Broncos, Falcons Aren’t Super

The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons have gone from super to stupor.

Last season’s Super Bowl teams both fell to 0-3 Sunday as the Broncos lost to Tampa Bay, 13-10, and the Falcons fell to St. Louis, 35-7.

Denver is the first defending Super Bowl champion to begin a season with three consecutive losses in a nonstrike season. The New York Giants started 0-5 in 1987 after a Super Bowl championship, but three of those losses were with replacement players.

“We’re not used to this situation, but it’s a learning experience,” said Denver running back Terrell Davis, the NFL’s most valuable player last season. “We’ve been on top, now we’ve got to experience how it feels to be on the bottom.”

The Broncos had seven sacks after not having any in losses to Miami and Kansas City, but Tampa Bay controlled the ball for 14 more minutes than Denver.

“A win is a win. I don’t care if it’s a Picasso or I drew it,” said Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay’s Pro Bowl defensive tackle.

To show just how far the Broncos have sunk, the Buccaneers had never won a game against a defending Super Bowl champion until Sunday, losing 10 in a row.

The Falcons are no better off, and in fact looked even worse than the Broncos in a humiliating loss to the Rams.

Ram quarterback Kurt Warner threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter and ran for another score in the third.

The Rams (2-0) ended a losing streak at four against Atlanta.

Warner, who was 17 for 25 for 275 yards, was an unproven and unknown backup who starred in NFL Europe and Arena Football before Trent Green suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third exhibition game. Warner has thrown three touchdown passes in each of the Rams’ two games, and he completed 12 of his first 16 passes for 190 yards Sunday.

He was not impressed with his touchdown total.

“Not one bit,” Warner said. “I’m used to throwing eight in a game.”

CLEVELAND: CITY OF GRUDGES

Sunday’s 17-10 victory over Cleveland was particularly enjoyable for Baltimore fans, many of whom were angered because Cleveland got an expansion team three years after losing the Browns. People in Cleveland still hate Modell for moving their beloved team, even though they got a new one that was allowed to keep the rich tradition of the Cleveland Browns’ name. Until owner Art Modell moved his old Browns to Baltimore, that city went 12 years without an NFL franchise after the Colts left for Indianapolis in 1984.

“It’s unfortunate that Cleveland feels the way they do toward Mr. Modell. I’m pretty sure the city of Baltimore feels the opposite because they have a franchise again,” Raven safety Rod Woodson said.

“He had to make a business decision and he made it.”

The Browns’ next chance for revenge against Modell and the Ravens will come Nov. 7, when Baltimore plays at Cleveland.

“Wait till the game in Cleveland. Our fans are hyped up,” said offensive tackle Orlando Brown, who played for the original Browns before spending three seasons with Baltimore. “They love their football. They’re pumped up, they’re ready to go. We just got to keep up our end of the bargain.”

HI? REMEMBER ME?

The referee for Sunday’s Pittsburgh-Seattle game was Phil Luckett, who was involved in controversies with both teams last season. He made the disputed coin flip in the Steelers’ Thanksgiving loss in Detroit and his crew awarded Jet quarterback Vinny Testaverde a touchdown when he didn’t score in a one-point victory over Seattle.

There were no controversies in Sunday’s game, but you have to wonder why the NFL would assign him to this game after his recent history with the two teams.

BUT WORDS WILL NEVER HURT ME

Quarterback Brad Johnson has the Redskins off to a 2-1 start, but the big question is whether he can stay healthy. Raven Coach Brian Billick, Johnson’s former mentor in Minnesota, says Johnson’s injury history was one of the reasons why he didn’t trade for him. “If Brad Johnson indeed stays healthy and plays the way he is playing now, I’ll second-guess not giving up three draft picks.

“If Brad unfortunately isn’t that lucky and like I said, I know him like a son, then it’ll look different,” Billick said.

Maybe Billick should have settled for a quarterback who is good rather than lucky. He started the season with Scott Mitchell and had to replace him after two weeks with Stoney Case.

HERE’S A TOAST TO YOUR GOOD FORTUNE

In an interview with Fox’s Terry Bradshaw, Brett Favre’s wife, Deanna, said she was ready to divorce the quarterback if he didn’t stop drinking. She said she told Favre, “Brett, I love you to death. We have been together since we were little kids. We have been through a lot together. I was with you before you started drinking, and I want to be with you after you stop drinking.

“But I would like for you to be alive for this.”

He has since stopped, and his wife said, “He’s a totally different person.”

HE NEEDS TO PUT A BRACE ON HIS EGO

New Orleans had an open date Sunday, which gives Ricky Williams’ dislocated elbow another week to heal, but Coach Mike Ditka had no problems playing with pain in his day. He said he once played with a dislocated shoulder that popped out three weeks in a row.

“Then I got tired of dislocating it, so I put a brace on it, and I played the rest of the season. And caught the highest amount of passes I ever caught in football.”

He then paused and said, “But then, I’m Iron Mike.”

ISN’T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD?

Contrary to what many experts predicted, the marking of footballs with a “K” for use only in the kicking game has not had a negative effect on the number of field goals made.

Through Week 3, 113 of 152 field goals have been converted, 72.7%.

Through Week 3 last season, 104 of 143 attempts were successful (72.7%).

AMERICA’S TEAM: WHO ELSE?

For the sixth consecutive season, the Dallas Cowboys are the nation’s favorite NFL team, according to the Harris poll.

According to the latest poll, the Cowboys are either the favorite or the second-favorite team of 22% of those who follow professional football. They are followed by the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers (18% each) with the Denver Broncos, winners of two straight Super Bowls, fourth with 13%.

Rounding out the top ten are Pittsburgh (11%); Miami (9%); Minnesota (8%); Washington (7%), and Chicago, the New York Giants and New England (all 6%).

The poll was based on a telephone survey of 1,008 adults, 541 of whom said they follow professional football.

In the survey, 53% said they follow the NFL, the fourth year in a row the figure was over 50%.

Playing Percentages

As evidenced by the 35-7 loss to the Rams on Sunday without him, Jamal Anderson means a great deal to the Falcon offense. A look at the leaders in percentage of team net yards gained last season:

1. Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis: 43.5%

2. Jamal Anderson, Atlanta: 39.5%

3. Terrell Davis, Denver: 36.5%

4. Duce Staley, Philadelphia: 35.7%

5. Barry Sanders, Detroit: 35.0%

6. Ricky Watters, Seattle: 34.8%

7. Fred Taylor, Jacksonville: 31.5%

8. Garrison Hearst, San Francisc:: 31.0%

9. Eddie George, Tennessee: 30.5%

--Compiled by Houston Mitchell