3 Arizona Cardinals

At the Cardinals' Northern Arizona training camp site in mid-August, theories about the reasons for Jake Plummer's decline were as plentiful as the pines ringing the practice fields. From coach Dave McGinnis to quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst to the student-intern shuttle-bus driver, everyone had an idea as to why Plummer, an erstwhile wunderkind, had bottomed out over the last two seasons, throwing 45 interceptions to 22 touchdowns as Arizona went 9-23. Some thought Plummer had crumbled under the pressure of playing in the same town where he'd been a star at Arizona State. Others pointed to his myriad injuries. Others cited the lack of help he received from his teammates or his self-doubt.

General manager Bob Ferguson opted for a combination of the last two, saying, "Jake's not a guy who can throw the ball 35,40 times a game, but since we couldn't run, he had to. In the end, Jake was struggling with his confidence."

Snacking on an apple after a morning practice, Plummer, 26, breaks a polite silence upon hearing the last suggestion. "Everybody's entitled to his opinion, but anybody who thinks my confidence is shot has no idea about me," he says with a shake of his head. "I won't make excuses. I realize everything's on the quarterback's shoulders, win or lose. And I know there have been times when I just sucked. But a lot of things were happening beyond my or anybody else's control. All we can do is look ahead now."

For the first time in three years, what Plummer sees won't make him cringe. Second-year tailback Thomas Jones, who had three injured ribs diagnosed and treated in late June, is pushing incumbant Michael Pittman. The receiving corps can be called dangerous, with the return of Plummer's favorite target, Rob Moore, from a torn left ACL sustained last August and the rise of David Boston and the dependable Frank Sanders in Moore's absence. Most important, the offensive line has been rebuilt with the signing of former Seahawks guard Pete Kendall and the drafting of mountainous Texas guard Leonard Davis.

The retooling of the offensive line—the main culprit for an anemic rushing attack that averaged 79.9 yards a game last year, fifth worst in the NFL—was left to the fiery McGinnis, who became permanent coach and de facto head of football operations in January after replacing Vince Tobin on an interim basis midway through last year. McGinnis chose to focus his attention and resources on the offense, to Plummer's delight. "We all know that we sucked running the ball and that we have to help our defense," Plummer says. "We've got the guys to run behind now."

To understand how bad it got, consider how good it was as recently as 1998, when a spunky Plummer led the Cardinals to three straight December victories before Arizona ended a 51-year playoff drought with a win at Dallas.

His troubles began shortly thereafter. Plummer, who signed a contract extension in December '98 that included a staggering $15 million bonus, severely sprained his right thumb in the 1999 preseason, played poorly and then broke his finger midway through the schedule. The injuries cost him four games, and he finished the season with nine touchdown passes, 24 interceptions and a 50.8 passer rating. Last season brought more misery. Considering Plummer had been hailed as the second coming of Joe Montana, the drop-off was as shocking as it was precipitous. "Look, 14 interceptions happened when we were down at least 14 points," Chryst says. "Most happened because he was our only playmaker. I have no doubt he'll be better this year because of our improvements."

The same can't be said of the defense, a unit too young and too thin to allow the Cardinals any playoff hopes. Last year Arizona ranked last in sacks (25) and next to last in total defense (358.6 yards per game), rushing defense (163.1 yards per game) and scoring defense (443 points)—and then lost its two best defenders ( defensive end Simeon Rice and cornerback Aeneas Williams) to free agency in the off-season. "The defense will be young, energetic and motivated," McGinnis says. "We'll have to feed off each other's successes."

It's a heartening forecast, if only for Plummer, a man whose rebirth remains largely dependent on the players around him. "We know Jake'll have a better year, but not because he changed anything," says Sanders. "He's the same ol' Jake—same fire, same leadership. People need their theories, but really, Jake's been great all along. It's the rest of us who need to get better."

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