Josh McDaniels Stands by Shaky Kyle Orton as Broncos' Starting QB

SAN FRANCISCO -- Broncos rookie coach Josh McDaniels is standing by his man Kyle Orton, despite the rash of interceptions that have made the Denver starting quarterback an easy target for criticism.

"I'm just telling you, I'm not worried about that," McDaniels said despite Orton's three first-half interceptions in a 17-16 49ers' preseason victory at Candlestick Park Friday. "That'll be something that we can fix and move forward from. You evaluate those plays and those mistakes, why they happened, what caused them, whether it's a [quarterback] decision or a miscommunication.

"There are a lot of things that go into playing quarterback. Certainly [Orton] made a lot of mistakes tonight. But I haven't lost faith in him and neither have our players."

More Coverage: Orton Disappoints ... Again

Orton, who completed 9-of-16 passes for 89 yards and those three sloppy interceptions in two full quarters against the 49ers' first- and second-team defense, said he isn't pressing this preseason despite his many mistakes

The three turnovers in his exhibition debut Friday, along with the two picks he tossed during a controlled scrimmage at Denver's Invesco Field last week, aren't causing Orton any undue concern. He was happy with the Broncos' aggressive pace Friday night, especially in the red zone – even if that quick start led to a Nate Clements' interception at the 49ers' 3-yard line.

"I don't know about that one ... I want to go back and watch it on film and see what it was," Orton said of the Clements' pick, "but you certainly can't force the ball down there. We got off to a really fast start and were moving the ball really well. So you've got to come away with points. You can't force the ball in that situation."

Broncos backup quarterback Chris Simms completed 11-of-17 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, which begs a question Orton heard time and again during his career in Chicago:

Quarterback controversy, anyone?

"I'm not worried about it. I've got a lot of confidence in myself and my team's got a lot of confidence in me," Orton said. "I've got to keep on plugging away, getting ready for the first game."

McDaniels' continued vote of confidence in the turnover-plagued Orton may end up haunting the first-year head coach, but his quarterback appreciates the support.

"That's certainly what you need as a starting quarterback in this league, is the support of your coach," Orton said. "We talked about it. We talked about it after every drive. We talked about it at halftime.

"Like I said, I don't want to make those decisions; I don't want to have the three interceptions, obviously. But for the most part I felt very comfortable and I thought we did some good things on offense. I'll go back, watch the film and get better."