SUPER BOWL XXIV: DENVER BRONCOS vs. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS : Shanahan Comes to His Own Defense : Broncos: He would have liked to coach the Raiders longer, but he has made a difference for Elway.

Is there something positive about Al Davis firing Mike Shanahan as Raider coach and having to pay most of his salary after Shanahan returned to the Broncos as an assistant coach?

Well, at least Davis has a man in his pay in the Super Bowl.

No Raider has made it that far since 1984.

For the hundreds who hadn’t heard about it and needed a fresh angle, Shanahan retold the story of his firing delicately Tuesday.

Is he bitter?

“I think you wish you had an opportunity to finish what you started,” Shanahan said. “I wouldn’t expect anything more than three years, but that was what I signed a contract for. . . . I felt I should be given the three years. And if I didn’t do the job, so be it.”

Was he concerned about starting 1-3?

“Our defense was ranked 25th in the league,” he said. “I knew our defense was a top-10 defense. We didn’t have Howie Long, Scott Davis. I mean, I can go through five guys that didn’t play who were the nucleus of that defensive team.

“They wound up the No. 10 defensive team. To go from 25 to 10, you actually have to play like you’re in the top five.”

How about Matt Millen’s story, that when Shanahan called him in to cut him before the season, Millen wound up putting his arm around Shanahan and consoling him?

“Well, I think the world of Matt Millen, to start with,” Shanahan said. “It was a tough decision for him to be let go. And it was a mistake at that time, in my opinion.”

Was it Shanahan’s decision?

“There are no decisions that are made that don’t go through Al Davis in the Raider organization,” he said.

How did he feel about the Raiders after he left?

“It’s a double-edged sword,” he said. “You love a lot of guys on that football team. . . . My heart went out to Steve Beuerlein when he overthrew that hook route to Mervyn Fernandez (on the last play of the loss in Seattle, which could have sent the Raiders into the playoffs). Steve had someone in his face. I’ve seen Steve make that throw time and time again.”

Shanahan is leery of appearing as if he were trying to claim the credit for John Elway’s rally.

However, Elway’s relationship with Coach Dan Reeves has always been bumpy. Shanahan is a welcome buffer. It’s not quite cause-and-effect but . . .

In Shanahan’s last two Bronco seasons, Elway had a touchdown pass/interception ratio of 38-25. With Shanahan gone, it was 22-27. Since Shanahan’s return, it has been 17-10.

“Mike was a good friend before he left,” Elway said. “I’m very glad that he came back. . . . He’s been a big boost.”