The Denver Broncos Must Face Their New Reality

Times are changing in the Rocky Mountains. The Balloon Boy scandal is about to go away. Bill Ritter won’t run for re-election as Governor of Denver. Last but not least, Mike Shanahan will be coaching a team other than the Broncos.

And with that, the last page of the Shanahan Era in Denver has finally been turned, while the next chapter of the Josh McDaniels Saga has yet to unfold. I am uncertain. I am wary. I am scared to death.

It hasn’t been easy being a Broncos fan over the past four years. The team has seemingly lost their identity as one of the competitive teams of the league and become the annual whipping boy for the Chargers.

This was true in Shanahan’s final three seasons with the team, and nothing that McDaniels tried this year did anything to change that.

The Broncos are stuck, as one may say, in football purgatory. Not getting worse, but never improving either. This year’s team teased all of us with their euphoric 6-0 start, only to succumb to their greatest collapse to date, going 2-8 in their final 10 games.

I wish that I could tell you why this happened, why this keeps happening. The success that the Chargers have enjoyed this decade makes it even worse. San Diego has won five of the last six AFC West titles. Oakland won the first three this decade.

The Broncos? 1-1, which is 1 division title and 1 playoff win. They have 0 playoff appearances since 2005 with a 32-32 record over that time span.

We can all agree that 2005 featured the last truly great Broncos team. I remember every game from that season. Every touchdown. Every score. Every key play and every hurtful loss. And you know what? I can’t say the same about 2006-2008.

Know why? I blocked it out because I believed those seasons to be a fluke, that this was still a playoff team that was missing just one or two key players.

At this point, its obvious that I’ve been lying to myself all this time because I was hurt by the truth. And the truth is that the Denver Broncos in 2010 are not a great team. They are not a competitive team.

Simply put, they are average and irrelevant in today’s NFL. Not only that, but with the Avalanche enjoying a surprisingly successful season, the Broncos are the worst of the 4 major sports teams in Colorado.

Ten years ago, the Rockies and Nuggets could barely get fans to attend their games. Now they put on a better show than the Broncos ever can.

What’s even more frustrating is that nearly every good player on this team has a down side. Brandon Marshall, fresh off another 100-catch season, is good as gone. Champ Bailey is in the final year of his contract and may not be back in 2011.

Brian Dawkins played too much and wore down at the end of the year. Even Elvis Dumervil struggled when teams ran the ball at him more often.

I don’t write this for the sole purpose of being a pessimist and I do not withdraw myself as a Broncos fan. I could never do that.

For now, what I’m saying is that the Broncos of the present are bogged down in their own mediocrity and the Broncos of the future are completely unpredictable.

There. I feel better. Now the bright side to this column (didn’t think there was one did you?). The moves that the Broncos will do, should do, and probably won’t be able to do this offseason.

 

First things first; it’s time to completely cut ties with the Shanahan regime. If McDaniels is going to do things the Patriot Way, then he needs to do them all the way.

That means almost all of the Shanahan holdovers need to go. Rick Dennison and Bobby Turner are good coaches, but their zone-blocking and cut-back running styles of coaching don’t fit with what McDaniels is trying to do on offense.

Besides, they will get plenty of interest from other coaches, including Shanahan and Gary Kubiak, and would be hard to keep.

After that, it’s time to clean house with the players. Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler want out almost as much as McDaniels wants to get rid of them.

Ben Hamilton is a fraction of the player he used to be and is now too light for the offensive line. Peyton Hillis, Jarvis Moss, and Marcus Thomas were seldom used and rarely effective.

However, a few of the Shanahan starters from last year, outside of Champ Bailey, Ryan Clady, and Elvis Dumervil, will be back.

Eddie Royal saw a pretty large dip in his production from 2008, but he’ll get another chance because of his potential. Brandon Stokely and Spencer Larsen are wild cards who may or may not be back.

Next on the agenda is improving at the line of scrimmage. It’s no secret that the Broncos had major issues at their offensive and defensive lines toward the end of the season.

Offensively, they need to get bigger. Clady, Harris, and Kuper (if he’s resigned), are all good fits, but I’m not so sure about Casey Wiegmann.

Hamilton was benched midseason in favor of Russ Hochstein, who outweighs Hamilton by about 20 pounds, and the same thing could happen to Casey this spring. Those two may even retire.

The Patriots’ offensive line features five starters who each weigh 300 pounds or more, so look for McDaniels to replicate that here in Denver.

As for the defense, the teams with the best 3-4 defenses are typically the ones with the best nose tackles.

