With Peyton Manning and most of the recognizable starters getting the night off, the match-up was used almost entirely to determine which of the second-, third- and fourth-rung players of the 75 still on the roster would be around later today when the Broncos must cut down to 53. But given how many of the on-the-bubble ballers are unrecognizable to the average fan, pretty much the only drama involves Knowshon Moreno, a first-round draft pick by Josh "Team Killer" McDaniels who's underperformed to date and is coming off ACL surgery.
Understanding that he was playing for his NFL life, Moreno acquitted himself pretty well, racking up 49 yards on seven carries. That he did so against back-ups from one of the lesser outfits in the league skews that accomplishment, though -- and Elway's praise of his training camp during that second quarter chat with Dave Logan and Ed McCaffrey shouldn't be taken as any indication he'll stick around, especially given that he doesn't play on special teams. The drafting of Ronnie Hillman this year clearly indicated that Denver was looking to replace Moreno, and the smart money's on Elway and company doing so this afternoon.Also probably bound for oblivion (or the practice squad) is fourth-string quarterback Adam Weber, even though he completed a 45-yard strike to Greg Orton that got Matt Prater close enough to smack a 44-yard field goal, blessedly preventing overtime. But Omar Bolden no doubt secured his spot with a 103-yard kickoff return -- one of the few exciting moments in an otherwise desultory time-waster. (See it here.)
Expect to see a few recognizable names among those bid adieu later today. But for the most part, the surprises will be few and the bottom line remains the same. If Manning stays healthy, the Broncos should have an exciting season. If he doesn't, we might even miss Tim Tebow.
More from our Sports archive: "Video: Peyton Manning head slam, lack of rust in 49ers loss."
