"Welcome back to football, Knowshon Moreno.

The Broncos running back made his 2010 debut Sunday after missing the preseason because of a hamstring injury suffered Aug. 1 during the first practice of training camp.

Moreno admitted he felt rusty through the first half of the game against the Jaguars and needed to trust that his body could sustain the hits of a regular-season game.

"As the game went on, I felt pretty good out there," said Mor- eno, who had 15 carries for 60 yards in the Broncos' 24-17 loss. "I felt strong. After the first couple of hits, I was pretty good."

Moreno's best run came in the third quarter when he bolted for a 17-yard gain, which included an athletic hurdle move reminiscent of his acrobatic feats at the University of Georgia. He scored on a 1-yard run two plays later.

"I'm definitely confident," Moreno said. "I prepared myself pretty well. I rehabbed really hard through this whole process.""