Ronnie Fields was decent for the Broncos this year, but his weaknesses began to show more as the season went on. He’ll have competition for his job in camp next year, as will Ryan McBean and Kenny Peterson.

The team could also use a true run stuffer at middle linebacker. DJ makes a lot of tackles and Andra Davis is solid, but neither of them instill fear into the hearts of running backs.

When Al Wilson roamed the middle of the field, the Broncos were consistently one of the hardest teams to run against. They have yet to replace him.

Lastly, the Broncos lack the playmakers that they need to compete in today’s NFL. With Marshall on his way out, someone else will have to make up for his 100 catches, and I doubt that someone is Jabar Gaffney or Brandon Lloyd.

Correll Buckhalter was better than expected, but he’s not the long term answer at running back.

Which brings us to Knowshon Moreno. I know, he’s a rookie, and I’ve already mentioned how the Broncos had a struggling offensive line most of the season. Moreno played well early on, but he was a non-factor in the final three games.

First-round picks are expected to make plays to help their teams make the playoffs, and Moreno didn’t make enough of those plays this year. Obviously he’s not going anywhere, but he needs to become more of an impact player.

That goes for the other Broncos first-round picks too, Robert Ayers and Alphonso Smith. Ayers finally began to get after the quarterback towards the end of the season, but not so much at the beginning.

Smith was nearly invisible all year and got beaten in coverage for a costly touchdown against the Raiders in week 15. Progress must be made here, or it will put the Broncos in a tough spot.

For all you Kyle Orton haters out there, I guarantee you that he will be back next year. Unless the Broncos draft a total stud at quarterback or Tom Brandstater magically turns into Tom Brady overnight, Orton will also be starting once again.

Whether he deserves it or not is a topic for another column. Orton will be your quarterback next year Broncos fans. Don’t like it? Deal with it.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos: The Beginning of a New Era, Or The Beginning of the End?

WHOA! Maybe to clarify, this isn’t a picture of the future, but just a reminder of how truly awful the first uniforms were. And if on the 75th or the 100th anniversary of the AFL, they must promise not to bring these monstrosities back.

As to the title of this article, I have read and wrote on where this franchise lies at the moment. And it does seem to be an either/or thing with most fans and followers of the Broncos: Either you are with the new regime or you are against it.

So, to bring some balance, let’s review where the Broncos have been, where they are, and maybe take a glimpse at where they might be going.

Begin Slideshow

Denver Broncos Mock Draft, Part Seven: Time for Marshall, Scheffler To Go

Following the Denver Broncos‘ pitiful excuse for a last chance at the playoffs, it’s time for their first offseason mock draft.

The writing is on the wall in Denver, and it seems as though both Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler have played their last game in the Bronco blue and orange, which should be fine with the fans.  Marshall and Scheffler clearly are not interested in this team or in hopping aboard the Josh McDaniels train.  That is not fair to the fans in the very least.

This will undoubtedly be my most out there mock of the offseason, but I hope you will all climb aboard my imagination for a bit.  I really feel the Broncos are going to make some big time trades before the draft this year, and I know many of you feel it too after the Marshall/Scheffler benching.

I did a piece recently about the likelihood of Marshall getting traded and which teams seem like the most likely candidates.  I came to the conclusion that the Jets , Ravens, Bengals , and Redskins  are the most likely to give Marshall a shot.  They have the picks (for the most part), and they have the need.

I really am struggling in deciding which team to go with for Marshall, but I think either the Ravens or Jets make the most sense.  Since the Ravens have the better package to offer, let’s go with them. 

Projected Trade

Broncos Receive:

• Ravens First Round pick (21st overall)
• Ravens Third Round pick

Ravens Receive:

• WR Brandon Marshall

It will suck losing Marshall, and the media will be all over us for it, but I think it’s the right decision moving forward (even though two of my jerseys will be gone to waste). 

I also think we are going to find a suitor for Tony Scheffler , and his value right now is nothing less than a third round pick, in my opinion.  I think the Bills liked him last offseason, and he would still be a good fit there. 

Another projected trade:

Broncos Receive:

• Bills’ Third Round pick
• Bills’ Sixth Round pick

Bills Receive:

• TE Tony Scheffler

With these two trades, our draft slate would be much more appropriate given the depth and quality of this class. 

I do have one more projected trade that I think could happen based on one potential head coach signing, and it is a trade that I hate because I love the player, so here it goes:

Broncos Receive:

• Redskins Fourth Round pick

Redskins Receive:

• RB/FB Peyton Hillis

Obviously, a lot of that potential trade depends on Mike Shanahan deciding whether or not he wants to coach the Redskins this season, and that seems likely at this point.  Shanny reunites with not only Clinton Portis , but he gets a new power back in Peyton Hillis as well.

