This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For starters, Jake Plummer had benchwarmer burned into his psyche.
Go get 'em, Jake. Win one for the clipboard and the baseball cap. Oh, and by the way: Mind holding for those Jason Elam extra points?
Prior to the Broncos' 19-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs here Thanksgiving night before a raucous, overflow Arrowhead Stadium crowd - but hardly a national television audience - speculation was rampant that win or lose, Good Jake or Bad Jake, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan had decided Plummer had started his last game as Broncos quarterback.
The conjecture was hardly surprising given Plummer's erratic play this season and the talent of his apparent successor, rookie Jay Cutler.
A bit baffling was why Plummer was left twisting amid such speculation before such a crucial divisional game.
"I'm the starter right now," Plummer said. "If Mike feels he wants to put Jay in there, then my play doesn't warrant him to not do it. So whatever he wants to do is what I have to go with."
Shanahan opened his postgame news conference with a statement. He then asked for questions. When the uncomfortable media throng hesitated to ask the question about the rumors swirling around Plummer, Shanahan walked off the podium.
The furor of the inevitable quarterback switch may have initially affected both the quarterback, who was shaky until a three-minute drive near the end of the first half, and the team, which didn't exactly come out punching the Chiefs in their chinstraps.
"Obviously, you hear things," said Broncos receiver Javon Walker. "When you lose, everybody blames whatever the situation is going into that week. But I really don't think it affected us."
Is this the end for Plummer as the Broncos' starting quarterback? If so, he bowed out giving his all, although that is a characteristic that never drew complaint. He was 25-for-39 passing for 216 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception and a few other wayward passes, but, considering the immense pressure that came with rumors of his demise, Plummer can head to the bench with his eyes up and his chin firm.
"It's having character and knowing what you have to get done," Plummer said. "If I was a quitter, I never would have made it this far and wouldn't have done anything that I've done in the league. All I can control is what I do on the field. I battled my butt off today, I just didn't make a few plays. I felt like I let the guys down, but I think a lot of guys feel that way."
This game will not soon be forgotten, beginning with how so many people never saw it. This was the first regular-season game telecast by the NFL Network, much to the dismay of roughly 60 percent of U.S. homes that don't, or can't, subscribe to the network.
What the majority of the nation missed was the Chiefs and Broncos converging into an AFC wild-card tie with identical 7-4 records. It's the first time in two years the Broncos have lost back-to-back games.
"We're like a baseball player in a slump and if we don't snap out of it, we're not going to be playing in January," said Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren.
The missing audience also failed to bear witness to three defensive penalties that erased third-down stops and allowed the Chiefs to continue drives that led to 10 points.
They did not see Larry Johnson, Kansas City's superb running back, grind out 157 yards and his team's only touchdown.
Plummer finished the first half leading the Broncos from his own 18 (yes, Denver's special teams remain abysmal) to the Chiefs' 12, where Elam punched in a 31-yard field goal.
It was 13-3 Chiefs just inside the second half, when Plummer took advantage of a huge break and led the Broncos on a 64-yard touchdown drive. The break came when Chiefs cornerback and former Bronco Lenny Walls was called for illegal contact on one side of the field while a Plummer pass was intercepted on the other side.
Given a new set of downs, Plummer made his best pass of the night, connecting with David Kircus on a stop-and-go for a 36-yard gain. Eventually, the Broncos had first-and-goal from the 1, where Plummer floated a perfect fade to tight end Stephen Alexander, who caught it falling back for a touchdown.
The Broncos were now down 13-10, and Plummer was not playing like a dead man scrambling. The Chiefs marched back with Johnson, who the Broncos struggled to stop.
Plummer had no such running attack to play-action off of, and he also had no game-winning comeback that he apparently could have used to keep his job.
Up next for the Broncos is the answer from Shanahan. The question: Who is the team's starting quarterback for its next game Dec. 3 against Seattle?
Denver 0 3 7 0-10
Kansas City 3 7 3 6-19
First Quarter
KC-FG Tynes 24, 9:35.
Second Quarter
KC-L.Johnson 1 run (Tynes kick), 3:03.
Den-FG Elam 31, :14.
Third Quarter
KC-FG Tynes 34, 11:20.
Den-Alexander 1 pass from Plummer (Elam kick), 6:21.
Fourth Quarter
KC-FG Tynes 29, 14:56.
KC-FG Tynes 21, 2:42.
A-79,484.
