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$0.02: Does Snake owe his job to Denver’s dominant ‘D’?

DEVON O'NEILsummit daily news
Devon O'Neil
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Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon resigned on Tuesday, obviously taking the fall for his unit’s horrific performance this season. The Browns have scored only 88 points in six games. Yuck, says the Dawg Pound. Carthon deserved his fate. Can’t direct an offense to only 14.7 points per game and expect to keep your job … right?Before you answer that, check out the Broncos.The only team in the NFL that has scored fewer points than Denver’s 79 is – you ready for this? – the dysfunctional Raiders, who have managed only 72. Yet when you look at the standings, the Donkeys are on top of the AFC West, at 5-1, while Oakland is on the bottom, at 1-5.Denver’s point total equates to an average of 13.2 per game, or less than half what the second-place Chargers score per contest (29.7). The difference, of course, between the Broncos and the rest of the scoring-starved teams in the NFL is that Denver’s defense has yielded only 44 points, an average of 7.3. No team in football gives up fewer.

Forget the Broncos’ offensive coordinator; the primary beneficiary of the club’s stingy defensive play has been quarterback Jake Plummer. Tatum Bell leads the AFC in rushing with 585 yards, despite ranking only sixth in carries (124). That means what it always means in Denver: the offensive line and the running back are doing what they’re supposed to do.It might sound like the same old story, pointing a finger of blame at Plummer. After all, the team is 5-1, and a quarterback’s No. 1 job regardless of individual numbers is simply to win. So you can argue – with that 5-1 record to back it up – that Plummer is doing a good job under center.Still, have you seen his stats? He has completed only 52.1 percent of his passes (65 percent is good), has thrown just four touchdowns against seven interceptions (you hope for at least a 2-to-1 ratio), and his QB rating is a Ryan Leaf-esque 60.4. To give you an idea how that stacks up, even with Denver’s remarkable defensive play, opposing quarterbacks have still managed a better completion percentage (57.6) and rating (67.4) than Plummer’s.If it ain’t broke, you don’t fix it, which is why we shouldn’t expect to see Plummer yanked from the starting unit anytime soon. But the moment Denver’s defense stops dominating, the pressure will shift to Plummer. And you can bet a 60.4 rating won’t be good enough then. …The obvious theme surrounding Tiki Barber right now is the fact that the NFL’s leading rusher plans to retire in the prime of his career. Watching Monday night’s game against Dallas, however, the question begged: Is his mouth wide enough to swallow a grapefruit whole? …

Ohio State vs. Rutgers in the BCS title game – anyone want the odds on that? …The Buffalo Sabres are the best team in hockey, and it isn’t even close. Not only are they an NHL-best 9-0 this year, but they’ve scored 46 goals in those nine games. No other team even had 35 entering Tuesday night’s action. …In parting, Kenny Rogers could’ve made it much easier on himself when trying to explain the pine tar on his pitching hand Sunday night if he’d gone this route. Postgame press conference Reporter: Kenny, this is kind of awkward, but what was that brown smudge on your hand in the first inning? Was it pine tar?



Rogers: Of course not; that would be cheating. I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but that smudge was poop – feces. See, just before the game started, well … (Rogers shifts uneasily in his chair) I thought three sheets of TP would be enough, but obviously it wasn’t. I should’ve used five.Reporter: I’m sorry … did you say poop?Rogers: Yes I said poop. Again, I’m very embarrassed. It’s never happened to me before. You can imagine my surprise upon finding out I’d pitched an entire inning in the World Series with poop on my hand.Next question.Devon O’Neil can be contacted at (970) 668-4633, or at doneil@summitdaily.com.


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