by Mike Klis The Denver Post , The Denver Post

Turn the ignition in a car that hasn't been started in a while and it will cough, sputter and whir before catching. New Broncos punter Mitch Berger initially kicked Sunday as if stiff from inactivity this season - which was the case until the Broncos released Brett Kern last week and signed Berger, a 16-year veteran.

"I was a little rusty, especially in the first half," said Berger, who long ago punted for the University of Colorado. "I was trying to get the ball up nice and high and get some fair catches, but I caught them a little bit short. I want the fair catches, but I don't want them that short."

In the first half of the Broncos' 30-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Berger had plenty of field to work with, but had one punt go 30 yards and another for 33, although they were also unable to be returned.

Kern could regularly boom his punts 50 yards, but he was waived primarily because too many were returned for 10, 20 or 77 yards, as San Diego's Darren Sproles did in the Broncos' previous game.

"We're worried more about the net than the gross," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said of Berger's debut. "But that will get better. It will keep getting better."

Unfortunately for McDaniels and the Broncos , Berger got too many opportunities to punt off his rust and not enough time working on his holds for place-kicker Matt Prater.

Berger's last punt of the first half came down at the Baltimore 5, and in the second half he had a 43-yard punt with a fair catch, and 53-yarder with a 14-yard return.

``I felt a little more comfortable as the game went on, and hopefully that will transfer to the next week,'' Berger said. ``Hopefully one rusty week is all I'm going to be dealing with.'' ----------- Big breakdowns

Broncos special teams have had

significant problems in each of the past three games:

AT BALTIMORE

Rookie Lardarius Webb returned the

second-half kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, giving the Ravens a 13-0 lead.

AT SAN DIEGO

Darren Sproles' 77-yard punt return for a touchdown eventually led to the

release of Broncos punter Brett Kern.

VS. NEW ENGLAND

Darrell Reid ran into the punter and

Richard Quinn lined up offside to twice give the Patriots a fourth-down reprieve during a crucial second-half drive.

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