Broncos vs. Cowboys: Scratch Brady Quinn From The Denver QB Competition

Well at least there was one thing to take away from the Dallas Cowboys 24-23 win over the Denver Broncos.

Brady Quinn is not the answer.

The third-string QB for the Broncos was rumored to be on the brink of unseating Tim Tebow as the teams backup.

But after his performance on Thursday, that notion is out the window. Sure his stats look just fine, completing 8/14 passes for 120 yards and a TD. He had a QB rating of 109 and a few pretty throws, but overall he showed why his short time as a starter with the Browns was a failure.

Against a third-string defense, Quinn developed "happy feet" in the pocket and never seemed to make all of the reads he needed to. He air mailed multiple throws and seemed rushed in general. More than one pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Tebow didn't play great, but he moved the chains and was able to trow the ball effectively against a better defensive unit. He had a pretty TD run called back because of a holding call. The team scored six points with him in the game.

Yet his mechanics and throwing motion still left a lot to be desired. He bobbled snaps and bolted from the pocket after only checking his first read far too often. All of the concerns of Tebow entering the game still remain.

Kyle Orton started the game and was only given one possession. He moved the ball down the field like a starting QB should before choking in the redzone. He had three incompletions within the six-yard line and his ability to make big plays when they need them most is still up for debate.

So while Orton and Tebow did nothing to separate themselves from each other, Quinn reminded John Fox and the rest of the coaching staff why he is the third-stringer that will be holding a clipboard on the sidelines for all 16 games this season.

—Eric Ball