Go all the way back, Broncos fans.
Elway and Davis in the 1990s. Elway and Winder in the 1980s. Morton and Keyworth in the 1970s. Tripucka and Mingo in the 1960s.
No Broncos team ever protected the ball as Jake Plummer and the running back committee has in 2005. The Broncos have gone a team-record 13 quarters – three-plus games – without a turnover. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no Broncos team had gone three consecutive games without a turnover.
Have the ball, keep the ball. Score, or Todd Sauerbrun punts.
“You don’t have to talk about it,” Broncos coach Mike Shana- han said at his Monday news conference. “You don’t have to put the whammy on us.”
Plummer has averaged only 127 yards passing his past three games, but he’s also 3-0 in that stretch. The Broncos don’t have a running back on pace to reach 1,000 yards, but no one has lost a fumble since Mike Anderson’s rib protector cost him the ball near the goal line on the first series of the season’s second game against San Diego.
Champ or bust
Can the Broncos beat the champs without their Champ?
It’s one thing for the Broncos to get by without star cornerback Champ Bailey against Jacksonville’s Byron Leftwich and Washington’s Mark Brunell. It’s another to expect the Broncos to win a third game without Bailey by beating Tom Brady and the Bill Belichick-led New England Patriots, who have won three of the past four Super Bowls.
“I’m always optimistic I’m going to be out there, but it’s a day-to-day thing,” Bailey said Monday. “I can’t guarantee anything.”
The tuck and win
Among those deserving of a game ball Sunday was the Invesco Field at Mile High jumbo-screen operator. The replay that flashed quickly on the board allowed Shanahan to see what the officials couldn’t – Plummer didn’t fumble from his end zone and fall on it for a safety, as was initially called. Instead, Plummer was given an incomplete pass under “the tuck rule,” which Brady made famous in an AFC divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders four seasons ago.
Shanahan challenged the call on the field after spotting the replay. He won the review, and two points were taken off the Redskins’ score. Simple math proved the two points were big: The Broncos won 21-19.
“You can debate the tuck rule, but you can’t debate that’s what it was,” Shanahan said.
So where does Shanahan fall on the tuck-rule debate?
“My opinion would be that it was a fumble,” Shanahan said. “But it’s so hard for an official to take a look and decide. That’s why the tuck rule is in there. My first impression when I saw it against the Raiders, I said, ‘That’s a bad rule.’ But that’s the rule, and you deal with the rules.”
Footnote
Backup tight end Wesley Duke, who has yet to dress for a game and was waived before the Redskins game, was re-signed Monday to the practice squad.
EYE ON THE PATRIOTS
New England at Denver, 2:15 p.m., Sunday
For the record: The Patriots are 3-2, first in the AFC East.
Last game: Won 31-28 on Sunday at Atlanta.
Who’s hot: Quarterback Tom Brady is in a serious groove. He has completed 65.4 percent of his passes and has been brilliant in the fourth quarter.
Who’s not: The Patriots’ secondary is getting torched by tight ends. Safeties Eugene Wilson and Guss Scott have been struggling against bigger tight ends, especially in the middle of the field.
Key stat: Brady’s five completions of 30 yards or longer against Atlanta was a career high.
FYI: The Patriots worked out running back Quentin Griffin on Monday. The Broncos have cut Griffin twice in the past five weeks. If there’s an injury at running back and he’s available, Griffin likely would be brought back to Denver. The Patriots are looking at Griffin because of depth issues at the position.
Injury update: Running back Corey Dillon left Sunday’s game late and went to the locker room, but returned at the end of the game. Dillon isn’t speaking with reporters, and the Patriots didn’t discuss his status Monday. However, he was seen walking gingerly in the locker room. Patrick Pass would take over if Dillon can’t play Sunday.
Coachspeak: “We’re going to watch the tape today, get the corrections and move on and start getting ready for Denver,” New England coach Bill Belichick said Monday. “They are one of the hottest teams in the league. We have a lot of respect for them. They’re always a difficult team to play no matter where you play them. They’re certainly difficult to play out in Denver. That will be a big challenge for us this week.”
– Bill Williamson
Mike Klis can be reached at 303-820-5440 or mklis@denverpost.com.
