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Denver Native (Carol)
08-16-2010, 11:51 AM
http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_15790428

CINCINNATI — Squeezed between the veteran starter who just threw two touchdown passes and supposedly the franchise future who was about to make his professional debut, Brady Quinn played as if he had to do extraordinarily well just to get noticed.

Instead, Quinn seemed to press.

The Broncos' backup quarterback came out Sunday badly overthrowing, then threw a pick six to Cincinnati cornerback David Jones. Quinn settled down and eventually started playing well, but not until after he relearned a lesson that trying too hard often doesn't work in the athletic arena.

"Just had a hard time finding a rhythm in the beginning," Quinn said.

After starter Kyle Orton threw two touchdown passes to give the Broncos a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, Quinn's first series was a three-and- out possession on three incompletes. It didn't help that the first-string offensive line, which protected so brilliantly for Orton, was finished while the second unit struggled to block.

Quinn was 0-for-5, with the interception return for a touchdown, through his first three possessions.

But the former first-round draft pick bounced back to complete 5-of-9 in an 11-play drive late in the first half that finished with a short Matt Prater field goal.

"The two-minute drive, we settled down, found a rhythm and took what they gave us," Quinn said.

Freak injury.

Coach Josh McDaniels left the Broncos' locker room with a noticeable limp. He suffered a broken right toe after a chair fell on it.

"It's no big deal," McDaniels said.

Still the Champ.

Champ Bailey is 32 going on reclaiming his long-held status as the NFL's best cornerback from holdout Darrelle Revis. On back-to-back plays to start the Bengals' second series, Bailey knocked a pass away from Terrell Owens on an intermediate crossing route, then deflected away a quick slant to Chad Ochocinco.

That drive eventually died when Bailey tackled Owens shy of a first down in Broncos territory on a short fourth-down reception.

"It was an interesting situation because it was a preseason game, but they weren't playing like a preseason game," McDaniels said.

Not so fast, Fargas.

Running back Justin Fargas, a veteran signed last week, said Friday he believed he would make it into Sunday's game. But he didn't get a snap because Denver trailed much of the second half.

"We had said it was going to be of a first- or second-down kind of thing and . . . we didn't want to put him in in a situation that was unfair to him," McDaniels said. "And he knows that. . . . He'll play against Detroit."

Fargas, who was a 1,000-yard rusher for the Raiders in 2007, signed with the Broncos after LenDale White suffered a leg injury. White did not make the trip to Cincinnati.

Injury report.

The most serious of the game appeared to be to Darcel McBath. The safety, who started in place of Brian Dawkins, left the game in the second quarter.

McBath grabbed his right thumb following the play and had his forearm heavily wrapped minutes later. He left the stadium with a splint on the arm, but he did not suffer a fracture.

Footnotes.

The first-team defense played only two series. The Bengals drove to the Broncos' 26 and 31, respectively, but did not score. . . . Rookie linebacker Jammie Kirlew and linebacker Baraka Atkins had the Broncos' only sacks — in the third quarter.

Mike Klis and Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post