Josh McDaniels: Player’s Coach or Disciplinarian?

Watching Josh McDaniels man the sidelines on gameday is a fascinating and somewhat inexplicable experience—a conundrum wrapped tightly inside a paradox.

At times, he seems like the ultimate authority figure, surveying every detail of every play, barking out commands like a crazed platoon leader, disciplining his players for even the slightest mistake.

Other times, he comes across like an old college buddy you call when you want to go grab a beer and shoot some pool.

In today’s NFL, it seems like a coach, fairly or unfairly, inevitably gets slapped with the label of either being a player’s coach or a disciplinarian.

Player’s coaches are criticized because they are at times too lenient, allowing the players to over-influence the locker room. This can be disastrous when the makeup of the team is not strong enough to handle the freedom.

Disciplinarians are criticized because they come across too dictatorial, issuing commands in a “my way or the highway” manner and not allowing any room for flexibility. This can be disastrous when a team becomes too rigid, loses respect, and begins to resent their coach.

When Josh McDaniels took over the Broncos last January, it was clear that his strategy was to immediately assert his authority onto a franchise that was losing direction under Mike Shanahan.

Trading Jay Cutler to the Bears was a clear indication that McDaniels would stand his ground at whatever cost—an attribute of a disciplinarian.

He would then continue his power play over the course of training camp, through the entire pre-season, and into the regular season. First by issuing a suspension to Brandon Marshall displaying conduct detrimental to the team. Then by limiting Marshall’s playing time in the first few games of the season, reinforcing his message of authority.

Only once he felt like Marshall had earned the respect of his team did McDaniels begin to yield his control. Then, and only then, have we begun to see his lighter side.

Now we’re seeing video clips of him on the sideline pumping his fist in elation like a teenager on steroids, mic’d-up snippets of McDaniels mixing it up with his players on the sidelines like he is just one of the guys, and even friendly embraces from formerly embittered players. These are all attributes of a player’s coach.

McDaniels has somehow struck the perfect balance between overt discipline and good-willed leniency, clearly earning the respect of his team. The 33-year-old coach has the 36-year-old veteran Brian Dawkins calling him “sir,” for God’s sake. If that isn’t respect, I don’t know what is.

They say winning tends to cure all ills and there is wisdom within that statement. But winning doesn’t come effortlessly or without sacrifice. To say that McDaniels has only garnered this level of reverence because he is winning games is too simplistic.

The reason the Broncos are winning games is because they are the most prepared team in the NFL week-in, week-out. They are prepared because the entire team has bought into McDaniels and his leadership. They have bought into his leadership because he has earned their respect. He has earned their respect because he understands the balance between camaraderie and authority.

McDaniels is the perfect coach for this team brought in at the perfect time. He has made perfect personnel decisions and he has perfectly handled all controversies. His game management is perfect and he makes the perfect halftime adjustments.

My apologies for ever doubting him.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Believe It: Three Things The Broncos Can Do To Make a “Super” Run

Crazy, off your rocker, cracked, and insane.

Those are the words I would use if you had told me in August that the Broncos would be 6-0 going into their bye and talk of a Super Bowl run, let alone a playoff berth, would be discussed with a straight face.

But here we are.

Most fans almost always hold out hope at the start of every season that this could be “the year” for their team, but it was especially hard for Broncos fans to even give consideration to such thought this year. Their stalwart head coach was gone, as was their young Pro Bowl franchise quarterback, and their star wide receiver was throwing a temper tantrum that would make Terrell Owens proud. The defense was rebuilding in a new scheme under yet another defensive coordinator.  Broncos fans were bracing for the worst year the team had in recent memory.

But here we are.

The team is 6-0 going into their bye. The rookie head coach, Josh McDaniels, looks like a genius and the new quarterback, Kyle Orton, is having a career year playing practically mistake-free football. Brandon Marshall, the angry receiver, has overall bought into the team’s philosophy and is back playing in Pro Bowl form.  Perhaps most surprisingly, the defense has been playing lights-out football, pressuring the quarterback and generating turnovers.

