Jake Plummer Defies NFL

$30,000 fine.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/broncos/article/0,1299,DRMN_17_3245641,00.html

Hal Stoelzle © News

Fine decision? QB still sticks with No. 40
By Lee Rasizer And Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
October 11, 2004

The more Jake Plummer thought about his decision to remove the "40" sticker on his helmet for the Tampa Bay game Oct. 3 under pressure from the NFL, the more aggravated he got.

So before Sunday's game, he removed the decal that honors his friend and former teammate Pat Tillman he had transferred to his shoulder pads for the Bucs game and affixed it again to his helmet, knowing full well the consequences.

"I'm going to get fined. I know that," he said. "I'm going to pay my fine, and I'm going to ask people to pony up to the Pat Tillman Foundation."

Plummer broke the league's uniform code Sept. 26 against San Diego when he sported the decal after all the NFL's teams except Arizona had been denied permission to continue wearing it.

The league had been willing to forgive Plummer the $10,000 fine for that misstep, but promised to reinstitute that financial penalty plus $20,000 should the Broncos quarterback wear the sticker again, as he did against Carolina.

"I was upset at myself for not doing it last week," Plummer said. " . . . I want to honor Pat and sometimes you just have to take a slap on the hand and move on."

Tillman, who wore No. 40 during his playing days, was killed as a member of the Army Rangers in combat last spring in Afghanistan following his departure from the NFL. Plummer and Tillman were teammates both at Arizona State and with the Cardinals.

LATE-GAME HEROICS: Ashley Lelie continued his penchant for showing up in the second half with his 39-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that proved to be the winner.

His previous score this season came in the third quarter against San Diego on a sprawling 33-yard play on fourth down. His biggest gainer of 2004 is a 58-yard catch in the third quarter against Kansas City.

And against Tampa, he drew a 37-yard pass interference call that was Denver's biggest play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter.

Lelie got a pep talk from receivers coach Steve Watson at halftime Sunday. "In the first half I kind of sputtered . . . and I needed to pick that up," Lelie said.

Plummer's throw at the right pylon came with Lelie running a simple go route on Panthers cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. on third-and-7 after two interceptions ended successive Denver possessions.

"I was expecting it on that play," said Lelie, who was the first read. "If we got that one-on-one coverage, Jake was going to give me a chance."

When Manning was beaten by Lelie on the catch, he immediately jumped up and tried to convince the referee that Lelie wasn't inbounds. Carolina coach John Fox threw his red flag to have the play reviewed, but the referee ruled that Lelie had control of the ball and had two feet inbounds, and the touchdown was upheld. Manning said the replay decision convinced him, too.

"I just thought it was a great catch, that's all," said Manning, who had intercepted a Plummer pass just before the third quarter expired.

"I got one hand in there and he held on to it."

PREGAME TESTS: Both teams watched their No. 1 running backs go through the paces Sunday morning and decided against putting them in uniform for the game.

The Broncos named Quentin Griffin - 295 yards rushing so far this season - as one of their game day inactives because of a sprained ankle. Griffin did some light jogging about 11:30 a.m.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said after the brief workout Griffin told him he was "about 95 percent," but since Griffin had practiced only briefly Friday and had missed the rest of the week, Griffin got the day off.

The Panthers worked out Stephen Davis at 10:30 a.m. Sunday before deciding he would not play. Davis had practiced every day this past week and had said publicly he expected to play.

He underwent surgery Sept. 17 to repair cartilage in his right knee.

"He wasn't 100 percent cutting off of that knee," Fox said. "I'd rather be on the side of caution and not risk further injury."

The Panthers later lost Davis' replacement, DeShaun Foster, because of a fractured collarbone. The Panthers No. 3 running back, Rod Smart, also missed the game because of a knee injury.

"Right now, we're thin," Fox said.

MIDDLEBROOKS INJURED: Broncos cornerback Willie Middlebrooks, who had said only last week he finally felt like he was past all of the injuries that have slowed the former No. 1 pick in his career, left the game because of a strained left hamstring.

Middlebrooks said he didn't know if he would receive a magnetic resonance imaging exam on the muscle today, but he did expect to have some kind of examination from the team's medical staff.

"I don't think it's too bad, more of a little twinge, but I don't know what they have planned for me," Middlebrooks said. "I just felt like if I tried to get back in there and then I give up a couple deep balls, I'm not helping the team." Middlebrooks was the only injury the Broncos reported after the game.

INACTIVES: In addition to Griffin, the Broncos deactivated cornerback Jeff Shoate, safety Sam Brandon, linebacker Jashon Sykes, tackle Cornell Green, defensive tackle Darius Holland, defensive end Anton Palepoi and defensive end Trevor Pryce.

In addition to Davis the Panthers had three other starters among their game-day inactives. Defensive tackle Brentson Buckner, linebacker Mark Fields and wide receiver Steve Smith were not in uniform.

Smith fractured his leg in the team's regular-season opener.

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