovan Wilson (elbow, shoulder), linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (knee) and cornerback Shavon Revel (knee). … The Broncos announced that the Payton family this week made a “lead donation” for the first inpatient playground at Children’s Hospital Colorado. “I was really excited with the job they did, and we’ll continue to work with them,’’ Payton said. … Payton called Chauncey Billups “a close friend to many of us” and he commented on the Denver native and former Colorado and Nuggets star guard being arrested Thursday for allegedly being involved in fixed poker games. “You hate it,’’ Payton said of hearing the news.