Thanks to their 34-23 win over the San Diego Chargers Monday night, the Broncos hold a three and a half game lead in the AFC West. The team is healthy overall, and the confidence of McDaniels and his team is at an all-time high.  Barring an even more monumental collapse than last season, the Broncos are likely to make the postseason for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. 

But why stop there?

If the Broncos are going to make a serious run at the Lombardi trophy, there are areas they definitely have to improve in.  Here are the three most important areas of improvement:

 

 

1. Start games faster

 

During the first half of games this year the Broncos are barely outscoring their opponents, 57-56. During the second half,  however, the Broncos are walloping the other team by a combined score of 76-10. 

The Broncos have been fortunate so far, but if they are to make a deep playoff run, they need to get off to a better start. If they face Indianapolis in playoffs, which they very likely could (and the teams do meet during the regular season as well), the Broncos will need to at least keep pace as the Colts can put up points early and often as long as Peyton Manning is under center. Same goes for the Patriots as we all saw what Tom Brady is capable of during their 59-0 demolition of the Tennessee Titans.

In order to fix this, Orton needs to get in a rhythm much sooner than he has.  He usually starts games out 0 for 2 or so and it’s key that he be accurate early.  While it’s only two passes, you never know if those could turn out to be big plays.

The two-headed rushing attack of Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno must also be sharp early.  While they don’t need to get a first down every carry, pounding outs runs of four, five or six yards go a long way towards forcing the opposing defense into respecting the run game and allowing Orton to make more plays down the field.

 

 

2. Stop committing so many penalties

 

Looking at this past game against the Chargers, the Broncos were penalized four times for 44 yards.  While the numbers don’t look that bad, they don’t show the entire picture. Two of them were absolutely inexcusable and could have cost the Broncos the game. 

One was on Marshall for unsportsmanlike conduct in the second quarter that, had the Chargers not also committed a pass interference penalty, would have made an easy field goal for Matt Prater that much harder to make by backing the team up 15 yards. Three points could have come off the board there.

The second was on Moreno for spiking the ball after not getting a first down on 3rd and 1.  It was a five yard delay of game penalty that, had it occurred further down field, the Broncos could have lost points there as well.

Correcting this issue lies with both the players and the coaches.  The players need to maintain focus and mental discipline while the coaches need to inform the players that continually committing penalties could cause them to be removed from the field.

While the Broncos don’t have as severe an issue with penalties as say the Green Bay Packers do, committing penalties in key game situations will bring any potential postseason run to a grinding halt.

 

 

3. Handle adversity properly

 

I’m going to stop short of saying there’s no way the Broncos run the table and go 16-0.  If there is one thing I have learned about the NFL, it is to expect the unexpected. However, since the New England Patriots in 2007 were the only team since 1972 to complete a perfect regular season, it seems relatively safe to say the Broncos will lose at least one game along the way this year.

This is just about the only thing we have not seen from the team at this point: how they bounce back.  At 6-0, they haven’t dealt with a loss yet.  They have faced close games, but each one has turned out in their favor. 

They can likely bounce back from one, but what happens if the team loses two or three games in a row?  Will they begin to see themselves as overachievers that played too hard at the beginning of the season and that they aren’t as good as they thought they were?  Will the confidence of the team begin to dwindle?

My guess right now would be no.  McDaniels has been saying all season that he and the team haven’t accomplished anything yet and it is key to be playing their best football at the end of the season.   He is trying to keep the team humble by saying that many mistakes were made and need to be corrected.

McDaniels is saying all the right things, but we won’t know for sure until some adversity occurs.  Here’s hoping it doesn’t, but it likely will.

 

 

They can do it

 

Based on what we have seen through six games, it’s possible for the Broncos to make a deep playoff push.  That said, this team is far from perfect and they need to correct the above issues amongst others if they want to make a run for glory.

It would be the ultimate Cinderella story, and these first six chapters have been a lot of fun to watch.  Here’s hoping the next ten are just as exciting.

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Believe It: Three Things The Broncos Can Do To Make a “Super” Run

Crazy, off your rocker, cracked, and insane.

