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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, November 7, 2008

Broncos rally past Browns

 •  Ex-Warriors earn big-time salaries

Associated Press

CLEVELAND — John Elway isn't the only Denver quarterback capable of breaking Cleveland's heart.

Jay Cutler pulled off this fourth-quarter comeback, turning Brady Quinn's big night into his own prime-time showcase.

Cutler passed for a career-high 447 yards and threw three touchdown passes in the final 15 minutes last night — the last an 11-yarder to Brandon Marshall with 1:14 remaining — to rally the broken Broncos to a 34-30 win over the Browns, spoiling Quinn's highly hyped debut as an NFL starter.

The Broncos (5-4) entered the fourth quarter trailing 23-13, but Cutler, borrowing a page out of Elway's comeback playbook, brought Denver back. He recorded his fifth career fourth-quarter comeback victory despite losing two more running backs to injuries.

"It was a big, big win for us," Cutler said. "To be down 13 and have an empty backfield and to come back like this, it means a lot."

Cutler threw a 93-yard TD pass to rookie wide receiver Eddie Royal, a 28-yarder to tight end Daniel Graham and then finished off the Browns like so many Denver teams have done in the past with his toss to Marshall in the corner of the end zone.

Quinn threw two TD passes to Kellen Winslow and went 23-of-35 for 239 yards.

Quinn had the Browns (3-6) in position to win, but once again Cleveland's defense couldn't come up with a stop.