So now we know: Josh McDaniels does have a quarterback competition going, but not the one the world wants to see.
Kyle Orton is No. 1, and it’s not close. The competition is between Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn for No. 2.
“That’s a competitive situation, I really do believe that,” the Broncos coach said of the backup job after the Bengals’ 33-24 victory at Paul Brown Stadium on a muggy night along the banks of the Ohio River.
“I think Tim and Brady both did some good things and both made some mistakes we need to fix. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the preseason goes.”
If you look only at the statistics — always a mistake in an exhibition game — it will look like Tebow (8-of-13 for 105 yards) and Orton (8-of-13 for 84 yards) were basically equivalent. They were not.
Orton’s two passing touchdowns in the first quarter came against the Bengals’ first-team defense. There were also some near-disasters while Tebow was in that don’t show up in the stats — two potential interceptions that Bengals defenders dropped and a sack and fumble for a Bengals touchdown McDaniels managed to get overturned on a challenge. Tebow and Quinn also had potential touchdowns dropped on long sideline throws.
Tebow got his score the Tebow way — by running it in on the game’s final play. He also took the sort of sandwich hit at the goal line that explains why so many running quarterbacks in college turn into passers in the NFL.
The best indication of the difference between Orton and his two backups came on the Broncos’ second touchdown with a move most fans probably didn’t even notice. The Broncos had a third-and-1 on the Bengals’ 6-yard line near the end of the first quarter.
McDaniels sent in a running play to get the first down. Orton saw the Bengals pinching for a blitz and checked out of the run, throwing to Brandon Lloyd for a dash to the end zone.
“That’s kind of a play to me that typifies where he’s at now relative to last year,” McDaniels said. “We run the ball in that situation, when they blitz the house like they did, we probably end up with a 1- or 2-yard gain, maybe. Instead, it’s a touchdown.
“I’m pleased with what he did. It’s kind of the same as what he’s done in training camp. He’s really performed well and he’s got really good command of what we’re doing.”
Quinn (6-of-16 for 68 yards and an interception) had the toughest night of the three, but McDaniels mostly shrugged it off.
“Brady kind of stalled early, and then we had the pass down the sideline I thought might have helped us get going a little bit there and didn’t convert on that,” he said. “He moved the ball down the field a little bit in the two-minute drive and we just couldn’t quite get it in. I think it’s a normal first start, I really do.”
It is worth remembering that Orton threw three interceptions in his Broncos preseason debut a year ago. As McDaniels pointed out, he was more productive between those interceptions than Quinn was Sunday, but the common element is both were playing their first game for a new team. That experience is more valuable than the results.
Orton’s evident superiority on the field makes the vast difference in public perception all the more striking. When Sunday’s game was over, Orton and Quinn exited the field barely noticed.
As Tebow neared the tunnel, the roar from fans gathered there grew to a crescendo. Barring an injury to Orton, Tebow will be either No. 2 or No. 3, but he will also be the biggest star on the team, by far.
“There are a lot of things I can be better at,” Tebow said. “I really went out there and tried to compete. We did some things pretty decent, but we still have a long way to go. I have a long way to go.”
While both first teams were on the field in the first quarter, the Broncos looked pretty good on both sides of the ball. Both touchdown drives were extended by third-down penalties on the Bengals, but throwing deep, as Orton did on the second, sometimes has that effect.
For fans expecting the worst, it was an encouraging start. Champ Bailey blew up two Bengals possessions by himself. Orton was in command. The running game was AWOL, but the Broncos were without arguably the top four running backs on the roster.
For all the offseason hype surrounding the trade for Quinn and drafting of Tebow, Orton’s hold on the starting job is firmer than ever. The battle is for second place.