Those are the words I would use if you had told me in August that the Broncos would be 6-0 going into their bye and talk of a Super Bowl run, let alone a playoff berth, would be discussed with a straight face.

But here we are.

Most fans almost always hold out hope at the start of every season that this could be “the year” for their team, but it was especially hard for Broncos fans to even give consideration to such thought this year. Their stalwart head coach was gone, as was their young Pro Bowl franchise quarterback, and their star wide receiver was throwing a temper tantrum that would make Terrell Owens proud. The defense was rebuilding in a new scheme under yet another defensive coordinator.  Broncos fans were bracing for the worst year the team had in recent memory.

But here we are.

The team is 6-0 going into their bye. The rookie head coach, Josh McDaniels, looks like a genius and the new quarterback, Kyle Orton, is having a career year playing practically mistake-free football. Brandon Marshall, the angry receiver, has overall bought into the team’s philosophy and is back playing in Pro Bowl form.  Perhaps most surprisingly, the defense has been playing lights-out football, pressuring the quarterback and generating turnovers.

Thanks to their 34-23 win over the San Diego Chargers Monday night, the Broncos hold a three and a half game lead in the AFC West. The team is healthy overall, and the confidence of McDaniels and his team is at an all-time high.  Barring an even more monumental collapse than last season, the Broncos are likely to make the postseason for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. 

But why stop there?

If the Broncos are going to make a serious run at the Lombardi trophy, there are areas they definitely have to improve in.  Here are the three most important areas of improvement:

 

 

1. Start games faster

 

During the first half of games this year the Broncos are barely outscoring their opponents, 57-56. During the second half,  however, the Broncos are walloping the other team by a combined score of 76-10. 

The Broncos have been fortunate so far, but if they are to make a deep playoff run, they need to get off to a better start. If they face Indianapolis in playoffs, which they very likely could (and the teams do meet during the regular season as well), the Broncos will need to at least keep pace as the Colts can put up points early and often as long as Peyton Manning is under center. Same goes for the Patriots as we all saw what Tom Brady is capable of during their 59-0 demolition of the Tennessee Titans.

In order to fix this, Orton needs to get in a rhythm much sooner than he has.  He usually starts games out 0 for 2 or so and it’s key that he be accurate early.  While it’s only two passes, you never know if those could turn out to be big plays.

The two-headed rushing attack of Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno must also be sharp early.  While they don’t need to get a first down every carry, pounding outs runs of four, five or six yards go a long way towards forcing the opposing defense into respecting the run game and allowing Orton to make more plays down the field.

 

 

2. Stop committing so many penalties

 

Looking at this past game against the Chargers, the Broncos were penalized four times for 44 yards.  While the numbers don’t look that bad, they don’t show the entire picture. Two of them were absolutely inexcusable and could have cost the Broncos the game. 

One was on Marshall for unsportsmanlike conduct in the second quarter that, had the Chargers not also committed a pass interference penalty, would have made an easy field goal for Matt Prater that much harder to make by backing the team up 15 yards. Three points could have come off the board there.

The second was on Moreno for spiking the ball after not getting a first down on 3rd and 1.  It was a five yard delay of game penalty that, had it occurred further down field, the Broncos could have lost points there as well.

Correcting this issue lies with both the players and the coaches.  The players need to maintain focus and mental discipline while the coaches need to inform the players that continually committing penalties could cause them to be removed from the field.

While the Broncos don’t have as severe an issue with penalties as say the Green Bay Packers do, committing penalties in key game situations will bring any potential postseason run to a grinding halt.

 

 

3. Handle adversity properly

 

I’m going to stop short of saying there’s no way the Broncos run the table and go 16-0.  If there is one thing I have learned about the NFL, it is to expect the unexpected. However, since the New England Patriots in 2007 were the only team since 1972 to complete a perfect regular season, it seems relatively safe to say the Broncos will lose at least one game along the way this year.

This is just about the only thing we have not seen from the team at this point: how they bounce back.  At 6-0, they haven’t dealt with a loss yet.  They have faced close games, but each one has turned out in their favor. 