With these three trades, our draft slate would look as such:

1. First Round, 10th/11th overall (from Chicago)
2. First Round, 21st overall (from Baltimore)
3. Second Round, 46th overall
4. Third Round (from Buffalo)
5. Third Round
6. Third Round (from Baltimore)
7. Fourth Round (from Washington)
8. Fourth Round
9. Sixth Round (from Buffalo)
10. Sixth Round
11. Seventh Round

From here, I think I am ready to make my mock draft, after that mouth full.

First Round, 10th overall:  Rolando McClain, ILB, Alabama

McClain is the best linebacker prospect in this draft, and he seems like an excellent leader.  He is the best player on the best defense in college ball, which just happens to be a 3-4 scheme.  I love his potential in the league, and having two first round picks allows us to make this move.

First Round, 21st overall:  Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho

I think Iupati has become a very popular/logical selection for the Broncos.  He is a beast at the offensive guard spot, and he would fill a gaping hole on our offensive line.  He is instinctive and has great footwork.  This would be right about where I would expect Iupati to come off the board.

**Projected Trade**

Broncos Receive:

• Jacksonville Jaguars  2nd Round pick (through Patriots), 42nd overall
• New England Patriots 4th Round pick

Patriots Receive:

• Buffalo Bills ‘ 3rd Round pick (through Broncos)
• Baltimore Ravens 3rd round pick (through Broncos)

Second Round, 42nd overall:  Tim Tebow, Quarterback, Florida

I will get hammered on for this pick, but the only thing wrong with Tebow is his long release, and that has been/can be worked on with our coaching staff.  His intangibles are off the charts, and he has Ben Roethlisberger potential to me.  I think he will impress McD and the rest of Broncos’ management with his strong arm, escape ability, measurables, leadership, and instincts. 

Second Round, 46th overall:  Demaryius Thomas, Wide Receiver, Georgia Tech

Assuming he declares, Thomas is one of the most underrated prospects available in this draft.  He has excellent size (6’3″, 230) and good speed given that size.  He is a big play threat that would make our offense miss Brandon Marshall a little bit less, especially right away.

**Projected Trade**

Broncos Receive:

• Seattle Seahawks 3rd round pick (through Philadelphia)
• Philadelphia 5th round pick

Eagles Receive:

• Two 4th round picks

Third Round (from Seahawks through Philadelphia): D’Anthony Smith, Defensive Lineman, Louisiana Tech

Hard working defensive lineman who could make the transition to a 3-4 defensive end in our system.  Coaches rave about this kid, and I think he will impress us in the offseason activities.

Third Round:  Vladimir Ducasse, Offensive Lineman, UMass

This pick is made with the assumption that Ducasse works out well as a center for us.  He is a smart player, so you know he will be on our radar.  We were scouting some of the higher rated center prospects last year as well, and I think this kid has the versatility to make the switch. 

Fourth Round:  Danario Alexander, Wide Receiver, Missouri

I love this kid’s size and athleticism.  I think he would be an excellent complement on the outside to Demaryius Williams for the future.  He has outstanding size along with great playmaking ability.  He will win deep ball battles, unlike our former fourth round pick Brandon Marshall, on a consistent basis.

Fifth Round (from Philadelphia):  Tyson Alualu, Defensive Lineman, California

This guy has a motor that never stops.  He is versatile, durable, and great at stopping the run.  He would be a welcome addition, especially at this point in the draft, to our defensive attack.

Sixth Round (from Buffalo):  Tony Moeaki, Tight End, Iowa

Tight end for tight end, Tony for Tony.  I love this kid, and not just because Iowa is the college team I call my favorite.  Moeaki has all the talent in the world but will fall on draft day because of prior health issues.  He is a great pass receiver and an even better blocker.  If he can stay healthy, this pick is a steal.

Sixth Round:  Myron Rolle, Safety, Florida State

I don’t know why draft sites have this guy rated so low right now, but he is a lot better than he is getting credit.  I would find it excellent if we were able to pick this guy up in the sixth round.  Again, I’m basing this off of an ESPN.com ranking of 49 (roughly sixth round pick) and a projected late fifth round pick by CBSSports and NFLDraftScout.com.

Seventh Round:  LeGarrette Blount, Running Back, Oregon

Very little risk with this pick.  Blount has had character issues, but he is worth a seventh round draft pick.  We weren’t afraid to waste it last year, so why should we this year?  The risk is worth the reward if he can screw his head on straight.

