Loyalty isn't a word that gets used very often these days in professional sports. And, truth be told, NFL coaches - witness the sudden departures of assistants in Phoenix and Baltimore last week - can be the worst offenders when it comes to choosing self-preservation over allegiance.
However, here at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Mike Shanahan and Romeo Crennel put their faith in a couple of embattled members of their organizations. And while the performance of one, Cleveland offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, certainly made it a lot easier for the second, Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, by the end of Denver's 17-7 victory, you could certainly understand why it can be so hard to stand by your man.
"Sometimes just getting a win isn't enough," Plummer admitted about his role in turning what should have been a rout into yet another exasperating "What's the deal?" afternoon.
It certainly didn't have to be that way. On a day when an ESPN report said
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