They can likely bounce back from one, but what happens if the team loses two or three games in a row?  Will they begin to see themselves as overachievers that played too hard at the beginning of the season and that they aren’t as good as they thought they were?  Will the confidence of the team begin to dwindle?

My guess right now would be no.  McDaniels has been saying all season that he and the team haven’t accomplished anything yet and it is key to be playing their best football at the end of the season.   He is trying to keep the team humble by saying that many mistakes were made and need to be corrected.

McDaniels is saying all the right things, but we won’t know for sure until some adversity occurs.  Here’s hoping it doesn’t, but it likely will.

 

 

They can do it

 

Based on what we have seen through six games, it’s possible for the Broncos to make a deep playoff push.  That said, this team is far from perfect and they need to correct the above issues amongst others if they want to make a run for glory.

It would be the ultimate Cinderella story, and these first six chapters have been a lot of fun to watch.  Here’s hoping the next ten are just as exciting.

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Broncos Bye Week Pt. I: Breaking down the Controversial Offseason

A Wave of Shocking Change

It needs to be said and has been said on some levels, but here is the full explanation about the Denver Broncos‘ play to this point. In the offseason there was much criticism of the Broncos‘ front office. It started prior to the Broncos’ last regular season game in San Diego and was solidified with the demoralizing loss to the Chargers. The Denver Broncos were heading in a new direction. 

Mike Shanahan thought he was going to lunch with his friend and owner Pat Bowlen when he was shown the door. To Mr. Bowlen’s credit, he had to make a very hard business decision that involved a good friend with whom he had shared two NFL Championships. 

That is not easy to do, but given some of the recent history that had been built with fruitless results, it seemed as though it was the time to make the move.

The dismissal of Shanahan alone was enough to ignite whatever else happened in the offseason. Little did Broncos Country know the rest of the team roster was about to be set ablaze.   

The new coach was introduced at Dove Valley and almost as quickly as he landed in Denver was his selection being second guessed by all credible writers in the Denver media market. It seemed like there were at least two or three other candidates that were interviewed and at least a few of the older school coaches that could have been or even would have made more sense at the time.

The Broncos’ front office under Pat Bowlen’s guidance became enamored with the kid who just so happened to be Bill Belichick’s protégé. There was blind trust, it seemed, in casting everything to the winds of change.

Gone was the leader of the team in Jay Cutler, a number of coaches, and about half of last year’s team. Of the seven players that played tailback for the Broncos last season, only one of them remains on the team roster, that being Peyton Hillis.

On defense, only Champ Bailey retained his same exact starting position. The only other returning starting defenders from last season’s team were given new marching orders as starters under the Broncos’ new 3-4 scheme. Moving to the middle linebacker position was DJ Williams and to the outside linebacker position was Elvis Dumervil.

 

The Controversial Draft

While the Broncos had a controversial and successful draft, they were criticized for taking Knowshon Moreno and not a solid defensive lineman or linebacker at that position. Then the Broncos traded away one of the first rounders in next year’s draft for a second rounder this season to help bring depth to the defensive backfield this year. 

The Broncos also selected tight end Richard Quinn, who was projected to land in much later rounds, at the end of the second round. It seemed the Broncos were not making the wisest selections at those rounds, especially when considering that the Broncos could have picked up Brian Orakpo (DE), Brian Cushing (OLB), Larry English (DE), and Clay Mathews (OLB) to name a few.

Furthermore, the Broncos selected Alphonso Smith (DB) just one pick in front of the Bengals‘ selection of Rey Maualuga (MLB), who has impressed already in the young season.

For the Broncos, however, at the time, it was more about what their most pressing needs were for this season to become a success. Certainly any of those other talents mentioned could have contributed to this team, but it was about creating depth for the future and the short run while getting by with the talent on the roster at that point in time.

 

A Lackluster Training Camp Coupled with a Disappointing Preseason

Much of Broncos Nation and the press were holding their breath once the preseason arrived. Certainly the Broncos were now going to have a new look and feel about them on both sides of the ball.

Enter Kyle Orton as the Broncos’ new quarterback and the new 3-4 defensive philosophy. Everyone knew for this team to step up, there would have to be significant improvement on defense and signs of life on offense.

