 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |
Sharpe as ever Former Bronco going strong in first season with Ravens
BALTIMORE (AP) -- After 10 years with the organization, Shannon Sharpe has lots of friends among the Denver Broncos. On Sunday, however, each of the Broncos will be his enemy. Sharpe, who helped Denver win two Super Bowls, caught 552 passes for 6,983 yards and 44 touchdowns for the Broncos. Then, he signed with Baltimore as a free agent and contributed a team-high 67 receptions for 810 yards and five scores this season. Denver's defense will keep a Sharpe eye on him, if you will, in the AFC wild-card game. "It's very important to keep him from having a big game," cornerback Ray Crockett said of the star tight end. "He's always a key to a team's offense. He was here and he is in Baltimore." Sharpe hasn't changed his tune as a Raven, of course. He's still the same motor mouth who backs up his verbiage with production. Baltimore quarterback Trent Dilfer figures to focus on finding Sharpe, especially if the Broncos (11-5) can shut down Jamal Lewis and Baltimore's running game. "Shannon's a classy guy," defensive tackle Trevor Pryce said. "People seem to have the wrong idea about him. He really is a class guy, but he is loud. He's the Mouth of the South. He's a funny dude. There's nothing wrong with that. It's never malicious - at least I don't think it is. Not toward me at least." It's also designed to mess with an opponent's psyche. Sharpe has admitted as much throughout his stellar career, but the Broncos should be wise to it. "He knows a lot of things about us. It's not just general stuff like, 'You have a big head,' or what-not," Pryce explained. "He'll try to get inside [our heads], but I don't think he will." Sharpe could have remained inside a Denver uniform, but he wasn't certain about the direction of the team's offense without John Elway. So he headed east, but admits to leaving a part of himself in the Rocky Mountains. "Denver will always be special, because that was my first team," Sharpe said. "They gave me the opportunity to play in this league. "This is my new family, but I haven't forgotten my old family. I appreciate all they've done for me." What Denver plans to do for Sharpe on Sunday is shut him down, shut his mouth and escape Baltimore (12-4) with a win. The Broncos have won their last seven playoff games. This is Baltimore's first home playoff game since 1977, when the Colts represented the city. Sharpe doesn't even want to think about it being an unsuccessful return to the postseason. So he's imparted to his new teammates the wisdom of a decade of success he experienced with the Broncos. "I just tell them what it's like. Everybody wants to be a part of a winner," Sharpe said. "Fortunately, I've come from an organization that took pride not just getting in the playoffs, but in the Super Bowl. When we started the season our goal wasn't just to get into the playoffs, but to win the Super Bowl. "I brought that same philosophy here. I said my main goal is to get this team in the playoffs, and once we get into the playoffs, we start talking Super Bowl." No one can talk the talk better.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
