Griese Move Blew Up in Shanahan’s Face

A review of Week 4 in the NFL, and all those who were gushing over Denver Bronco quarterback Brian Griese’s season-opening performance, please identify yourselves.

Keep that arm up, Mike Shanahan.

“I think if everyone would have played like Brian Griese, we would have won the football game,” the Bronco coach said after the team’s opening-game loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Griese is a Super Bowl killer, so bad that he’s now done something no one else has been able to do the last two years--pull down Terrell Davis for the rest of the season.

Has there ever been a coaching blunder as large as Shanahan’s?

The Broncos were in position to become the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl three consecutive times, when Shanahan suddenly shifted from Bubby Brister to Griese to start the season.

Brister didn’t guarantee Bronco success, but the fallout from that surprising decision resulted in a rift in the Bronco locker room, and certainly the results with Brister at quarterback could not have been worse.

The Broncos might still have Davis running on two uninjured legs too.

Jet defensive back Victor Green picked off an errant Griese pass--is that redundant?--and while trying to tackle him, Davis was hit by teammate Matt Lepsis, suffering a knee injury that will require season-ending surgery.

Now Shanahan says he’s going to reevaluate his quarterback position, which could mean starting Chris Miller. Unless Shanahan still has John Elway’s telephone number, who cares?

PHILLY WILL TAKE GRIESE

Right now, the Philadelphia Eagles would take back Ron Jaworski.

It’s hard to do, but the Eagles have gone 47 consecutive offensive series without an offense. Not one touchdown in that time.

THRILLS AWAIT

1. The over and under on combined interceptions when rookie quarterback Tim Couch starts next week for the Cleveland Browns against rookie Akili Smith of the Cincinnati Bengals.

2. The NFL classic matchup next week of Arena League quarterback Kurt Warner for the St. Louis Rams against Canadian Football League whiz kid Jeff Garcia of the San Francisco 49ers.

3. The pregame warmups in Detroit. Does Lion Coach and former San Diego Charger boss Bobby Ross shake hands with Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard, whom Ross blames for his San Diego exit?

HARDY BEAR FANS?

It was a big deal in Chicago, the return of Iron Mike, only the fans in the Windy City are a bunch of sissies. There were 14,653 no-shows on a cold and rainy day.

More than that, those who did show up were long gone by the time the Chicago Bears rallied for two touchdowns in the final 1:48 to defeat Mike Ditka’s New Orleans Saints, 14-10.

MORE SILLY MIKE

The big guy was still seething Monday after throwing his headset to the ground after the last-minute defeat in Chicago. Hey, he’s coaching the Saints, get used to it.

“We’re sitting here at 1-2 and should be 3-0,” he said. “That’s a joke.”

It sure is. Now, who wants to laugh?

DEFENSE! DEFENSE!

The adage has it that defense wins championships.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have given up three touchdowns in four games and are 2-2.

The Washington Redskins have given up 29.5 points a game, and they are 3-1.

FUTURE HEAD COACH

Jim Mora, son of Jim Mora, the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, is the 49ers’ first-year defensive coordinator and doing a whale of a job with inferior talent, especially in the secondary.

The young Mora does his homework, but more than that he has a feel for the game.

When the Tennessee Titans pulled within two points of the 49ers with 1:48 to play, everyone else thought they would pass into the end zone for the two-point conversion after Neil O’Donnell had shredded the 49ers’ secondary for 355 yards.

But Mora had a hunch, and advised linebacker Lee Woodall to expect Eddie George to run right. George ran right--right into Woodall.

HE DIDN’T BITE HIS EAR

There’s one way to nip those end zone celebrations in the bud--send for Ray Buchanan.

After the Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Johnson had beaten Buchanan for a touchdown, Johnson began dancing over the fallen Atlanta Falcon cornerback. Buchanan got up, picked up Johnson and body-slammed him, then starting punching him in the back of the head.

An NFL official took exception and tossed Buchanan out of the game. That’s right, Buchanan--not Johnson, who can’t dance to save his life.

AIR RILEY

The Chargers had 132 yards in offense against the Kansas City Chiefs. They averaged 2.8 yards for every play they ran. They were one for 12 on third-down conversions. They had 92 net yards passing. Their three scoring drives covered 10, 18 and 22 yards.

And they are happy because they won, as if that’s the only reason to play these games.