Oakland, Calif. – The body of Broncos star Champ Bailey is a bruise wrapped in raw nerves and held together by broken parts. The truth hurts worse.
This might be the bravest year of Bailey’s football career. But it’s definitely not his best.
While history will show Bailey made the interception that saved this team’s season way back in September, if there’s any justice, the Denver cornerback who makes the Pro Bowl will be rookie Darrent Williams.
“I’ve never had to fight injury for this long. It’s been like this since Day One,” admitted Bailey, a seven-year NFL veteran. “It is tougher mentally than physically, believe it or not. Just getting through it, making yourself believe you can do it and make plays, even though you’re in pain.”
Denver could not have beaten Oakland 31-17 without Williams. Everything you need to know about Sunday began and ended with a 5-foot-8 defender who cast a long shadow on the scoreboard.
Williams set up the Broncos’ opening touchdown by returning a punt 52 yards, then painted the Raiders a darker shade of black, spiking their desperate, fourth-quarter rally by dashing 80 yards with an interception for a score.
Crammed far back in a stifling corner of a dressing room with the same square footage and aroma of a Dumpster, Williams was forced to share a stall with fellow first-year player Domonique Foxworth. They looked like victims of adolescent hazing, stuffed in the same locker by lunchroom bullies.
Some wise guy inspected the scene, where Foxworth nearly poked Williams in the eye by pulling on a shirt, and asked if the awkward situation could be blamed on their lack of size or their lowly standing as rookies.
“Ain’t no rookies around here!” Foxworth protested.
Added Williams, “We done earned our stripes.”
Breaking into the starting lineup in Game 3, Williams has never betrayed a hint of stage fright. He routinely produces smash plays the way Neil Simon once took Broadway, with infectious laughter.
The No. 1 playmaker in the Denver secondary is Williams, not Bailey.
After years of being mocked and abused by Bailey, quarterbacks are taking dead aim at him. There is an “X” painted between the 2 and 4 of his Denver jersey.
Playing through the pain of a busted shoulder and the nagging uncertainty of a gimpy leg, Bailey is now the target opponents look to exploit.
Staring across at Bailey, Oakland receiver Randy Moss smirked as the Denver cornerback tried to press him in coverage.
“You’re hurt,” Moss warned Bailey.
“I ain’t that hurt,” Bailey said, maybe lying, perhaps more than a little.
Oakland quarterback Kerry Collins fired his best shots early at Bailey, throwing long on third down as the feet of Denver’s star cornerback failed when Jerry Porter went deep. The pass would have been a 57-yard touchdown for the Raiders if Porter had not dropped the football.
“You got to be a warrior on this level. Champ Bailey is not only playing hurt, he’s playing with real injuries,” Williams said. “The other team will try to exploit anybody who’s the weak link. Every time.”
With seven victories in nine games, the lone way Denver can fail to win its first AFC West title since 1998 is if the defense falls apart. Bailey’s interception against San Diego in the second week set the rugged tone of the season. But the grind of gutting out injury is starting to show, and he now appears to be tender and vulnerable.
“They’re gong to come after me. And they’ll catch some balls. But they’ll pay for it eventually,” said Bailey, who forced the Raiders to back off only by grabbing an interception of his own. “Let ’em come after me. They’ll never know how well I am.”
So how hurt is Bailey? We want the truth.
With a grin – or was it a grimace? – he looked me in the eye with the same defiance offered a receiver flying toward the goal line.
“I’ll never tell,” Bailey said.
Watch Mark Kiszla tonight during “Classic Now” on ESPN Classic. He can be reached at 303-820-5438 or mkiszla@denverpost.com.