Obviously, the needs of this team will change after free agency.  I think trading Marshall and Scheffler works because we free up money to go after Dumervil, Orton, and Kuper, our primary FAs.  I think Dumervil will sign a five or six year deal, preferably six.  Orton will sign a two year deal, and Kuper a four or five year deal.

More to come on the draft, so stay tuned!

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Josh McDaniels Is Not at Fault for Latest Denver Broncos Collapse

They say a picture can say a thousand words. 

If that’s the case, then the photo above says a lot about how some Broncos fans and critics alike are painting head coach Josh McDaniels.

McDaniels has been called every name in the book and is unfairly carrying the weight of the Broncos’ epic 2009 collapse. 

As the head coach of the team, it is common for McDaniels to have to carry this weight, but in this case, it is completely unjustified.

In McDaniels’ first season as head coach, the Broncos took a wild roller coaster ride, cliche’ as it may sound. 

He was chastised for trading away Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler, and following the trade, nobody in the media thought the Broncos would win more than six games, maybe seven if they were feeling generous.

Following the Cutler trade, drama with both tight end Tony Scheffler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall ensued, and McDaniels was under the microscope yet again as a young kid who couldn’t handle a professional football team.

While under the microscope, McDaniels went into the NFL Draft and free agency and upgraded many areas of need for the Broncos, and added both promising young college players and savvy veterans. 

Even then, McDaniels was cursed for “reaching” in the draft and adding too many “old” free agents to the Broncos’ defense.

The preseason was unkind to McDaniels as well, and the Broncos lost three out of four contests including a game against recently traded quarterback Jay Cutler. 

In the first preseason game, Kyle Orton threw three interceptions in a Broncos loss, and the team suspended Brandon Marshall.

On the surface, it did not appear as though the Broncos were going to have a great season, but that is only if you put a lot of stock into the preseason. 

Following the tumultuous offseason, Denver started the season 6-0, and it seemed he had repaired any burned bridges or broken hearts in Denver, and the team headed into the bye week on a high note, defeating rival San Diego on the Chargers’ home turf.

At this point, McDaniels was no longer being heralded as “McIdiot” or “McDumb(rear),” he was being called a “McGenius.” 

Winning heals a lot in the NFL, and the Broncos’ young coach was an early Coach of the Year candidate, and his team even had Kyle Orton and Elvis Dumervil in the MVP mix.

McDaniels was all hugs with his players (Brandon Marshall) and appeared to have the Broncos on the right track.

And he still does.

The Broncos finished the season with a 2-8 record, and became the first team in franchise history to start the season 6-0 and not make the playoffs.  In fact, it was the first time in Broncos history that a 6-0 start didn’t translate to a Super Bowl victory.

Is McDaniels solely to blame for Denver’s collapse? 

Absolutely not.

This is not to say the rookie head coach did not make some mistakes in the games or in how he handled his PR business, because he did. 

After all, he is new to this head coaching gig.

The 33-year old McDaniels came into Denver to an unhappy quarterback who didn’t want to be there without Shanahan anyway, and if you need proof of that, then you haven’t read enough into the story than you have been told.

And it is also not McDaniels’ fault that Brandon Marshall lets his emotions get the best of him. 

In case you didn’t see, Marshall had an epic freakout in practice before the start of the season, and recently was deactivated because he was tardy to a physical therapy session and refused to play with a minor injury.

In the end, fans right now are just angry with the Broncos’ late-season collapse, and they have every right to be. 

But to direct all the blame toward Josh McDaniels is simply unfair.

McDaniels overhauled half of Denver’s roster from 2008 to 2009, and while many rebuilding teams are picking in the top five of this year’s draft, the Broncos finished 8-8 and in the 14th slot. 

Their record did not improve this season, but the direction this team is going is exciting, and fans will come to realize that. 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

McD Officially Puts the Cart Before the Broncos

The old adage of the cart and the horse came about probably shortly after the chicken and the egg.  Nonetheless, it came about to show there is importance to the order of doing things.

In football terms, putting the cart before the horse is a bad idea, especially in Denver.  From the looks of things Head Coach Josh McDaniels has clearly put ego, power, authority, and himself before the team. 

It was a very deliberate and divisive effort that put the team second and the coach first.  Moreover, one of the fault-lines within the locker room all year long has been between McD’s New England rejects and coach Shanahan’s guys.  Much of this fell along the offensive side of the ball and special teams.  In the end, the coach lost his locker room to some degree and now it’s official.

