n if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quit

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Gary Kubiak is full of faith in one young quarterback and hope in another.The Denver Broncos coach is optimistic Trevor Siemian can return to the lineup this weekend and trusts that rookie Paxton Lynch has a bright future despite his shaky start Sunday at Jacksonville.Lynch completed just a dozen passes -- only two after halftime -- for 104 yards and converted just one of 13 first downs. But he didnt turn the ball over like he had in his first start against Atlanta in Week 5, when he threw an interception and fumbled twice.Lynch, whos still learning how to play under center, make progressions in the passing game and call plays in the huddle -- things he didnt do much at the University of Memphis -- struggled mostly with his accuracy . But his ball protection allowed Denvers defense and special teams to lead the way to a 20-10 victory that put them back in the playoff picture at 8-4.Hes still a young, raw player, Kubiak said. Hell learn a lot from this game. He missed two big plays in the game off of bootlegs that could have been touchdowns for us. But hell learn from that and be better because of it.Although Denver managed just 206 yards of offense, its defense forced three turnovers and punter Riley Dixon averaged 46 yards on 11 punts, accounting for 506 yards. Dixons 41.4-yard net punting average is the highest by any rookie in NFL history.Siemian sat out Sunday with a left mid-foot sprain he suffered in overtime of Denvers loss to Kansas City a week earlier. He spent a few days last week in a walking boot but was out of it by the weekend and showed no noticeable limp in the locker room Monday.The true test comes Wednesday if hes cleared to practice, to see if he can move around in the pocket.The Broncos playoff hopes could rest on that answer.Their next four opponents have a combined .729 winning percentage. No one in the NFL has a tougher schedule to finish out the season than the Broncos, who visit AFC South co-leader Tennessee (6-6) on Sunday.Siemian had his best game as a pro , 368 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions, against the Chiefs, just the kind of step-it-up performance Kubiak challenged him to deliver in Denvers stretch run. But he hurt his foot on a sack in overtime and Lynch was up again.Playing behind a porous O-line, Siemian hasnt been able to stay healthy. He bruised his throwing shoulder in the preseason and sustained a bruised left A.C. joint in Week 4. He missed six quarters and was bothered by that injury until the bye week. Then, he got hurt again.Yeah, learning how to stay healthy as a player, its an art in a lot of ways, Kubiak said. Youve got to know how to protect yourself and getting rid of the ball and those type of things. So, hopefully he can improve upon those things. But the good news is its not something where hes missed a lot of time. So, hopefully hes back here and he can take care of himself throughout the rest of the year.The coaching staff last week modified the offense to fit Lynchs skills and grasp of the playbook, putting him in the shotgun and moving him around. Its just that his throws were off-target.I just think its a guy who went out and played in his second start, Kubiak said. Ive been doing this a long time and seen young players. Hes still a young, raw player.Kubiak seemed taken aback by questions this week about Lynchs long-term future in the NFL.Oh God, I think this guys got a brilliant career ahead of him, Kubiak said. Im really excited. Were asking a lot of him. ... Hes a young kid, but Im excited about some of the things I see and Im also excited about things I know we can correct that are going to help him out.But hes a hard worker, hes a good kid. He went in there and protected the ball, which we needed him to do for us to win. Yeah, he can make some more plays. 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Bob Lilly Jersey . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . Jaylon Smith Cowboys Jersey . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. ST. LOUIS -- The San Diego Padres juggled their rotation after Tuesday nights game against the St. Louis Cardinals was postponed because of anticipated storms that finally materialized about one hour and 45 minutes after the scheduled start.Busch Stadium was dry but empty when heavy rains began.The Tuesday night pitching matchup, Colin Rea vs. Carlos Martinez, moves to the Wednesday opener at 2:15 p.m. ET. Paul Clemens gets a spot start in the second game set for 8:15 p.m. ET and will oppose Jaimme Garcia.ddddddddddddAndrew Cashner gets bumped back a day to the series finale on Thursday, opposing Adam Wainwright.Clemens (1-0, 4.73) made two starts for Miami, the most recent one on June 25, three days before being claimed by the Padres. In 14 starts for Triple-A New Orleans hes 6-4 with a 4.30 ERA.Both clubhouses were closed after the postponement was announced. ' ' '