His biggest fan
Jake Plummer has a powerful ally in Mike Shanahan
By Mike Klis
Denver Post Staff Writer
DenverPost.com
Former coaching great Jimmy Johnson may not like Jake Plummer. Those critical fans positioned in expensive seats behind the Broncos' bench may not like Jake Plummer.
The folks at home armed with sofa pillows may not like Jake Plummer.
None of these people, though, is directly responsible for the success or failure of the Broncos. As head coach, Mike Shanahan is the only man who carries such weight.
And Shanahan likes Jake Plummer.
Asked Monday if he considered replacing the struggling Plummer at quarterback with rookie Jay Cutler - not as a permanent move but as a temporary spark - Shanahan slightly paused but never flinched.
"Uh, no," he said. "It's going to be constant. It happened last year. It happened when John Elway was here. It happened in San Francisco with Joe Montana and Steve Young. This is football and it is great. It's great for talk radio, it's great for TV, but Jake has won a lot of games. Just because we started off a little slow, just like we did last year, doesn't mean it's the end of the world."
A woeful offensive start has emerged as the primary concern for a team that reached the most recent AFC championship game and has Super Bowl aspirations this season. Questioned about several components that may explain the offensive struggles - from Plummer, to a change in offensive coordinators, to the Broncos' conservative offensive game plans, to the opponents' aggressive defensive game plans - Shanahan's explanation carried a repeated theme: It's nothing more than a repeat of last year.
In their 2005 season opener, the Broncos were shocked at Miami, committing three turnovers, two on Plummer interceptions, scoring their only touchdown in the fourth quarter and losing 34-10.
This year, the Broncos were surprised at St. Louis, committing five turnovers, three on Plummer interceptions, scoring their only touchdown late in the first half, and losing 18-10 to the Rams.
In the second game last season, the Broncos were booed off the field at halftime, trailing San Diego 14-3. They rallied for a 20-17 win, but cornerback Champ Bailey scored one touchdown on an interception return, and the other was set up by a Darrent Williams' punt return.
From there, the Broncos took off, finishing 13-3 and beating the Patriots in the playoffs. Plummer went eight games and 229 passes without an interception.
"Why did he start slow last year?" Shanahan said. "If I knew, I would have corrected it. Obviously I don't know. That's just football."
But if the Broncos are to continue revisiting history, they must deal with the first major difference between this year and last: Game 3.
Last year, the Broncos played Kansas City at home; this year, they play the Patriots at New England. To beat the Pats and avoid taking a 1-2 record into their bye week, the Broncos may need more than defense alone.
"We just watched the film and we're so close on so many different plays," Broncos tight end Stephen Alexander said. "Last year I think those were plays we made, whether it was throwing the ball or catching the ball or even up front, taking a little bit better angle on a block here and we break it. So it's not anything glaring.
"We'll have a good plan for New England. We played them twice last year and we did pretty well. We know it's a tough place to play and they're a good team, but I'm confident we'll get it done."
How? The Broncos either have to figure out how to get Plummer rolling out to the edges or hope he performs more effectively from the pocket.
The Rams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game, used a game plan that forced Plummer to beat them as a straight, dropback passer. The blitzes came from the outside, and in their base defense, weakside linebackers and ends were ordered to stay at home.
"It's something they feel they have to do, but you have to be accountable for other parts of the game, too," Broncos right tackle George Foster said. "If they want to defend against the outside, that's fine, but you have to be accountable on the inside, too."
Indeed, with the running lanes a bit wider this year, the Broncos have nearly doubled their two-game rushing total from last year.
But against the Chiefs, the Broncos didn't incorporate many play-action bootleg passes in their game plan, relying instead on end-around runs by Javon Walker and screen passes for misdirection.
But Plummer, shackled to the pocket, was ineffective as a passer. The home crowd booed and Johnson, the former Dallas Cowboys coach who is now a network analyst, called for Cutler to play.
Instead, the Broncos made a late adjustment against the Chiefs, moving their quarterback back in the shotgun and calling quick-release passes.
Next are the Pats, who are coached by defensive guru Bill Belichick. If the offense is going to do its part, the Broncos either have to figure out how to make Plummer more comfortable or Plummer simply has to start playing better.
"We're going to keep on working; we're going to correct our mistakes," Shanahan said. "Jake has proven he can play at a certain level. So let's get behind him and hopefully do that."
Ready? Break.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.