A week prior to the first preseason game, Kyle Orton did not look sharp in the team scrimmage at Mile High. There was, however, some strong signs of potential in Orton and on defense. 

Still, there were the off-field issues with Brandon Marshall and his agent seeking out a trade and then an eventual suspension from the team. Marshall was told to take a break from the team for the remainder of the preseason because of his actions being detrimental to the team.

It seemed all was not well with Brandon and the performance in the preseason would lead one to believe that this was a work in progress.

The Broncos played fairly well in the first preseason game at San Francisco, especially on defense. The team, however, lost against a beatable opponent, even for a preseason game. 

Then the Broncos went to Seattle and laid an egg overall. Perhaps they were looking ahead to their next game. 

Enter the departed Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears in a game at Mile High that may have been one of the most anticipated preseason games of all time. The Broncos’ first team defense looked very good overall in the game, but Kyle Orton got a significant injury to his throwing hand index finger and it seemed the Broncos might be off to a rough start after losing that game.

As unimpressive as everything else was to this point in the preseason, the final game of the preseason perhaps was a prelude and it could not have had better timing. With the Broncos losing to Jay Cutler and the Bears in their most important preseason game, this team was in need of an even greater spark. 

To his credit, Pat Bowlen stuck to his guns and never surrendered the expectations of how his teams should be performing. Additionally, the front office was more media friendly in the offseason than they possibly have been in some time.  

Against Arizona, current third string quarterback Tom Brandstater impressed in his first start against the Cardinals and he gave the Broncos fans hope for the future.

 

Tomorrow, part two of this series will focus on breaking down the regular season thus far.

Contact Chaz at sportsmanagement@gmail.com.

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Broncos Bye Week Pt. I: Breaking down the Controversial Offseason

A Wave of Shocking Change

It needs to be said and has been said on some levels, but here is the full explanation about the Denver Broncos’ play to this point. In the offseason there was much criticism of the Broncos’ front office. It started prior to the Broncos’ last regular season game in San Diego and was solidified with the demoralizing loss to the Chargers. The Denver Broncos were heading in a new direction. 

Mike Shanahan thought he was going to lunch with his friend and owner Pat Bowlen when he was shown the door. To Mr. Bowlen’s credit, he had to make a very hard business decision that involved a good friend with whom he had shared two NFL Championships. 

That is not easy to do, but given some of the recent history that had been built with fruitless results, it seemed as though it was the time to make the move.

The dismissal of Shanahan alone was enough to ignite whatever else happened in the offseason. Little did Broncos Country know the rest of the team roster was about to be set ablaze.   

The new coach was introduced at Dove Valley and almost as quickly as he landed in Denver was his selection being second guessed by all credible writers in the Denver media market. It seemed like there were at least two or three other candidates that were interviewed and at least a few of the older school coaches that could have been or even would have made more sense at the time.

The Broncos’ front office under Pat Bowlen’s guidance became enamored with the kid who just so happened to be Bill Belichick’s protégé. There was blind trust, it seemed, in casting everything to the winds of change.

Gone was the leader of the team in Jay Cutler, a number of coaches, and about half of last year’s team. Of the seven players that played tailback for the Broncos last season, only one of them remains on the team roster, that being Peyton Hillis.

On defense, only Champ Bailey retained his same exact starting position. The only other returning starting defenders from last season’s team were given new marching orders as starters under the Broncos’ new 3-4 scheme. Moving to the middle linebacker position was DJ Williams and to the outside linebacker position was Elvis Dumervil.

 

The Controversial Draft

While the Broncos had a controversial and successful draft, they were criticized for taking Knowshon Moreno and not a solid defensive lineman or linebacker at that position. Then the Broncos traded away one of the first rounders in next year’s draft for a second rounder this season to help bring depth to the defensive backfield this year. 

The Broncos also selected tight end Richard Quinn, who was projected to land in much later rounds, at the end of the second round. It seemed the Broncos were not making the wisest selections at those rounds, especially when considering that the Broncos could have picked up Brian Orakpo (DE), Brian Cushing (OLB), Larry English (DE), and Clay Mathews (OLB) to name a few.

