CLEVELAND (AP) -Brady Quinn threw a pair of touchdown passes to Kellen Winslow in his first NFL start, sending the Cleveland Browns to a 20-10 halftime lead over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.
eer start. Torain left midway through the second quarter with a sprained left knee. He was replaced by Selvin Young, who then went out with a groin injury – the fourth Broncos running back injured this week.
Starter Michael Pittman (spinal cord) and backup Andre Hall (hand) sustained season-ending injuries in the Broncos’ loss to Miami on Sunday.
Quinn, the former Notre Dame star drafted in the first round by the Browns in 2007, got a loud ovation when he was introduced with the starting offense for the first time. The cheers got louder when he hit Winslow with a pinpoint pass in the center of the end zone with 3:38 left in the first quarter to tie it at 7.
A popular backup in Cleveland, Quinn started in place of struggling quarterback Derek Anderson, who made the Pro Bowl last season. The Browns announced the move late Monday.
With the attention of fans and a national TV audience on Quinn, Cutler was sharp early. He completed seven of his first nine passes for 128 yards, including a 39-yard toss to a wide-open Tony Scheffler on the game’s first play. Denver’s first drive stalled and Matt Prater missed a 38-yard field-goal attempt, giving the ball to Quinn at the Cleveland 20.
His first pass attempt to Winslow fell incomplete before he connected on a 7-yarder to Syndric Steptoe on third-and-8.
lead with 7:03 remaining. Torain, who made his NFL debut on Sunday, plunged in from the 1.
Cleveland came right back, helped by a 37-yard kickoff return by Joshua Cribbs. Quinn quickly completed an 18-yard pass to Donte Stallworth, then let Jamal Lewis carry the load. Lewis ran three times for 40 yards to the Denver 1 before being tackled for a 4-yard loss. Quinn then found Winslow to tie it.
Phil Dawson kicked a 24-yard field goal on Cleveland’s first possession of the second quarter for a 10-7 lead.
An interception by Brodney Pool put the Browns back on the attack deep in Denver territory moments later. He stepped in front of Cutler’s pass over the middle intended for Brandon Marshall and returned it to the Broncos 20.
Three plays later, Quinn connected with Winslow on the left side for a 16-yard TD. The Pro Bowl tight end shook off a tackle by Marquand Manuel at the 5 and jogged into the end zone to make it 17-7.
Cutler then drove the Broncos 60 yards in 10 plays with Prater kicking a 35-yard field goal to make it 17-10 with 5:40 left in the half.
Dawson connected from 52 yards with 1:09 remaining to make it 20-10.
ded by disenchanted fans chanting “Bra-dy, Bra-dy,” during home losses to Dallas, Pittsburgh and most recently Baltimore.
The Browns came in after a disappointing 37-27 loss to the Ravens on Sunday when they blew a 14-point lead in the second half. They were seeking their first win over Denver since 1990, having lost seven in a row to the Broncos. Denver has dominated the series for more than three decades, winning 18 of 20 since 1974 and beating the Browns in the AFC championship game following the 1986, 1987 and 1989 seasons.
The Broncos’ loss to Miami on Sunday, their third in a row, dropped Denver to 4-4.
Cleveland was without Pro Bowl guard Eric Steinbach, sidelined by a pulled muscle in his rib area.
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