Sunday, October 05, 2003

By Ed Bouchette, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

Is that Jake Plummer in Denver or John Elway?

Plummer is proving once again that you can take the boy out of Phoenix and you can take the Cardinals out of him, just as Simeon Rice did before him with Tampa Bay.

After a poor start in the opener in Cincinnati, Plummer is playing out of his mind with the Broncos. In the past three games, he has completed 48 of 68 passes for 568 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions.

His passer rating in the past three games is 129.5 vs. San Diego, 128.5 vs. Oakland and 116.9 vs. Detroit. It's the best three-game stretch of passer ratings in franchise history, including any threesome by Elway.

"When he gets comfortable, totally comfortable in this offense," tight end Shannon Sharpe said, "if we don't score 30 points a game, I'm going to donate my paycheck to charity."

The 4-0 Broncos visit the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs today to warm up for their game with the Steelers next Sunday in Denver.

Inactive and unhappy

Rookie Larry Johnson may not be the latest Penn State running back to be a first-round bust. He'd have to play first.

Kansas City drafted Johnson with the 27th pick after flip-flopping spots at No. 16 with the Steelers, who drafted safety Troy Polamalu. Johnson hasn't played in a game yet. He's third string behind Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock. The Chiefs drafted him as insurance because Holmes had off-season hip surgery. Holmes is third in the AFC with 386 yards rushing and seven touchdowns.

Johnson is not happy with his inactive status.

"They could have waited until next year to draft a back," Johnson said. "They don't really need me here. Priest is playing better than he did before the injury. They drafted me No. 1 and gave me all this money to be a practice player. It's heartbreaking."

Comparisons are cropping up between Johnson and former Penn State backs Curtis Enis and Ki-Jana Carter, both flops in the NFL.

"Some day, down the line, hopefully I'll prove to people that I'm more than what people are saying," Johnson said.

Trouble in Jacksonville

Jack Del Rio, the rah-rah new coach in Jacksonville, put a tree stump with an axe in the Jaguars' locker room last week to stress a philosophy to keep chopping wood. Players took the axe to the tree stump, but they forgot to take it to the second-year Houston Texans, who beat them two days later. In the meantime, there were wood chips all over the Jaguars' locker room and an aroma that prompted a couple of players to say "it stinks."

They miss Tom Coughlin already.

Quick slants

Marty Schottenheimer coached his 0-4 Redskins against the 0-4 Cowboys two years ago, and today takes his 0-4 Chargers against the 0-4 Jaguars as the race for the NFL's No. 1 draft pick continues.

Peyton Manning threw more touchdowns than incompletions (6-5) against the New Orleans Saints.

For only the second time since 1973, three quarterbacks had passer ratings greater than 145 in the same week when Manning (a perfect 158.3), Ford City's Gus Frerotte (157.2) and Steelers-killer Steve McNair (148.2) did it.

The Bengals trailed in games this season for 215 minutes, 59 seconds consecutively until they took a 21-14 lead in Cleveland with 9:01 left in the third quarter last Sunday, their only lead of the season.

On the other hand, Denver has held a lead for 206:26 of 240 minutes.

Jamal Lewis (94) and Ricky Williams (93) have more carries than Jerome Bettis, the NFL's 10th career rusher, has rushing yards (86).

Buffalo also has fallen on hard times on the ground lately. In their past three games, the Bills have 105 yards rushing, an a 1.8-yard average. They could use first-round pick Willis McGahee, who should start practicing with Buffalo Oct. 15 and may play Nov. 9 against Dallas.

The Jaguars gave defensive end Hugh Douglass a $6 million signing bonus as a free agent from Philadelphia. He doesn't have a sack in the past three games and has one all season.

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