It’s rare that a preseason game so forcefully confirms everything that we’ve read in training camp.
All August long, we heard Kyle Orton was playing the best football of his career. He backed that up with a sterling preseason opener, leading two workmanlike touchdown drives against the Bengals in three tries. (Orton finished with 84 yards and two touchdowns throws on 13 attempts.)
We’ve also heard that Brady Quinn has struggled during camp. With a chance to change his momentum, Quinn endured a first half against Cincinnati that closely resembled the worst work of JaMarcus Russell.
Quinn completed five-of-14 passes for only 38 yards and an interception returned for a touchdown. Quinn tripped, he fumbled, he stared down receivers, and then threw behind them. He was lucky that two more red zone passes weren’t picked off.
Sure, it’s just a preseason game. But the preseason may be all Quinn has in Denver before Tim Tebow passes him, making the former Notre Dame golden boy a No. 3 quarterback headed for a career as a backup, a third NFL team, or worse.