Furthermore, the Broncos selected Alphonso Smith (DB) just one pick in front of the Bengals’ selection of Rey Maualuga (MLB), who has impressed already in the young season.

For the Broncos, however, at the time, it was more about what their most pressing needs were for this season to become a success. Certainly any of those other talents mentioned could have contributed to this team, but it was about creating depth for the future and the short run while getting by with the talent on the roster at that point in time.

 

A Lackluster Training Camp Coupled with a Disappointing Preseason

Much of Broncos Nation and the press were holding their breath once the preseason arrived. Certainly the Broncos were now going to have a new look and feel about them on both sides of the ball.

Enter Kyle Orton as the Broncos’ new quarterback and the new 3-4 defensive philosophy. Everyone knew for this team to step up, there would have to be significant improvement on defense and signs of life on offense.

A week prior to the first preseason game, Kyle Orton did not look sharp in the team scrimmage at Mile High. There was, however, some strong signs of potential in Orton and on defense. 

Still, there were the off-field issues with Brandon Marshall and his agent seeking out a trade and then an eventual suspension from the team. Marshall was told to take a break from the team for the remainder of the preseason because of his actions being detrimental to the team.

It seemed all was not well with Brandon and the performance in the preseason would lead one to believe that this was a work in progress.

The Broncos played fairly well in the first preseason game at San Francisco, especially on defense. The team, however, lost against a beatable opponent, even for a preseason game. 

Then the Broncos went to Seattle and laid an egg overall. Perhaps they were looking ahead to their next game. 

Enter the departed Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears in a game at Mile High that may have been one of the most anticipated preseason games of all time. The Broncos’ first team defense looked very good overall in the game, but Kyle Orton got a significant injury to his throwing hand index finger and it seemed the Broncos might be off to a rough start after losing that game.

As unimpressive as everything else was to this point in the preseason, the final game of the preseason perhaps was a prelude and it could not have had better timing. With the Broncos losing to Jay Cutler and the Bears in their most important preseason game, this team was in need of an even greater spark. 

To his credit, Pat Bowlen stuck to his guns and never surrendered the expectations of how his teams should be performing. Additionally, the front office was more media friendly in the offseason than they possibly have been in some time.  

Against Arizona, current third string quarterback Tom Brandstater impressed in his first start against the Cardinals and he gave the Broncos fans hope for the future.

 

Tomorrow, part two of this series will focus on breaking down the regular season thus far.

Contact Chaz at sportsmanagement@gmail.com.

 

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Mike Shanahan’s Farewell: Thank-You Letter for Former Denver Broncos Head Coach

As the day rolls by and the mere thought of the success that the Broncos are enjoying brings a smile to my face I am reminded of the golden days, the days of John and even Jake.  Those days meant the world to me, as they did to lot of Bronco fans, yet I find myself sad when I remember I never gave you your proper farewell.

You see, when I think about the direction this team is headed in, I can’t help but to think about when you first arrived, a (relatively) young coach full of ideas and were finally able to bring home the gold to a much deserving QB and fan base.  You brought us a lot of good times and kept the bad ones at a minimum, while bringing forth a competitive team year in and year out. 

Although I must confess that I was part of that group that called for your job, I never forgot everything you ever did for me and our team.

I know that I must sound like a hypocrite right now, but I knew you and the team needed a change of scenery and your competitiveness would never allow you to step down, therefore there was only one way to make it happen and that was for you to be let go. 

Unlike most fans, though, I had an idea of why it would happen and it wasn’t because of your managerial skills or draft day picks, for the most part it was because you refused to back out of your word to coaches and players such as Slowik, Robertson, and McCree, among others, that finally happened.

After all, you’ve always had an eye for true talent and the proof is in the picks, and you did bring us guys like Berry, Hayward, Pryce, Pope, DJ, Darrent Williams, Al Wilson, Gold and so many others that I can’t remember and that, to me at least, proves that you had an eye not only for offense but for talent and football ability regardless of position. 

