Guess who would quarterback the Broncos today if Jake Plummer and Bradlee Van Pelt were injured against the New York Jets?
Receiver Rod Smith.
The Broncos carry only two quarterbacks. Thus far, they have needed only one.
The Jets do not have to guess about such matters. They know; man, do they know. They are employing their fourth quarterback of the season, Brooks Bollinger, who tossed four interceptions in a 10-play span last Sunday at Carolina. That is only one reason the Jets slide in here today at 2-7, the exact opposite of the Broncos.
I visited with Jets coach Herman Edwards the other day about this, about his team’s 16 players (including seven starters) lost to injury and about turning to the backups’ backup in a dreary season that will likely get darker before light shines.
Edwards is the most upbeat coach in the NFL. But a coach can only take so much.
“We’re in good spirits about ourselves; I’m good,” Edwards said. “I learned a while ago that attitude can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Our young players are getting better, but that does not mean you are always going to win. What it is, is what it is.”
He is giving us a valiant front. Beneath it all, however, is one torn, hurting coach because, there is not one alive who loves to compete more than Edwards. Not a one who appreciates more the weekend skirmishes the NFL presents and how they separate those of character and will and heart.
This season for Edwards has been as if somebody took the air out of the football as soon as it was teed, like his team was tossed into a carnival shooting gallery and popped full of holes.
He lost to injury a couple of core special teams players in the preseason and that was only the start. After the Jets opened 1-1, it was at home against Jacksonville on Sept. 25 when the wheels fell off. Starting quarterback Chad Pennington and backup Jay Fiedler were injured and lost for the season within seven plays of each other.
The Jets lost that game, lost again at Baltimore, beat Tampa Bay at home and have not won since. That is four straight losses. Vinny Testaverde appeared for a minute, worked some magic, got hurt, too, and now we see Bollinger.
We see a shuffled offensive line and a turnover-laden team that is fighting a season that already seems lost.
Last season the Jets were a playoff team that missed a field goal at Pittsburgh that could have pushed them toward the Super Bowl.
This year, it all blew up.
And when it does, often malaise, misery and speculation follow.
Credit Edwards and his team for keeping the first two under control. Speculation, however, is rampant Edwards will bolt after this season to replace Dick Vermeil in Kansas City, who in such a scenario would willingly retire.
Edwards has two seasons remaining on his Jets contract.
“I have five years invested in this deal here and I’m not going to leave just when things are bad,” Edwards said. “I have to live with myself and I couldn’t do that by just running away. You sit here sometimes and think, ‘Wow, is this happening?’ But it’s happened.”
And depending on how things roll, including today against the Broncos, more could happen. Edwards’ best intention to stay could spin into something else. That is what 2-7 and worse, regardless of the conditions, brings. It produces uncertainty for all. It breeds confusion.
One of Edwards’ closest friends is Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy. But Edwards has not called him much of late.
“I’m not going to bother him when his team has not lost a game and we are where we are,” Edwards said. “I don’t want to bring any dark clouds his way.”
Lousy luck like this makes a coach wonder if he touches a flower, will it turn into stone?
Edwards looks at the Broncos and sees a stout running attack, a versatile quarterback, a tough offensive line, a fast-flowing defense, a confident team.
It was not that long ago that he could look around him and see the same things.
“We have to play a near-perfect game to win in Denver,” Edwards said. “You never stop thinking that you can.”
Thomas George can be reached at 303-820-1994 or tgeorge@denverpost.com.
