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Bengals bring in QB support

The Associated Press

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals added some needed quarterback depth on Thursday by signing Kyle Shurmur to the practice squad.

Brandon Allen, who had been starting for the Bengals in place of injured rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, hurt his knee in last week’s loss to Dallas. Allen didn’t practice Thursday, with Ryan Finley getting the first-team reps.

Coach Zac Taylor said Allen is day to day, and if he can’t go then Finley will start Monday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The current practice team QB, Kevin Hogan, likely would move up into the No. 2 spot.

Shurmur, a Vanderbilt product and son of Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, hasn’t played in an NFL game, but spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

Smart thinking

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When the Denver Broncos were forced to play the New Orleans Saints without any quarterbacks last month, they vowed not to get caught similarly ill prepared should something happen to their kicker or punter.

So, they signed Taylor Russolino, a 31-year-old rookie who played for the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks earlier this year.

Once he cleared COVID-19 protocols himself, the Broncos put him on their practice squad and isolated him from the other specialists.

Russolino worked out only with special teams coordinator Tom McMahon from the time he arrived late last month until this week when the contingency plan began paying off.

Kicker Brandon McManus is expected to miss the Broncos’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday after going on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a close contact this week, coach Vic Fangio said Thursday. Because they were thinking ahead, Russolino will get to play now. He was 9 for 10 on field-goal tries in the ill-fated XFL this spring with a long of 58 yards.

Landry speaks out

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry called Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters “a coward” for appearing to spit at him during Monday’s game.

A video taken from the national TV broadcast shows Peters spitting in Landry’s direction at the end of the first quarter. Landry has his back turned and is walking in the opposite direction and toward Cleveland’s huddle when Peters spits.

“He’s a coward,” Landry said Thursday on a Zoom call after practice. “He knew that maybe behind my back he could do things like that, but to my face he wouldn’t.”

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