Jan Stenerud didn’t see much of the Broncos’ game Sunday, not with the Colorado Springs air so warm and fewer than 100 days of golfing until Christmas.
The only kicker inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, Stenerud did get home in time to watch Broncos kicker Jason Elam attempt his second 53-yard field goal against the San Diego Chargers. Once Stenerud saw how the football laces were placed at the 3 o’clock position, he pretty well knew what would happen.
“I thought as he kicked it, ‘That’s going to be tough,”‘ Stenerud said. “When the strings are to the right, the ball will stay to the right.”
Sure enough, the kick sailed to the right.
“I can recall in the 19 years I was kicking, I struggled with that, too, but you could never say anything,” Stenerud said. “When the kick goes wide, you’ve got to take the blame, and that’s the way it goes.
“And regardless of where the strings are, it’s your job to make it.”
For his part, Elam never suggested holder Todd Sauerbrun didn’t spin the laces correctly, instead taking blame not only for missing his second 53-yarder to the right, but his first 53-yarder to the left.
It wasn’t until the conversation turned to the 41-yard, game-winning field goal he made with five seconds left that Elam made sure to mention Sauerbrun and long snapper Mike Leach.
But wait, there’s a kicker to the strings story. The most famous missed field goal in NFL history? Stenerud says Scott Norwood never had a chance when his lose-or-win, 47-yarder in the 1991 Super Bowl stayed right.
“The strings were at 5 o’clock,” Stenerud said, “the worst spot they could have been to make the kick. You can’t make it from that far with the strings that way. I never liked all the trouble he received. I didn’t think it was fair.”
Jake: “Hang with us”
Oddly enough, Broncos fans booed the loudest Sunday after two passes by quarterback Jake Plummer were completed on third down. One went to Rod Smith for 9 yards when the Broncos needed 12; the other was caught by Smith for 3 yards when they needed 14.
Were the fans booing the play calls, or the guy most responsible for executing them? Plummer, hardly naive in his ninth NFL season, thinks he knows the answer.
“I’m the guy that’s throwing the ball,” he said. “If it’s third-and-20 and I check down to Rod because there’s nothing downfield, the fans usually boo – not realizing they’d boo harder if I tried to force it down there and threw an interception.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been booed. It really has no effect on me, but you’d really like to have your fans hang with us.”
No “O” in hamstring
Broncos coach Mike Shana- han said entering training camp he had planned to give more playing time on offense to cornerback Champ Bailey in the team’s four- and five-receiver sets. However, a hamstring injury that forced Bailey to miss the preseason caused Shanahan to back off. And the cornerback’s season-opening shoulder dislocation will no doubt push those offensive opportunities back further.
Bailey has four receptions in his career for 89 yards, including an 11-yard reception in the season opener last year against Kansas City.
“I don’t know how extensive my offensive time would have been, but I wouldn’t know unless I was healthy in the preseason,” Bailey said. “Obviously I wasn’t, and that probably took it away from me, but hopefully not for good. I’m always willing to get on that other side.”
Footnotes
After kicker Paul Ernster was waived Tuesday, he weighed practice-squad offers from several clubs Wednesday before re-signing with the Broncos’ practice squad. … If Tatum Bell has sufficiently healed from his sprained ankle to practice today at near full speed, he likely will dress Monday as the Broncos’ third running back. If Bell is gimpy, newly signed Quentin Griffin will back up Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne. … The Broncos donated $405,000 to the Hurricane Katrina relief fund. Included in the donation is the $35,650 raised Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High from the paid crowd of 75,310.
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
