Plummer Apologizes for Obscene Gesture

Denver Bronco quarterback Jake Plummer flashed an obscene gesture toward the stands Sunday at Denver after throwing a first-quarter interception and being jeered in Denver’s 20-17 victory over Miami.

“I apologize for that to our fans and everyone,” Plummer said. “It wasn’t directed to our fans. One guy got into my head a little bit. It shouldn’t be that way.”

Plummer finished 16 for 30 with two interceptions. He has no touchdowns and six interceptions in the last two games and has been the target of criticism recently in Denver.

Last week, former teammate Shannon Sharpe ripped into him, although Plummer said he hadn’t heard the comments and labeled them nothing more than “Chinook winds blowing off the mountains.”

He wasn’t able to turn a deaf ear to the fans, however.

The interception came on a sidearm throw that was nabbed by Dolphin defensive end Jay Williams, the fourth defensive lineman to pick off Plummer this season. After the play, TV cameras caught Plummer putting his middle finger behind his head while sitting on the bench, without turning around.

“I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t do it,” Plummer said. “I’ve never done that before. It was one of those things where I got caught up in the emotion of a big game, and my emotions got the best of me.”

Plummer wouldn’t reveal what the fan said.

“He didn’t say ‘Good job,’ ” Plummer said.

Plummer isn’t the only one feeling heat in Denver. Bronco Coach Mike Shanahan has been on the hot seat as well, but he got some support Sunday from a good source: team owner Pat Bowlen.

“He’s got four years to go on his contract, and I’m not firing him,” Bowlen said after the game.

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Miami receiver David Boston was suspended by the NFL for four games for testing positive for steroids, but he will not miss any games, because he is out for the season because of a knee injury.

Boston, however, will lose $1.34 million, one-fourth of his $5.35-million salary.

In a statement issued through his agent, Boston denied using steroids.

“I did not take any anabolic steroids, but it was decided that I tested for a related substance,” he said. “The NFL has always strived to provide the highest level of accuracy and reliability in its testing procedures. These are usually higher standards than other organizations. However, I believe the NFL utilized lower standards of reliability in its testing criteria in this case.”

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Sunday’s key injuries:

* Seattle defensive end Grant Wistrom, who sat out four games this season because of a knee injury, had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 27-23 win over the Vikings because of another knee injury and did not return.

* Carson Palmer, who walked to the locker room late in the third quarter of Cincinnati’s 35-28 loss to the Patriots, was on crutches and said he would get an MRI exam on his injured knee, but said he should be OK to play next week against Buffalo.

* Philadelphia linebacker Jason Short was carted off the field because of a broken leg, and Washington cornerback Shawn Springs was taken off on a backboard because of a concussion in Sunday night’s game.

* Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher injured his hamstring in the second half of a 22-3 loss to Jacksonville and will be reevaluated today.