With the Chargers building an early 13-point lead and Broncos quarterback Chris Simms looking not so sharp, Simms has been yanked, and Kyle Orton has been inserted into the game, ankle injury notwithstanding.
If the move smacks of desperation, it should. The Broncos need this game badly, and it’s already slipping away.
And the decision paid off quickly, with Orton taking the Broncos right down the field, via a 22-yard completion to Brandon Marshall and a 38-yard gain to Jabar Gaffney.
But the drive sputtered when running back Knowshon Moreno coughed the ball up at the goal line, to be recovered in the end zone by the Chargers. Denver coach Josh McDaniels pitched the red handkerchief, and the play was upheld via replay review.
