A Look At The Arms Race

Amid the unified force that is the Denver Broncos, there is a weak link.

Or so the Atlanta Falcons think.

They say they have found it.

They say they will isolate it.

They say they will give it room, let it roam, watch it work, dare it to succeed.

In Sunday’s Super Bowl, the Falcons say they will concentrate on stopping other aspects of the Broncos before worrying about the weak link.

Because the Falcons believe the weak link cannot beat them.

This strategy should not surprise you.

The identity of the weak link might.

“I still think I can play,” John Elway said.

He swaggers into his fifth Super Bowl--his legs are so battered he really does swagger--draped in history and sentiment.

What John Elway is missing is the aura.

Perhaps one of the surest things in the NFL in the last 16 years is no longer a sure thing.

The man who once needed only seconds to figure out a way to win now has to think about it.

Used to be, when Elway dropped back to pass, you didn’t watch him, you watched the receivers.

If somebody was open, he would find him.

Now, you better watch Elway, or you might miss him throwing late, high, or behind.

Now, the wild card on this Denver offense is not some puny receiver named Jackson, or Watson, or Johnson.

The wild card is the quarterback.

The best thing about John Elway is no longer his quick release, or great eyes, or courageous mobility.

The best thing is his running back.

“Terrell Davis,” he acknowledged, “has made me a genius.”

In his two playoff games this season, he has completed only 27 of 57 passes.

In Elway’s six games against playoff teams this season, he threw only six touchdown passes.

While Elway’s decision to return for at least one more season allowed him to climb past the 50,000-yard plateau--reached previously only by Dan Marino--it has also exposed him for his age (38) and wear (painfully obvious).

He had his fewest attempts, completions and passing yards since Dan Reeves last made his life hell in 1992.

His passer rating of 93.0 was as high as it has been since that time. But Elway has spent all week saying that passer ratings don’t matter.

The deeper story about the current state of Elway is not in the numbers, which can be skewered about like a rookie cornerback.

The deeper story is in the humans.

You can’t fool the players and coaches.

And the players and coaches on the Falcons, judging from their apparent game plan, don’t think Elway can beat them.

“Obviously, Terrell Davis is the ultimate challenge for our defense,” linebacker Jessie Tuggle said. “Obviously, he’s the key tool to making the Denver Bronco offense work.”

Remember when Elway was the ultimate challenge?

Then there was this from cornerback Ray Buchanan: “If we hold Davis under 100 yards, then we’ve got a real good chance to win.”

Does that mean they are certain that Elway won’t throw for 400?

How about this plan from defensive coordinator Rich Brooks: “Obviously, you’ve got to consider Elway. But Terrell Davis has gained more yards than anyone in the NFL. So, yeah, that means to win, we have to stop him.”

Well, nice of them to at least consider Elway.

Finally, how about these words from his former coach, who, even after their feud, admits that Elway is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever:

“There’s three keys to winning,” Dan Reeves said. “Control their running game . . . have a running game . . . we can’t turn the ball over.”

So, what do you know, in his fifth Super Bowl appearance, John Elway finally experiences a first.

He is not one of the keys.

He laughs. He hears this kind of stuff a lot these days, and he always laughs.

“The bottom line is that a lot of times people want to compare quarterback ratings and those type of things,” he said. “The bottom line is winning football games, and that’s all I care about.”

That part, no quarterback has done better, as Elway has won a record 148 games.

Only Marino has completed more passes and accounted for more yards.

Only Marino and Fran Tarkenton have thrown more touchdown passes.

Elway’s place in football history is secure, as a Hall of Famer and one of the top three quarterbacks with Joe Montana and Marino.

His place on the sports landscape is just as firm; as one of few star athletes who have aged with grace and class and integrity.

But how about his place Sunday?

Will he bid farewell like Michael Jordan? Or Eddie Jordan?

“I think mentally I’m a lot better now, and I’m throwing the football probably better than I ever have,” Elway said. “I don’t think I’ve lost a lot of arm strength. I can’t make the big plays, but I think I’m probably a better quarterback.”

Maybe he is. His 15th and 16th seasons with the Broncos have been the two best consecutive seasons in franchise history.

But the Falcons are still right. The Broncos can win this game without the quarterback being great, as long as the running back is.

Don’t forget last year’s Super Bowl. The Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers and Elway’s most famous play was a first-down run.

All these years of trying, and when he finally wins the big one, he is needed for only 12 of 22 passes for 123 yards.

“With the talent that we have on this football team, that makes up for a lot of my weaknesses,” Elway said.

But it could also play to his strength.

He can still bring it in the final minutes like nobody in history, with a record 47 fourth-quarter comeback victories.

If the Falcons try to stop everyone else, and take a lead after three quarters, and continue to forget about Elway, well. . . .

Then he might pull off another winning drive like in last year’s Super Bowl, where he led the Broncos 49 yards for the winning touchdown.

In five plays.

With four handoffs.

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Bill Plaschke can be reached at his e-mail address: bill.plaschke@latimes.com.