Try repeating this three times without tripping over your tongue.

Falcon left shift to weak left tight wide left H2 X bingo wide smash.

And that's just a basic pass play the Broncos used in their 16-13 win against Tampa Bay earlier this season.

"Forget the success of the play," Broncos play-by-play announcer Dave Logan said. "Just getting the play called and to the quarterback and relayed to his teammates and getting to the line of scrimmage . . . there are so many variables involved."

While the "Toro, Toro, Toro" fire drill that set up Jason Elam's winning field goal last year against Buffalo proved every second counts, just getting off the average plays under the deadline of the 40-second clock takes a coordinated effort.

It's why quarterbacks don't celebrate a big gain or help pull up teammates off the ground. They don't have time.

As soon as one play ends, they have to wipe the slate clean and start the clock rolling again - and again - usually 70 times or more a game.

"There's a lot going on. That's why the quarterback position is more like a dictatorship than a democracy," former Washington quarterback Joe Theismann said. "There's just really no time for anyone to say anything in the huddle but the quarterback."

Cutler, who played with a 25-second clock when he was at Vanderbilt and did not have the benefit of coach-to-quarterback headset, said it hasn't been much of an adjustment. He said it's a matter of finding out where the clock is in each stadium, then making sure he's aware of it.

"It's only hard after a long play with having to get the guys lined up downfield or if coach is late getting the play called in," he said. "But you get a feel for those situations as the game goes along."

To keep chaos to a minimum on game day, practice and study are key.

"I don't think people have any idea how much preparation goes into getting ready for games," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said.

Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates put it another way.

"If I went into a doctor's office and they started talking in medical terms, I would be amazed," Bates said. "But this is what we do. It's our field of study and, yeah, I think anyone who wasn't involved with Football over their life would not understand."

That includes the average fan.

"They have no idea what's going on,"

Theismann said. "They're ordering another beer usually when this is all happening."

With the Broncos counting down the games remaining in the regular season, the Rocky stopped the clock briefly to dissect what happens before each offensive snap.

40 seconds

Down and distance.

It's the first thing offensive coaches must know before calling a play from the color-coded, plasticized sheet of paper they don't leave home without.

"You've got to know down and distance, what hash you're on, the rhythm of the game - are we running the ball or throwing the ball," Bates said.

"You kind of have a play or two (in mind) before the (preceding) play is over because they wind the clock right when the whistle blows."

Every team has certain plays depending on whether it's first-and-10, second-and-short, second-and-mid, second-and-long, third-and-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or if they are in the red zone or backed up against their goal line.

Though not a hard-and-fast rule, most plays are relayed in about 10 seconds. Watch closely and Cutler typically can be seen looking to the sideline, then heading to the huddle with about 25 seconds on the clock.

Logan said there also might be a few seconds to "coach up" a quarterback - giving simple reminders to watch out for a backside blitz or a certain coverage - before the communication is cut off at 15 seconds.

"You can in a very short period of time give that quarterback something to think of other than, 'OK, here's the play we're going to run,' " he said.

Personnel decisions

While Bates and Shanahan are deciding on plays, running backs coach Bobby Turner also is on the headset, listening for what personnel group is wanted for a particular play.

If, for example, he hears "Tiger," he makes sure the team has two tight ends on the field.

If it's a "Jumbo" alignment, he makes sure three tight ends and two backs are in the huddle and the others not being used are getting off the field.

When he's yelling "Zebra," he's not looking for Ed Hochuli but calling for three wideouts to be on the field.

"He's hearing through the headset what personnel we're going to use and he's in charge of making sure it's going to happen," Shanahan said of Turner.

At the same time, other assistants are relaying what personnel - nickel, dime, basic - the opposing defense has on the field.

"When you really see a problem with delay of games is normally with substitution packages around the goal line," Theismann said. "You've got a player you're substituting who's got to run basically from the 45-yard line all the way down to the 3. And you really can't call the play till the player gets there."

Falcon left shift . . . smash

Verbiage of the West Coast offense can be quite wordy as even Bates will admit.

But it's up to Cutler to hear it and relay it to players in the huddle quickly and accurately. What slows down things is if a question comes up in the huddle.

"Sometimes it's impressive Jay can remember all the routes and stuff and know where everybody is going to be," guard Ben Hamilton said. "It just goes to show that Jay studies hard and knows his stuff."

Theismann said there really shouldn't be anybody in the huddle other than the quarterback saying anything.

In Tampa Bay, he said, Jon Gruden's play calls can run up to 25 words, symbols and letters.

"You don't get two chances to get it out. I can't all of a sudden get 10 seconds into a play and say, 'Oh, wait, let me start over.' You start over and you're looking at a delay of game," Theismann said.

Steve Beuerlein, a former Broncos quarterback who is an NFL and college analyst, said some teams are shortening things in the passing game by adding one word, such as "burst," that would tell several players what to do when running a variation of a certain play.

And he's seeing a lot more wristbands. Kansas City puts wristbands on its receivers and tight ends. Instead of a coordinator calling in an entire play to the quarterback, then having him repeat it to players in the huddle, the play simply comes in as, say, "15," and the receivers can check their wrists to know their assignments.

Looking for clues

Once Cutler breaks the huddle, he's looking at the defense, picking up clues as to what might be coming at him. It's also a chance to audible to a different play if he doesn't like what he sees after he has everybody lined up.

At this time, center Casey Wiegmann also is making sure everybody is on the same page up front, depending on what front the defense shows.

"Everybody has their own calls, but Casey does a good job of making sure both sides are doing the right thing before he snaps the ball," Hamilton said.

Beuerlein said more teams are going with the double snap count.

"Brett Favre and Peyton Manning do it all the time," he said.

The premise is simple. Get under center and call the play to make the defense show its hand, then back out and call the play for real. It helps draw defenses offsides and can give the offense an advantage, but it also requires more time - making it more important to get the right personnel, the play called and everybody in position in a timely manner.

Glitches

The Broncos have been better than most at getting plays in on time, but if there are glitches, it's usually because the coach-to-quarterback headsets aren't working properly - or so they say.

"Sometimes the headsets go off and you've got to yell it in or call timeout," Shanahan said.

Then he fessed up.

"Sometimes you can't make a decision, so you blame it on the headset so you don't look stupid," Shanahan quipped.

INFOBOX

Countdown

Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said there is no specific timeline for things to happen when the Broncos call a play but said it's important to keep the tempo going.

"The quicker we're in and out, it puts pressure on the defense and pressure on the defensive coordinator and helps out our rhythm," Bates said.

40 seconds: As soon as one play ends, the official sets a new 40-second clock immediately.

39 seconds: Players start making their way back to the huddle, from wherever they finish the previous play, be it 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage or 30 yards downfield.

35 seconds: * With a headset on, running backs coach Bobby Turner hears what personnel group is wanted and from the sideline makes sure the right players are going in and coming out of the huddle.

* The wheels already have been turning as to which play to call, and Bates begins relaying the lengthy call to quarterback Jay Cutler through the headset.

25 seconds: Cutler typically heads to the huddle to relay the play he received.

16 seconds: Cutler walks to the line of scrimmage to survey the defense and make the appropriate check to another play if necessary. While this is happening, the linemen are making their own calls to ensure they know whom to block.

15 seconds: The coach-to-quarterback communication via headset is cut off by an NFL official.

1-10 seconds: Ball is snapped.

* Note: All times approximate and not valid in hurry-up situations.