Josh McDaniels’ team was exactly as good as his predecessor’s a year ago with two glaring exceptions.  Coach Shanahan never lost eight out of 10 games with the Broncos.  Coach Shanahan was also one of “the guys” when he started. He was not perceived as a hired hand.

Oh so how exactly did Josh McDaniels put the cart before the horse this season in Denver? 

 

Let Us Count The Ways…

Let’s start with the most obvious blunder of the Boy Wonder’s inglorious offseason that started with Jay Cutler being traded.  Say what you will, Jay and Denver were better together than they were apart this season.  Both the Bears and the Broncos missed the playoffs, Denver had the defense, but lacked the offense the entire season. 

The next major blunder came in subtle and snide ways in which Josh threw the previous regime under the bus with a number of his comments over the last year.

Obviously Josh forgot to back it up, count that as yet another major blunder.

Then, free agency and the draft came into play.  Free agency was good with Brian Dawkins coming over from Philadelphia to help shore up a weak secondary.  Then a slew of other veterans like Holliday, Goodman, Hill, and Reid followed.  It seemed the Broncos were pointed in the right direction. 

The Jay Cutler trade ruined all of that.  Sure, it was already mentioned, but certainly Brian Dawkins would rather be in Philly following this dismal season in Denver.  With the Broncos revamped defense, make no bones about it, with Jay Cutler the Broncos are a playoff team.

Josh McDaniels however chose to blow up the offense because the Broncos finished second in yards and sixteenth in points.  So the 2009 Broncos finished 15th in yards per game and 20th in points per game.  So, that’s better right?  Interestingly enough the Broncos scored one fewer point than Jay Cutler who had exactly one real weapon in Chicago.  So, what are Kyle Orton and Coach McDaniels excuses on this one?

To the defense’s credit given all the problems down the stretch they only fell from first to seventh defensively in yards and first to 12th in points allowed.  

Still how can you have a top defense like that and miss the playoffs with so much offensive talent in house?  It must be the scheme, or the coaching, or both.  If it’s the scheme, then why did the Patriots finish third in yards and sixth in points while running the same system? 

According to McDaniels his trade of Cutler and even his acceptance of Orton and Simms into his system also suggest that quarterback play doesn’t matter in this system.  At least that’s almost what he’d have you believe. 

So then, it can’t be the coaching because Josh is “The Hoodie Part Duh” right? 

Coach McDaniels is so much on top of the coaching that he released incumbent punter Brett Kern for an older veteran punter in Mitch Berger during the team’s bye week.  While it was speculated that Kern may have taken his job lightly, the selection of Berger was questionable as much as the timing of the move.  Kern ends this season with a 45 yard average, three yards better than Berger and ended with a net of 41.4 yard net a full 3.5 yards better than Berger.  So it looks like the authoritarian move during the bye week backfired.

Someone should call the National Guard or at least put Josh McDaniels on alert, the rest of Broncos Country got the memo, and he’s not a very good coach.

How about those draft selections?  Alphonso Smith was last seen lateraling a punt return to an innocent teammate who was just a bystander.  Keep in mind the Broncos could have picked Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga in that spot.  Then there is the lack-luster rookie season for Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers.  The list goes on and on, but let’s give the coach some credit.  After all he did go 6-0 for a very brief moment this season.

Then camp and the pre-season came along and the Broncos only won their last pre-season game under rookie Tom Brandstater who never took a snap the rest of the season.  The Broncos also lost their most important pre-season tilt with Jay Cutler and the Bears.

Brandon Marshall was eventually suspended only to help his team later on, make amends with Coach McDaniels, only be inactivated for the last game along with Tony Scheffler.

Then the regular season started.  Thanks to two missed interception opportunities in the last minute of play by Bengals defenders Brandon Stokley gave his teammates reason to believe.  They took the fire with them five more games.  During that time, the Broncos defense carried the team while the offense worked on finding an identity.  The offense never found that identity, one which was schemed by Josh McDaniels himself.

The Broncos don’t have their quarterback of the future and if it’s Tom Brandstater he never touched the field this season. 

Chris Simms wasn’t anywhere near ready to play for coach McD, whose fault is that?

The Broncos spotted the Colts and Eagles huge leads before getting back into those games prior to imploding again.

The defense eventually imploded after the stress and strain of the season at home against the Raiders and the Chiefs.

The one thing that got away from the Broncos down the stretch was what was supposed to be coach McDaniels most praiseworthy trait, that being game management.  Turnovers increased with the predictability of the offense and the defense gave up more points with no supporting cast.

Given the clear divisive nature of Josh’s tyranny over the Broncos it might be harder to find quality free agents and players willing to fit within this scheme.

