By Jeff Shain
AP Sports Writer
Sunday, January 31, 1999; 11:48 p.m. EST

MIAMI – Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan insisted he wasn't ready to consider a third straight Super Bowl title Sunday night, but his words gave himself away a few moments later.

``Our offseason program starts tomorrow,'' Shanahan said, barely 20 minutes after the Broncos had won their second consecutive championship with an easy 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Always thinking ahead. Typical behavior from somebody renowned for his meticulous preparedness.

It's that kind of attention to detail that has allowed the 45-year-old rising star to negotiate his way through the pitfalls that stand in the way of any defending champion.

The Broncos not only came through virtually unscathed, they came back even better. They won their first 13 games, lost two, then won the final four to lift the trophy once again.

``Are we better? I really don't know,'' Shanahan said. ``It's so hard to judge. Over the past two years, everybody believed. The more pressure we had on this football team, the more they stepped up. That's what wins championships.''

Not even the potential of an ugly family feud could distract the Broncos this week.

Atlanta coach Dan Reeves, who spent 10 years coaching the Broncos, let slip two weeks ago that his wounds haven't healed completely from his firing in Denver six years ago. One of the protagonists, he said, was Shanahan.

Reeves said Shanahan and quarterback John Elway conspired to run their own game plan and blamed Shanahan for not telling him about Elway's unhappiness with the offense.

Shanahan reacted angrily at first, then calmed back down and said he would take the high road.

The issue died quickly in Miami, and the two exchanged a brief -- very brief -- handshake after the game.

``He just said, `Congratulations.' I said the same thing to him,'' Shanahan said.

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