Ground game a constant for Broncos

Danny Kanell jokes that he can now expect a visit from NFL security. Teams usually reclaim their playbooks when a player is released. But the former Denver quarterback kept his copy and was willing to share the concepts behind head coach Mike Shanahan's ballyhooed offense with FOXSports.com.

The Broncos (2-0) enter Sunday's game against visiting Jacksonville as the NFL's top-ranked offensive unit. New starting running back Travis Henry has a league-high 267 rushing yards and second-year quarterback Jay Cutler ranks fourth among passing leaders with 573 yards.

No team has had more points or total yardage the past 12 seasons than the Broncos. Such consistency doesn't surprise opposing coaches or Kanell, who played seven years in the NFL with three teams (the New York Giants, Atlanta and Denver) until being released by the Broncos during the 2005 preseason.

"Mike has a system," said Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips, a defensive specialist who has matched wits against Shanahan for more than two decades.

"That's what I admire about what he does. He can put different people in there and do well with all of them."

The foundation of Shanahan's success is his playbook. Kanell's version contains 20 pages of formations and an eight-day installation plan designed for the start of the preseason. The tome is revamped every off-season with new material and terminology.

Kanell, who is now serving as a Miami Dolphins pre-game radio analyst, said some of Shanahan's plays are almost impossible to stop if the Broncos execute properly.

"Ask the best defensive coordinators and they will tell you the same thing: There's always going to be a good play for the quarterback if he makes good decisions no matter what the defense throws at you," Kanell said. "This was one of my favorite offenses to run because it was so quarterback-friendly."

Kanell provides an example by dissecting one of Denver's staple plays: Solo Right 2 Jet X Under Y.

Run out of a three-receiver, single-back set with a tight end aligned beside the left tackle, the quarterback's intent is a long pass to the slot receiver (Y) zipping down the seam on the formation's right side.

The quarterback takes a five-step drop and looks left toward the X receiver, who is running a five-yard slant-in ("under") route popularized by Indianapolis' Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. The hope is that the free safety will bite and abandon the "Y."

If that safety stays in the middle of the field and/or the cornerbacks are playing press coverage, Kanell said the quarterback should pass to his X receiver or risk getting his Y receiver "lit up big time." If the X receiver also is unavailable, the other throws available are:

MORE on this story>>

South Slams Wasson

South 48, Wasson 0

Wasson	0	0	0	0	-	0
South	3	10	14	21	-	48