Short yardage and red zone points never improved, one of Josh McDaniels supposed focus points in the off season.

 

What It All Means

So there you have it, a list of a least 20 reasons why Josh McDaniels failed to get the Broncos into the playoffs this season.  It could also be perceived as a solid 20 reasons to stop the bleeding, cut ties, cut losses, and find a more qualified coach now before four seasons of missing the playoffs turns into six, seven, or worse.

When a coach puts himself before the team, it’s hypocritical in nature and Josh has unfortunately had to learn the hard way with a challenging group of veterans.  Regardless, Josh McDaniels approach did not work, that is the bottom line.  It’s not the way this group of players wants to be treated on the whole and the net result is failure to perform which falls on Coach McDaniels.

Finally, in the history of the Denver Broncos you have to go back to the other striped sock era since they have lost eight out of 10 games in one season.  Ironically enough, three of their worst implosions happened in their first four seasons.  Perhaps fans will be finding those socks a littler cheaper on eBay now.  It might make sense for the Broncos to bring back their 1977 Orange Crush jerseys to get this team back on the right track next season.  Better yet, a retired Elway is still better than a good Orton any day of the season.

What putting the cart before the horse does is it leaves fans and analyst scratching their heads.  Putting the coaches’ authority before the concept of team is hypocritical and has caused a rift larger than the Grand Canyon.  In the end, Josh has proven to the fan base that it’s about him and not the Broncos.

Mr. Bowlen has stated that 8-8 isn’t going to get it.  This season if nothing else proved that this regime has put the cart before the horse, or the Broncos organization, and may never get the situation figured out. 

It’s time for a change at the top while there is still some talent to be had on this team, or is that putting the cart before the horse?

 

 

Contact Chaz at sportsmanagement@gmail.com

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos Season Recap: McDaniels Should Be Working at McDonalds

At first glance, it looked like Josh McDaniels really didn’t need Jay Cutler after the Broncos started the season at 6-0.

However, now we know McDaniels is 100% responsible for the Broncos’ tumble out of the playoff race. The Broncos’ record over the last 10 games was a miserable 2-8.

How could so much change so quickly in the Mile High City?

It’s simple. McDaniels was overconfident in his ability to beat any team at any time. He was quoted saying that his team could always find a way to beat any team.

But then McDaniels’ offense began to show signs of weakness. McDaniels’ weird decision to sit Orton for the start of a big game against San Diego and then insert him into the lineup after Chris Simms spotted the Chargers a 10-0 lead was indicative of the questionable offensive decisions that cost the Broncos a playoff berth.

 

Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan was the real reason for the tremendous start to the season. He took a gutty group of veterans in the secondary and mixed them with a lot of youth and talent in a new 3-4 defense to confuse opposing offenses.

McDaniels got way too much credit too early for their good start and now his reputation in Denver is being questioned, again. Jay Cutler was spot on in his displeasure of McDaniels attempting to trade him. It was obvious McDaniels wanted his way regardless of his decisions’ effect on the team.

Cutler was one of the most coveted young quarterbacks in the league heading into this season. Mike Shanahan had worked with Cutler and the Vandy product was finally beginning to really understand the West Coast offense before Shanahan was canned by owner Pat Bowlen. 

Cutler was a Pro Bowl quarterback during the 2008 season. But McDaniels wanted Matt Cassel on his team because of their working relationship in New England, and he knew that Bill Belichick was going to trade him.

It was a very childish move on McDaniels’ part to attempt to trade a talented quarterback such as Cutler as soon as he was hired as head coach. A new coach should be looking to earn the respect and work with his Pro-Bowl quarterback, not going behind his back and talking with his former organization.

After this past week in which he suspended his best two pass catchers on the team, I officially believe his ego has cost Denver this season.  Other coaches in this league deal with giant locker-room egos and figure out a way to talk things out without a suspension.

In this case, McDaniels suspended Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler because they were not in the same mind set that he was. Marshall was injured and McDaniels pretty much called him soft in an interview with the Denver Post. As a result, Marshall was benched, which was a huge factor in the Broncos season-ending loss to Kansas City.

The Scheffler suspension was reportedly for “attitude reasons”. Tony Scheffler has long been a great threat as a tight end for Denver and was also one of Jay Cutler’s best friends. It is not surprising that he was the other person suspended for the game. He has probably been heated with the coach since the whole Cutler fiasco and it spiraled out of control after the Philadelphia loss. Scheffler has been lost in McDaniels offense and has not had nearly the amount of chances he saw in Shanahan’s schemes.

In the end, it looks like Pat Bowlen got brainwashed by McDaniels in his interview to become coach of the Broncos.

