Hope Springs Eternal For Seahawks Cb He’s Not Fazed By Lesson At The Hands Of Broncos
The only thing Denver didn’t take from Shawn Springs was the smile on his face.
He has perma-grin. Even after one of those days every NFL rookie cornerback dreads - facing John Elway.
Elway, Ed McCaffrey and the officials threw everything but a deflectable pass at Springs in the Broncos’ 35-14 win Sunday at the Kingdome. The Broncos didn’t try to hide their intentions. They telegraphed them.
But Springs, the third selection in the draft, was powerless to stop the Broncos’ pass connections. For the confident Springs, it was a day to learn, to chalk up to experience. He has played eight NFL quarters now. He is discovering that superior athleticism alone will not stifle pro receivers. “I was the left corner, McCaffrey is their feature receiver and John Elway was the quarterback so I figured they would throw my way a lot,” said Springs, facing a sea of media microphones and tape recorders. “One time in the Rose Bowl I got picked on a lot. That was a little different - Jake Plummer compared to John Elway.”
No one, least of all Springs, was feeling sorry for the rookie. You want compassion in the NFL? Try a friendly usher or home-town announcers.
“I don’t have any sympathy for him,” Broncos cornerback Darrien Gordon said. “I know his situation. It’s just part of the game. It’s good for him to get his experience so he can build on it.”
The Broncos, of course, denied they targeted Springs. McCaffrey is nowhere near as strong or fast as Springs, but he is a quality possession receiver in Denver’s ball-hog offense. McCaffrey has played seven years in the NFL by discovering ways to separate his lanky 6-foot-5 frame from cornerbacks.
On Denver’s third play, McCaffrey pulled in a 22-yard reception against Springs. A seven-yard catch followed two plays later. The drive resulted in a field goal.
On the next series, Springs was hit with pass interference and illegal contact penalties. Elway rolled right and hit McCaffrey in the right corner for a touchdown, just before a converging Springs. Denver led 10-0.
Two possessions later, another pass interference penalty on Springs, albeit a questionable one.
“A lot of times I thought I had good coverage and Elway still threw it in there,” Springs said. “I knew I could run with this guy, so maybe I didn’t get as much depth as I needed. He collided with me because he knew I wouldn’t back up. He knew how to get the flags, too.”
“Sometimes it (interference) is called, sometimes it’s not,” Coach Dennis Erickson said. “Everybody in the league does it. I’m not saying they were bad calls, because they weren’t, but I mean we get called for it and it hurt us.”
Elway was relentless. In the third quarter, he found McCaffrey for nine yards to start a 78-yard scoring drive that ended with Springs biting on a out pattern. McCaffrey turned up field and Elway delivered in a 21-yard pass.
“I told him every corner has days like that,” said Seahawks’ right corner Willie Williams, who was also victimized by a pass interference penalty. “They hit you with three flags in one game, that makes you a little tentative.”
When the learning and his talent mesh, there will be days when Springs dominates. In particular, he has Nov. 2, the rematch in Denver, in mind.
“I guarantee the next time we play he’s going to be ready,” McCaffrey said. Springs concurred.
“We play him again, things will be different,” he said. “You’ll see me again, with games under my belt.”
And, he hopes, still with a smile on his face.
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