It was rumored that Tuesday would be the day for Knowshon Moreno's return to practice, and with the Denver Broncos coming off of an impressive preseason win (as impressive as a preseason win can be), the timing couldn't be any better. Lance Ball has done a fine job of holding down the fort, but the offense has seemed to be lacking in big name players.

Sure, Kyle Orton is flying way under the radar this year as he looks to improve upon last year's career season, but a big part of his success is going to hinge on Moreno. And if you're a Tim Tebow guy, keep in mind that Josh McDaniels has already said Knowshon is the trigger man in the Wild Horses offense.

While Moreno has said he is only at 80 percent, he is by far the most talented player in the Denver Broncos backfield, and most people would agree he is the most talented skill player the Broncos have. Watching the team navigate the preseason in his absence has gone over well because of focus on other players, but his return is a definitive boost.

Of all the injuries the Broncos have suffered this off season, the two most difficult to compensate for were Ryan Clady and Knowshon Moreno (no offense to Elvis Dumervil), and there was some speculation the team would not be getting them back for a long time. That likely would have left the Broncos dead in the water.

Now that Moreno has returned, and Denver has a legitimately threatening ground game, I expect a couple of things to happen when you watch the first team offense:

First, Kyle Orton is going to throw fewer interceptions. With a back at the talent level of Moreno, play action becomes a definite possibility after you establish the run, so I expect the opposing defensive secondary to be sucked in frequently.

That is exceedingly key when you take into consideration how good Orton has looked already in the preseason. With more space for receivers he should perform at an even higher level.

Obviously a lot of Orton's skill increase seems to be attributed to his experience with the offensive system. It is his second year, after all, and in this system that has been the true break out mark for most quarterbacks.

Tim Tebow will also benefit from having a Wild Horses partner. Not only that, but perhaps he'll let Moreno do some of the goal line charges against teams like Cincinnati.

It seems that with Ryan Clady and Knowshon Moreno back in place, the Denver offense will be freed up to do the things it needs to do to succeed on the field. Let's be realistic: for the second straight season, people aren't expecting a whole lot from this unit.

But it is always fun to surprise people.

For Moreno, the early return (while there is still plenty of practice time left) should keep you from being surprised when the Broncos offense comes out strong against Jacksonville.

For this season, you can consider him the crucial piece.