Towards your latter days when you knew that you had to show immediate results, not only to the fans and the owners, but yourself, in your visible frustration you made some mistakes with guys like Crowder and Moss but it’s ok, after all you are only human.

I remember with vividness the day I heard the news of your departure. I was at work doing my tedious and boring job while listening to sports radio, and I was so tuned in that when I heard, I almost spilled my coffee all over my desk.  One of my co-workers ran into my office and with disbelief looked at me and asked if it was a joke. 

All of us around the office were striken with sadness but we all knew, as ardent and hardcore fans, it was time.

It was some time after that day that I mindlessly walked into a 7-Eleven around Lowry, late at night and to my surprised I looked to my left while deciding which vitamin water to get, that I spotted you. 

You looked at me and said hello and then looked at my No. 30 jersey and told me that he was a hell of guy. It was then that I finally was able to say hello and as we both waited in line to pay for our beverages, I decided to ask you something that my girlfriend had wondered earlier, and I asked if you would coach again, you looked at me and said with a grin that you would like to, but not in the AFC West. 

My next question I felt was stupid but I asked, “Why not in the AFC West,” and you gave me an answer that brought a smile to my face and showed me what kind of man you are. You said that while facing the Broncos every once in a while would be hard, facing us twice a season would not be your ideal scenario.

While a side of me took that statement with a grain of salt, the other side wishes it is true.  Then I thought of a reason for you to lie and I found none, you had never lied to us in the past why would you now.  It was then that I realized that while a change was immanent and we had lost a great coach, we had also lost a great man.

I have supported McDaniels since day one, granted not on everything, but in him this fan sees a coach with great potential with an incredible eye for talent and football ability, a coach that has come in and put his stamp on the team and with it has brought in an all too familiar energy and, not to quote Marty, a gleam that makes me shake with excitement. 

I can only hope and pray that he is as successful as you were and his tenure is as sweet as yours was.

Mike, I wish you the best of luck in your future, which I know is bright and filled with many more victories and Super Bowl trophies, though not at the Broncos’ expense. I do hope to see you roaming the side lines once again.  At last Mike, with fond memories of the past, this Bronco fan bids you farewell and thanks you for everything you did for us.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Mike Shanahan’s Farewell: Thank-You Letter for Former Denver Broncos Head Coach

As the day rolls by and the mere thought of the success that the Broncos are enjoying brings a smile to my face I am reminded of the golden days, the days of John and even Jake.  Those days meant the world to me, as they did to lot of Bronco fans, yet I find myself sad when I remember I never gave you your proper farewell.

You see, when I think about the direction this team is headed in, I can’t help but to think about when you first arrived, a (relatively) young coach full of ideas and were finally able to bring home the gold to a much deserving QB and fan base.  You brought us a lot of good times and kept the bad ones at a minimum, while bringing forth a competitive team year in and year out. 

Although I must confess that I was part of that group that called for your job, I never forgot everything you ever did for me and our team.

I know that I must sound like a hypocrite right now, but I knew you and the team needed a change of scenery and your competitiveness would never allow you to step down, therefore there was only one way to make it happen and that was for you to be let go. 

Unlike most fans, though, I had an idea of why it would happen and it wasn’t because of your managerial skills or draft day picks, for the most part it was because you refused to back out of your word to coaches and players such as Slowik, Robertson, and McCree, among others, that finally happened.

After all, you’ve always had an eye for true talent and the proof is in the picks, and you did bring us guys like Berry, Hayward, Pryce, Pope, DJ, Darrent Williams, Al Wilson, Gold and so many others that I can’t remember and that, to me at least, proves that you had an eye not only for offense but for talent and football ability regardless of position. 

Towards your latter days when you knew that you had to show immediate results, not only to the fans and the owners, but yourself, in your visible frustration you made some mistakes with guys like Crowder and Moss but it’s ok, after all you are only human.

I remember with vividness the day I heard the news of your departure. I was at work doing my tedious and boring job while listening to sports radio, and I was so tuned in that when I heard, I almost spilled my coffee all over my desk.  One of my co-workers ran into my office and with disbelief looked at me and asked if it was a joke. 

