Numbers lie: Belichick outcoached Shanahan

Van Walker, Special to the News

Published September 24, 2006 at midnight

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Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Mike Shanahan’s reputation as an offensive guru and overall genius should die after this game, a 17-7 sleeper over New England, but this is Denver. It only took three Super beat-downs of Old Testament proportions to convince people that Dan Reeves was out of his depth.

You see, there are those of us who will insist upon finding the silver lining even in the toxic waste cloud that was Sunday’s game, and there are the rest of us who will, to paraphrase Ann Coulter, listen to them ranting on the radio as we drive our cars to our jobs.

It says so right here that Bill Belichick outcoached Mike Shanahan in a loss.

Among the lies, darn lies and statistics that will be bandied about this week, you will hear the following ad nauseam, ad infinitum: Tatum Bell rushed 27 times for 123 yards, and Javon Walker caught three passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

These numbers are as sexy and misleading as lo-carb beer ads. Check the time of possession: Denver had the ball for a little over three minutes more than New England.

Belichick, lacking athletes like Walker and Bell on offense and saddled with a defense featuring a retired middle linebacker, devised a game plan that kept it close enough for New England to steal a victory. Had his corner and safety not played Keystone Kops with Javon Walker late in the third, he might well have pulled it off.

New England’s defensive game plan was classic Belichick, all mixed coverages and disguised blitzes, but the Pats also got some help from the worst offense in football. For the second week in a row, Denver could not close escrow from the 1-yard line on first-and-goal.

That fact alone should remove Shanahan from any genius discussion.

Worse, Belichick showed the rest of the league how to beat Denver when he went to the no-huddle offense in the second quarter. The Broncos had to burn a timeout and looked like cattle staring at a new fence: They had no answer for it after having seen it. Think about it: Bill Belichick very nearly beat the Broncos with Reche Caldwell and Doug Gabriel at receiver, men who treat thrown passes like they subpoenas.

What on earth will Shanahan do with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne?

Rhetorical questions aside, here’s what we do know: Offense is supposed to be Mike Shanahan’s area of expertise, and three weeks into the season, offense remains the team’s biggest problem. It’s unreasonable to expect the defense to pitch shutouts every week, but that’s the only way Denver wins more than six games this season.

And then, some time in November, the man who gave you Brian Griese and Jake Plummer will assume the tutelage of Jay Cutler.

Does that scare anyone else but me?

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