truebluefan

Touchdown ends defense's streak

If the Broncos defense continues at its current pace, leaving a slew of team and various other records in its wake, perhaps Sunday's little blemish should have an asterisk.

By rights, the defensive unit should have been credited with another end zone shutout in a 17-7 victory against the Browns.

The streak of quarters without allowing a touchdown should be at 12 and counting.

The defense should have set a franchise record by holding opponents out of the end zone three consecutive weeks.

Instead, the streak ended at 11 quarters when a Jake Plummer interception gave the Browns field position and momentum in the fourth quarter.

complete article

truebluefan

As a growing group of media circled his locker, Gerard Warren struggled to slip his right shoe around his painful toe.

He tugged futilely, then tugged again. The foot remained shoeless. Frustrated by this development, Warren shooed away the media.

This time it worked. It was the only good play by the Broncos defensive tackle all day. On the first defensive play of the game, Warren wrenched his big toe. This was the right big toe, not the left toe he dislocated early in training camp, an injury that forced him to miss all four preseason games.

He says the injury isn't a dislocation this time, but it was serious enough to sideline him for the remainder of the Broncos' 17-7 win against his former Cleveland Browns and puts his next game - against the Indianapolis Colts - in doubt.

"I ain't no doctor," Warren said. "I don't know yet."

complete article

truebluefan

Javon Walker and Rod Smith deflected questions last week about what appeared to be a conservative Broncos offense by saying they're just employees and don't make the play calls.

On Sunday, they didn't just work, they got a workout.

Walker's nine catches were a season high in posting his second 100-yard game this season. Smith had more receptions (six) than he had the previous two games combined (five) and his total of 69 yards was his best output all year.

complete article

truebluefan

Javon Walker kicked off the week by putting himself and the Broncos' other offensive weapons in the spotlight.

Walker said everyone needed to seize the opportunity to resurrect a lifeless Denver offense.

Walker said he wanted the ball more, explaining he could be a part of the solution to the team's offensive woes.

After the Broncos spent the week addressing offensive frustrations, Walker and his teammates went to work with a more wide-open game plan Sunday. The result was a livelier offensive showing in the Broncos' 17-7 victory over the Browns.

complete article

truebluefan

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

complete article

truebluefan

On Sunday morning, Jake Plummer awoke in his hotel room, looked outside and saw nastiness.

Dark clouds. Wind.

"I was mentally ready for a downpour, maybe snow," the Broncos quarterback said.

The storm clouds actually had been forming much earlier, though.

For a week, the magnifying glass has been aimed at the Broncos offense, and in large part, him.

complete article

truebluefan

Against a stiff wind, cold skies, recent history and all odds, the Broncos decided this would be the game to implement Air Jake into their offensive game plan.

Now for the scary part for future Denver opponents. For half the game, Jake Plummer executed the passing attack. Shudder to think how good this Broncos team could be should Plummer put it together for four quarters.

As it was, the Broncos delivered one of their most complete performances of the season while smacking the Cleveland Browns 17-7 on an inclement Sunday afternoon just off the banks of Lake Erie.

"In this system and this team and this offense, just getting a 'W' sometimes isn't enough," Plummer said. "If I sat here and

complete article