I'll take you back to the second quarter, with Denver up 3-0 and 56 seconds left in the first half. It's third-and-one at the New England 32, and the Patriots prepare themselves for a run up the gut. Only it Instead, Plummer drops back, steadies his feet and lobs a perfect rainbow to the right corner of the end zone.
When it descends it hits Javon Walker in stride, and -- just like that -- Denver is off and Which means Denver is back on its 2005 track, when it wound up in the AFC Championship Game. So why are the natives restless? More specifically, why isn't the city of Denver satisfied with Plummer?
and take the team to the playoffs every year. So what's wrong with that? Plus, he's 3-0 against New England since joining the Broncos, including "It felt really nice," said Plummer, who didn't commit a turnover for the first time this year.
"I finally felt what it was like to score. In this offense it's a sin not to put the ball in the end zone. All I had to do was throw the ball up there and let Javon go get it.
It was OK, so he stunk in the season opener. You mean to tell me John Elway never had one he'd like to throw back? Please.
Plummer was as good Sunday as he needed to be, which means he was called on for an occasional big play -- and when he was, he delivered. Like the Walker throw. Or his 11-yard completion from the end zone to Rod Smith.
Yep, that was Plummer bailing the Broncos out of a sticky situation. Hey, he was nearly sacked in the end zone in the first mistakes," coach Mike Shanahan said. "He made a couple of big plays and a couple of big throws at opportune times.
" The clincher was Plummer's 83-yard scoring strike to Walker, capping a 97-yard fourth-quarter drive. On third-and-six, Plummer took the snap on a shotgun, turned to his left and unloaded just before an onrushing Ty Warren unloaded on Plummer. The throw was perfect, with Walker dodging Not many guys make that throw.
Plummer did. So lay off him, Denver. Jay "I just threw the ball to a spot," Plummer said.
"I didn't see Javon. I was on my back and looking up when he was running downfield." Look, I'm not under any illusions.
Plummer is not Elway. But he doesn't have to be. This is a club built around a conservative game plan that features backs Mike and Tatum Bell more than it does Jake, and it's a club with a defense that is among the league's best.
I don't care how many yards they hemorrhage. I want to know how many points a defense And for those keeping score, Denver's given up 31 -- including one touchdown in 12 quarters and 34 series. You don't have to fill the air Broncos' opponents can't.
St. Louis had six field goals. Kansas City had two.
New England finally found the end zone, but only after it fell "I believe in the guys we have," Shanahan said. "We've been playing pretty consistent, and this was a good challenge. We feel very fortunate we got something like this done.
" Fortunate had nothing to do with Sunday's result. The Broncos were dominant, flummoxing Brady and checking the Patriots on 50 yards rushing. But it was the steady play of Plummer that stood out, Plummer lost the season opener in 2005, too.
Then he won 14 of his next "You know something?" said cornerback Champ Bailey, "I hope we're better than last year. I think we are.
And as far as Plummer goes, all he's done is win something like 75 percent of his games. But people get on him because he occasionally turns the ball over. Well, I hope they keep on getting after him because he keeps on winning.
" Which is what this game is all about. So what's wrong with Denver and Jake Plummer? New England can tell you.
Nothing.
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