Chiefs down Broncos 19-10; Jake Plummer Loses Starting Job To Jay Cutler - Denver Post

NFL Network just annouced that Plummer will not start the December 3rd game against Seattle, rookie Jay Cutler will.

Chiefs down Broncos 19-10
Denver loses second game in five days
By Mike Klis
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:11/23/2006 09:37:01 PM MST

Kansas City, Mo. - For starters, Jake Plummer had benchwarmer burned into his consciousness.

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 and a not-so nationally televised audience, speculation was rampant that win or lose, Good Jake or Bad Jake, Plummer was starting 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, however, was why such speculation was allowed to bump into certainty before such a crucial divisional game. The furor of the inevitable quarterback switch may have initially affected both the quarterback, who was shaky until a 3-minute drive near the end of the first half, and the team, which didn't exactly come out punching the Chiefs in their chinstraps.

Is this the end for Plummer as the Broncos' starting quarterback? If so, he bowed out giving his all, although competitive fire was never his problem. He completed 25 of 39 passes 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.

This game will not soon be forgotten for many reasons, beginning with how many people never saw it. This was the first game ever telecast by the NFL Network, much to the dismay of the roughly 60 percent of U.S. homes that don't, or can't, subscribe to the station.

What the majority of the nation missed was the Chiefs and Broncos converging into an AFC wild-card tie with identical 7-4 records. They failed to bear witness to not one, not two, but 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, tick down minutes upon minutes, yards after yards until he finished with a 157.

And more than half the country may have missed Plummer's final start. Or they may have missed no such thing.

What no one, not even those with fancy satellite systems, saw was a Plummer surrender. He finished the first half leading the Broncos from his own 18 (yes, Denver's special teams remain abysmal) to the Chiefs' 12, from 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. Attempting a pass down the right seam to Javon Walker, who seemingly failed to turn in time, Plummer was intercepted by Chiefs cornerback Patrick Surtain. The return went deep into Broncos' territory, but on the far side of the field, ex-Bronco Lenny Walls was flagged for illegal contact.

Given a new set of downs, Plummer made his best pass of the night, connecting with David Kircus on a hitch-and-go for a 36-yard gain. Eventually, the Broncos had first-and-goal from the 1, where they split out tight ends Nate Jackson to the right and Stephen Alexander to the left.

Plummer floated a fade to 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 but managed to somewhat contain until their drives stalled for field goals.
Plummer had no such running attack to play-action off, and he also had no game-winning comeback that he apparently could have used to keep his job.

Up next for the Broncos is an answer from coach Mike Shanahan. The question: Who is the team's starting quarterback for its next game Dec. 3 against Seattle.

Staff writer Mike Klis can be reached at 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost.com.