Broncos notes: A much better run

Knowshon Moreno looked better in his second game. The rookie running back gained 75 yards on 17 carries and was more decisive than he ran against Cincinnati.

“I felt good,” Moreno said. “I was able to slow down and let the game come to me.”

Starting tailback Correll Buckhalter gained 76 yards on nine carries, including a 45-yard touchdown run.

Receiver mix

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels offered little explanation why receiver Brandon Marshall, who started, didn’t play in either of the team’s final two series in the first half.

“No reason,” McDaniels said. “All our guys are ready to go whenever we call their number and we were doing some different things, moving people in and out.”

Marshall played again in the third quarter, perhaps because Eddie Royal needed intravenous fluid to keep him from dehydrating. Royal returned in the fourth quarter.

Odds and ends

Guard Chris Kuper, who missed the first game of the season with an ankle injury, started Sunday. … Peyton Hillis’ only carry came on the goal line. Offensive lineman Russ Hochstein lined up as a lead blocker and cleared a hole for Hillis’ 2-yard touchdown.