Jacksonville, Fla. – Domonique Foxworth spent extra time getting mentally prepared last week, anticipating his first NFL start.
Curome Cox was hanging around the Broncos’ locker room Sunday at Alltel Stadium, awaiting word on whether he should get in uniform.
Karl Paymah thought he might make his NFL debut, but he wasn’t sure.
Safety Sam Brandon was recalling three weeks ago at Miami when he was thrown into emergency duty at cornerback.
Welcome to the Broncos’ secondary, where uncertainty has reigned this young season. And so has the young cornerback.
“I’ve never seen a situation where the young kids have had to come to the rescue,” defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said Sunday after another dominant defensive effort in the Broncos’ 20-7 victory over the Jaguars. “But the young kids keep bailing us out.”
Sunday’s cornerback situation was similar to the code red at the position in the season opener at Miami. Only this time, Denver had a bit of warning.
After practicing all week without star left cornerback Champ Bailey – who was out with a left hamstring injury – and with rookie starting right cornerback Darrent Williams missing most of the week because of a sprained left ankle, the Broncos knew they’d be light at pivotal positions. It wasn’t until warm-ups that Bailey and Williams were scratched.
Foxworth, a third-round pick, and Lenny Walls, demoted last week in favor of Williams, got the start. Paymah, a third-round pick who was inactive the first three weeks of the season, played much of the game, including at left cornerback on the second play of the game. Cox was promoted to the 53-man roster hours before the game and played some at left cornerback and at nickel. Brandon, a safety, played nickel and some cornerback.
In spite of all the shuffling, the Broncos continued their defensive dominance. Denver had four turnovers, including an interception by Foxworth and a fumble recovery – both in the fourth quarter when the Broncos sealed the victory.
“When you replace Champ, you have to play well. That’s the best cornerback in the league,” Foxworth said. “I had to play well. Each week I’m preparing as if I’m going to play, but this week was different.
“I knew I was going to have to go out and get something done.”
Not so easy for a rookie.
“You go into the game without starting corners, and you just don’t know what’s going to happen,” Broncos safety John Lynch said. “You hope for the best, but with our young kids, we know we’re going to get more. They showed it again today.”
Coyer didn’t change his game plan because of the infusion of youth and inexperience. He stayed aggressive and continued to use several complex and frequent alignment changes. That was evident early, when Coyer had Paymah play cornerback and kept switching the lineup.
“We do what we do,” Coyer said. “They have to be on board and go with it, and they were. We didn’t skip a beat.”
Jacksonville tried to exploit the Broncos’ perceived weakness early. Quarterback Byron Leftwich went after Walls with a long pass to Jimmy Smith on the first play from scrimmage, but Walls had it covered. The Jaguars had some passing success in the second half when they were playing from behind and after the running game had been thwarted. Jacksonville rushed for a franchise-low 12 yards.
The Jaguars’ only offensive success came on their first series of the third quarter, when Smith beat Paymah and scored on a 45-yard touchdown play.
“I was trying to be aggressive and I missed,” Paymah said. “But they want us to be aggressive. I went for it. I came back and settled down. That’s how you play around here.”
Confidence and maturity allow the Denver youngsters to fit in, said secondary coach Bob Slowik. He wasn’t fretting Sunday morning when Bailey and Williams officially were shelved.
“The kids prepare,” Slowik said. “If they didn’t prepare like veterans, I’d be scared to death. But I was calm because I knew how ready they all are.”
Youth corners Jaguars
With starting cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Darrent Williams out Sunday with injuries, several young players got extended playing time in Denver’s 20-7 win over the Jaguars. Here’s a look at how they fared:
Domonique Foxworth: The third-round pick started for Bailey and was outstanding. He had his first NFL interception and a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter as Denver sealed the victory. He led the Broncos with six tackles.
Karl Paymah: The third-round pick saw his first NFL action, playing left cornerback and nickel cornerback. He played pretty well except for missing a tackle on Jimmy Smith, resulting in the Jaguars’ only touchdown.
Curome Cox: Cox, who wasn’t promoted from the practice squad until Sunday morning, saw some action at cornerback and at nickel. His play was solid, and he was praised by coach Mike Shanahan.
Sam Brandon: The safety has been playing nickel the past few weeks and continues to perform well. With several injuries, he has been a dependable option.
Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-820-5450 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