Den KC
16 É First downs É 22
244 É Total Net Yards É 382
16-38 É Rushes-yards É 41-223
206 É Passing É 159
1-0 É Punt Returns É 3-7
6-142 É Kickoff Returns É 2-86
1-6 É Interceptions Ret. É 1-0
25-39-1 É Comp-Att-Int É 13-22-1
2-10 É Sacked-Yards Lost É 1-2
5-43.8 É Punts É 2-37.5
2-0 É Fumbles-Lost É 0-0
7-44 É Penalties-Yards É 4-25
24:58 É Time of Possession É 35:02
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
RUSHING-Denver, M.Bell 10-28, Plummer 2-10, Nash 4-0. Kansas City, L.Johnson 34-157, Bennett 2-56, T.Green 4-10, Parker 1-0.
PASSING-Denver, Plummer 25-39-1-216. Kansas City, T.Green 13-22-1-161.
RECEIVING-Denver, Walker 6-55, Smith 4-39, Marshall 3-21, Alexander 3-19, M.Bell 3-5, Mustard 2-23, Kircus 1-36, C.Sapp 1-7, K.Johnson 1-6, Nash 1-5. Kansas City, Gonzalez 4-35, Parker 3-71, Bennett 2-20, Kennison 1-16, D.Hall 1-10, L.Johnson 1-6, K.Wilson 1-3.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East
W L T Pct PF PA
New England 7 3 0 .700 236 131
N.Y. Jets 5 5 0 .500 177 217
Miami 5 6 0 .455 197 198
Buffalo 4 6 0 .400 164 201
South
W L T Pct PF PA
Indianapolis 9 1 0 .900 263 210
Jacksonville 6 4 0 .600 211 137
Tennessee 3 7 0 .300 177 256
Houston 3 7 0 .300 165 230
North
W L T Pct PF PA
Baltimore 8 2 0 .800 222 147
Cincinnati 5 5 0 .500 247 233
Pittsburgh 4 6 0 .400 239 227
Cleveland 3 7 0 .300 170 208
West
W L T Pct PF PA
San Diego 8 2 0 .800 332 202
Kansas City 7 4 0 .636 229 205
Denver 7 4 0 .636 195 165
Oakland 2 8 0 .200 118 198
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East
W L T Pct PF PA
Dallas 7 4 0 .636 309 198
N.Y. Giants 6 4 0 .600 224 208
Philadelphia 5 5 0 .500 246 194
Washington 3 7 0 .300 182 237
South
W L T Pct PF PA
Carolina 6 4 0 .600 176 173
New Orleans 6 4 0 .600 245 228
Atlanta 5 5 0 .500 190 205
Tampa Bay 3 8 0 .273 142 252
North
W L T Pct PF PA
Chicago 9 1 0 .900 282 120
Green Bay 4 6 0 .400 185 252
Minnesota 4 6 0 .400 167 182
Detroit 2 9 0 .182 195 266
West
W L T Pct PF PA
Seattle 6 4 0 .600 203 219
San Francisco 5 5 0 .500 182 265
St. Louis 4 6 0 .400 202 236
Arizona 2 8 0 .200 161 233
Thursday's Games
Miami 27, Detroit 10
Dallas 38, Tampa Bay 10
Kansas City 19, Denver 10
Sunday's Games
Houston at N.Y. Jets, 11 a.m.
Arizona at Minnesota, 11 a.m.
New Orleans at Atlanta, 11 a.m.
Carolina at Washington, 11 a.m.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 11 a.m.
San Francisco at St. Louis, 11 a.m.
Jacksonville at Buffalo, 11 a.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland, 11 a.m.
Oakland at San Diego, 2:05 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Tennessee, 2:15 p.m.
Chicago at New England, 2:15 p.m.
Philadelphia at Indianapolis, 6:15 p.m.
Monday's Game
Green Bay at Seattle, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 30
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 3
Minnesota at Chicago, 11 a.m.
N.Y. Jets at Green Bay, 11 a.m.
Atlanta at Washington, 11 a.m.
Arizona at St. Louis, 11 a.m.
Indianapolis at Tennessee, 11 a.m.
San Diego at Buffalo, 11 a.m.
Detroit at New England, 11 a.m.
San Francisco at New Orleans, 11 a.m.
Kansas City at Cleveland, 11 a.m.
Jacksonville at Miami, 2:05 p.m.
Houston at Oakland, 2:05 p.m.
Dallas at N.Y. Giants, 2:15 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, 2:15 p.m.
Seattle at Denver, 6:15 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 4
Carolina at Philadelphia, 6:30 p.m.
* The Chiefs pulled into a tie with the Broncos for second place in the AFC West at 7-4.
* Denver QB Jake Plummer was 25-for-39 for 216 yards and a touchdown.