Jake Plummer reported to the first day of training camp with another year of experience and the same old qualifiers.
Yes, Plummer is a talented quarterback for the Broncos, but. Nobody improvises better than Jake the Snake, but. Plummer can pass on the run with the best of them.
But. Can Plummer stop making the occasional kick-the-ottoman decision?
The rap of making the wrong play at the wrong time leeched onto Plummer during his first six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and followed him to Denver before the 2003 season. And although he has posted a two-year starting record of 19-8 since joining the Broncos, the criticism stains the professional résumé he brought into Dove Valley camp No. 3.
“Decision-making, I’m sure I could make better decisions, but they’re going to say the same after this year – he could have made better decisions,” Plummer said. “Hopefully, this year, the bad ones I make won’t cost us.”
Despite his accomplishments, Plummer can’t win, at least not until his team wins it all. John Elway never threw for 4,089 yards in a season, as Plummer did last season. Only once in a 16-year career did Elway have a 27 touchdown-pass season. Plummer needed just one healthy year in Denver to get his 27 TDs.
As for Plummer’s 20 interceptions last season, Elway threw 18 picks against 18 TDs in 1989 and still got the Broncos to the Super Bowl.
Which brings up another statistic. It involves a set of numbers Elway can flaunt over Plummer every time: 5-0. Elway led the Broncos to five Super Bowls. Plummer has guided Denver to zero.
Then again, Elway didn’t become a Super Bowl quarterback until his third full season as a starter. Not that anyone would be silly enough to compare Plummer’s ongoing career with Elway’s legacy, but this is his third season with the Broncos.
More than arm strength or foot quickness, it’s the third year that has the Broncos believing Plummer is ready to take that next step from talented quarterback to championship quarterback.
“You don’t have to think now, you can react,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “I think this will be the true year to evaluate Jake Plummer.”
It had started to get around that Plummer made a concerted effort to improve his decision-making process during the offseason. Without 21 other players furiously flying around at the same time in a sidelined-boundary place, how can a quarterback simulate making better decisions?
“I’m not sure what you hear, but it might not be what’s really going on,” Plummer said. “We worked on everything. It’s the same stuff – watching film, learning the system better.”
It’s more accurate to say Shanahan and Plummer simply prepared for this season more than the others, spending more time together in the offseason. It’s the beauty of having a quarterback who lives in town and a coach who’s not afraid of calling players in. If increased preparation leads to better decisions, so be it.
“What we do is we go back through the basics of being a quarterback,” Shanahan said. “We go through progression reads, the strength and weaknesses of defenses. Sometimes you may have to eliminate the first or second receiver and go three, four and five, depending on the strength of the defense. Part of that is going through basic fundamentals.”
Another year of familiarity with the Broncos is one reason Plummer says he believes he can play in the Super Bowl this season, but it might not be the biggest reason.
“Our defense will be a lot better,” he said. “There’s the speed, the coverage, the upfront guys. The competition that’s laid down for guys to make the team – that’s going to make us better right there. And offensively, we’ve improved. Jeb (Putzier) has gotten better. Tatum Bell showed signs, Mike Anderson’s healthy. We’ve got the same old line pretty much back. Receiver-wise, Ashley Lelie is coming off a great year. Things are just pointing in the right direction.”
To hear Plummer talk, it’s not all about Jake. A wise way to consider the Broncos, perhaps.
Training camp
Schedule: Practice begins at 8:30 a.m. today. The final training camp practice is at 3:40 p.m. on Aug. 18.
Admission: Practices at Broncos headquarters in Arapahoe County are open to the public during training camp. Admission is free.
Parking: Fans can park at Broncos headquarters on the west side of the practice fields, on a first-come, first-served basis. Space is limited, so arrive early. Parking lots open one hour before each practice.
Wheelchair access: Admission to training camp is accessible by wheelchair off Potomac, just north of the Broncos Store.
Bag policy: Soft-sided bags no larger than 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches are permitted.
Cellphones: Any cellphone brought to the practice fields must be turned off. Phone conversations are prohibited inside ticketed areas of Broncos headquarters.
Food and beverages: Food will not be sold during training camp. Non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Fans can bring individual servings of food and nonalcoholic beverages.
Lawn chairs: Small lawn chairs are allowed in some areas. There will be no bleachers this year, so most of the viewing will be standing room only.
Umbrellas: Any size will not be permitted. Bring sufficient wet-weather attire if necessary.
Practice schedule
Morning | Afternoon
Friday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Saturday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Sunday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Monday 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.-*
Tuesday 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 3 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.-*
Aug. 4 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 5 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.-*
Aug. 6 8:30 a.m. No practice
Aug. 7 No practice No practice
Aug. 8 8:45 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 9 8:45 a.m. No practice
Aug. 16 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m.-*
Aug. 17 8:30 a.m. 3:50 p.m.
Aug. 18 8:30 a.m. 3:40 p.m. -*
(*-special teams only)
Note: Gates open one hour before practice.
Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