And if you thought the backlash in Denver was bad when they traded away Cutler, wait for the next couple years.

With McDaniels at the helm, these suspensions and locker room scuffles are just going to get worse. This team has collapsed three straight seasons now and that doesn’t look like it’s changing any time soon. Losing to Oakland, San Diego, and Kansas City at home was so embarrassing for Broncos fans and their owner that they really are questioning this coach.

Today, they literally got stomped by a three-win Chiefs team in a must-win, playoff type game. If that isn’t a sign that they should cut this cord immediately than I will never know what is.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos: Embarassed at Home, Now Synonymous with “Collapse”

With their Mile High Magic and Mile High Mystique, the Denver Broncos were once a franchise synonymous with winning seasons and respect in the AFC. Those days feel farther away than ever in the Mile High City.

For the fourth straight year, the Broncos have gone home following their 16 game regular season.

For the third straight year they have failed to pass eight wins.

And, for the second straight year, they have been embarrassed in their final game, a game that has in both cases carried playoff implications.

The Denver Broncos that played today against the 3-12 Kansas City Chiefs looked unprepared and, for lack of a better term, downright bad.

This was quite similar to how last year’s Broncos looked in their final game against the San Diego Chargers.

Two years, different coaches, different core players, but the same result. The Denver Broncos had it all in front of them this season, and they let it all slip away, the same as they did last year.

Synonymous with “collapse.”

The 2009 Broncos fooled fans into believing that this year would be different. They started out 6-0, respected as one of the dominant teams in the AFC. It all fell apart after their week seven bye.

Losses to the Ravens, Steelers, Redskins, and Chargers put the Broncos into a dangerous tailspin. They were able to rebound with wins against the Giants and Chiefs, only to complete their collapse by “running the table” the wrong way.

After a loss to the Colts, the Broncos sat at 8-6 and in command of the AFC’s fifth seed. With games against the Raiders and Chiefs at home, they were fully expected to easily reach ten wins and walk into the postseason.

Needless to say, they did not. Amid the controversial benching of top receiving threats Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler, the Denver Broncos’ season went down in flames once again on Sunday. 

There will be many decisions to make this offseason, the least of which includes dealing with Brandon Marshall, as his troubled relationship with Josh McDaniels appears to have reached the boiling point.

There is nothing more to say about the 2009 season. The team will have to take what they can, having learned the hard way that it is rarely beneficial to peak in the first six weeks of the season.

They do have a relatively strong core of players and coaches, and now it is time to try once again to avoid yet another repeat in 2010.

For the sake of poetic justice and karma, Jay Cutler finished with seven wins, and can only dream about what might have been for him, had he stayed in Denver. 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Mile High Is No Longer an Advantage for the Denver Broncos

With a disappointing 2009 season in the bag for the Denver Broncos, one thing is certain about playing at 5,280 feet above sea level: it’s no longer an obstacle for opponents.

Growing up in Oklahoma, I remember watching the Broncos on television about every two weeks, knowing for sure that if they were playing in Denver, then you might as well hand them the victory ahead of time. Living in Colorado the past three years for school, I no longer bring that expectation heading into kickoff on Sundays.

The Denver Broncos moved into INVESCO Field at Mile High in 2001. From 2001 through 2005, Denver had a combined home record of 32-9 during the regular season, which included a perfect mark of 8-0 in ’05. Since then things haven’t been the same.

Since 2006, the Broncos have had a home record of 17-15, only once finishing better than .500 at Mile High.

What happened to that advantage?

This year against divisional opponents (San Diego, Oakland and Kansas City), Denver was 3-0 when on the road. At home? An ugly 0-3.

Against the same opponents while traveling, the Broncos outscored their AFC West foes 101-39. At INVESCO— again, in divisional play— Denver was outscored 96-46.

I know that INVESCO isn’t quite as hostile as the old Mile High Stadium was, but why is it that while going 17-15 at home since 2006, the Broncos have also gone 15-17 on the road? While it’s not great, it’s by no means bad, there are teams who have played much worse away from their friendly confines over the past four seasons.

Is Mile High getting soft, or is the Denver Broncos franchise simply becoming mediocre?

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Get Off McDaniels’ Back, Brandon Marshall Quit On The Broncos

In the world of professional sports, fans tend to latch on to the players perceived as the stars of their sport. The concept of “team” often comes secondary. People fall in love with stats and flash, and don’t pay enough attention to the real reason their favorite team is winning or losing.

It’s not surprising at all to me that there are so many in the media calling for Josh McDaniels’ head for benching Brandon Marshall. The man who goes by the nickname “The Beast”, is just that on the football field. He’s a monster. He loves the camera, and the camera loves him. He’s a genuine Super Star, and the Broncos‘ most talented offensive player by most accounts.

But how much should McDaniels tolerate before he says enough is enough? Should Brandon Marshall get a free pass from the coaching staff, simply because he’s a fan favorite, with gaudy stats?

My answer would be absolutely not. To win football games, you need to have 11 guys on the field that are committed to the guys lining up beside them. Are people truly naive enough to believe that Marshall’s teammates could watch him act like a punk towards their leader, coach McDaniels, and then commit to him on the football field?

They can’t possibly trust the guy. They can’t possibly trust his motives. Not when the whole world knows that Marshall is in a contract year, and that he wanted to ditch the team last summer. Not when they know that this guy doesn’t have their backs, as he’s decided that he couldn’t possibly take the field with them against the Chiefs, in what could be the final game of Denver‘s season.

So why is it that Marshall gets the benefit of a doubt with the media and most fans? How is it that Brandon Marshall can pull a hamstring (with negative MRI results) just three days after getting 100 catches for a third straight year, and nobody raises and eyebrow?

Is it possible that “The Beast” is really in too much pain to be productive? Sure. But I’m not buying into it. I’m done sticking up for this guy. He got his stats. He got his pro bowl bid. Telling the coaching staff that he is too injured to help his team against the Chiefs in the season finale seems like a cop out by Marshall. It seems like Marshall felt that he had done enough earn a big contract offer this off-season, and he decided to call it a year, one game early.

That’s more than enough to tell McDaniels that he doesn’t want the guy around anymore. Would you trust Marshall? It all seems too convenient for him. 100 catchess? Check. Pro Bowl? Check. Big contact next year? Check. Okay, time for vacation.

I really do wish things could have been different, and I am going to miss the excitement of watching Brandon Marshall in a Broncos uniform.

The fact of the matter is that Marshall does not fit with the Broncos. People forget that Shanahan had every intention of cutting Marshall until he got fired, which is saying a lot, considering the lowly characters Shanahan has bent over backwards to bring to the Mile High City, such as Ted Washington and Dale Carter.

For every Larry Fitzgerald, their is a Randy Moss and a Terrell Owens.

Brandon Marshall is no Larry Fitzgerald.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos Playoff Hopes Hinge on Exploiting Chiefs Rush Defense

The last time the Chiefs and Broncos played, Denver’s offense ran up and down the Arrowhead Stadium turf like it was their own backyard. In that game, six different Broncos ran the ball 45 times for 245 yards, leading the Broncos to a dominant 44-13 victory over the Chiefs.

Needless to say, the Broncos will be putting their playoff hopes in the hands of their rushing offense again this Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High. Rookie Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, already down one playmaking wide receiver in Eddie Royal, has benched Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall and tight end Tony Scheffler for Sunday’s game.

So if the Broncos are to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to do it with defense and their running game. That means if the Chiefs are going to play spoiler, they’ll need a much better performance on Sunday from their defensive front seven than they turned in back on December 6th in Kansas City.

The Chiefs rush defense has been the single most disappointing thing about the team all season. Only the Buffalo Bills defense has allowed more rushing yards this season than the Chiefs’ 2,420, which equates to over 161 yards allowed per game. By contrast, the Chiefs offense is only averaging 107.5 yards per game.

Sunday also marks the last opportunity for players like defensive tackle Ron Edwards and linebackers Corey Mays and Derrick Johnson to make a case for being members of this team next season.

The line of Edwards, rookie end Tyson Jackson, and second-year end Glenn Dorsey has struggled to keep opposing offensive linemen off the Chiefs linebackers. As a result, players like Mays and veteran Demorrio Williams often get swallowed up by lead blocking guards and fullbacks, springing opposing running backs for big gains.

Additionally, in the passing game, the Chiefs front three has yet to produce a single sack this season. In fact, the Chiefs sport the only defensive line in the entire NFL without a single sack by one of its starting defensive lineman.

And since the Broncos won’t likely be throwing much on Sunday, there’s a good chance the group of Jackson, Edwards, and Dorsey will end the season with a goose egg in the sack column. 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Next Page »

BroncosZone Latest

• The Denver Broncos Must Face Their New Reality
• Denver Broncos: The Beginning of a New Era, Or The Beginning of the End?
• Hey Denver, Where’s the Love for Josh McDaniels?
• Josh McDaniels Is the Poster Boy for “Too Much, Too Soon”
• Denver Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall: “I Love Being a Bronco”