All of us around the office were striken with sadness but we all knew, as ardent and hardcore fans, it was time.

It was some time after that day that I mindlessly walked into a 7-Eleven around Lowry, late at night and to my surprised I looked to my left while deciding which vitamin water to get, that I spotted you. 

You looked at me and said hello and then looked at my No. 30 jersey and told me that he was a hell of guy. It was then that I finally was able to say hello and as we both waited in line to pay for our beverages, I decided to ask you something that my girlfriend had wondered earlier, and I asked if you would coach again, you looked at me and said with a grin that you would like to, but not in the AFC West. 

My next question I felt was stupid but I asked, “Why not in the AFC West,” and you gave me an answer that brought a smile to my face and showed me what kind of man you are. You said that while facing the Broncos every once in a while would be hard, facing us twice a season would not be your ideal scenario.

While a side of me took that statement with a grain of salt, the other side wishes it is true.  Then I thought of a reason for you to lie and I found none, you had never lied to us in the past why would you now.  It was then that I realized that while a change was immanent and we had lost a great coach, we had also lost a great man.

I have supported McDaniels since day one, granted not on everything, but in him this fan sees a coach with great potential with an incredible eye for talent and football ability, a coach that has come in and put his stamp on the team and with it has brought in an all too familiar energy and, not to quote Marty, a gleam that makes me shake with excitement. 

I can only hope and pray that he is as successful as you were and his tenure is as sweet as yours was.

Mike, I wish you the best of luck in your future, which I know is bright and filled with many more victories and Super Bowl trophies, though not at the Broncos’ expense. I do hope to see you roaming the side lines once again.  At last Mike, with fond memories of the past, this Bronco fan bids you farewell and thanks you for everything you did for us.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Talking Strategy on the NFL Draft

Recently I had a conversation with a good friend of mine about how the NFL draft is a complete crap shoot and how it is virtually impossible to be consistently successful during that famed weekend.

I disagree. I believe that the right strategy on said weekend gives you the ability to maintain good depth on the roster and supply the team with playmakers on both sides of the ball, all the while building for the future.

Of course, if you listen to this so called “experts” on the subject like Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay, they will have you convinced that the best strategy is to draft the best available athlete despite of position.

Not only do they throw worthless numbers at you like 40 time and vertical leaps, but they celebrate teams that follow that mantra.

I say its all bull; however, the one thing that they have been right about is that, you never, ever draft for need.  That’s how you end up reaching and overpaying for a guy who may just end up as a back up.

The teams that have been constantly successful during this past decade have been the teams that follow a different motto on draft day.  I am speaking of teams like the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Giants, and Eagles, among others. 

These teams have rarely followed the hollow rule of drafting the best available athlete, and yet they have all been successful.  So, what gives?

Is it that some teams have more information on prospects than others? Or maybe some teams have more luck than others?

Well the answer to those questions is a resounding no. You see, the best strategy is to draft the best available FOOTBALL player who best suits your specific scheme.

Take, for instance, the San Diego Chargers. They have followed the advice of drafting the best available athlete for some time and the reality is that their draft picks of recent years have been less than desirable and team depth is an issue at key positions.

Just look at the NT position, Jamal Williams is 34 years old, that means he’s about 50+ in football years specially for a guy in the trenches, and yet AJ Smith has not addressed this issue.

Instead, Smith went with picks like Larry English, who was not only a reach but the Chargers also exposed the fact that they either don’t believe in Merriman or they do not plan to keep him.

Also, the safety position has been in shambles for the Chargers since Harrison was let go.

Also there are the Raiders. They have have continuously drafted the fastest player available and that hasn’t really worked out well for them. 

Now, I understand that being the fastest does not mean your the best athlete; it is, however, a big part of how we define a great athlete, at least in the NFL.

I am glad to see that McDaniels is not of this school of thought and instead drafted the best available football players who best fit his needs, guys like McBath, Smith, and Moreno.

McDaniels was alsosmart enough to lure Baker, a guy who before his little mishap and during his last year at Penn State was being graded as a can’t-miss prospect, along with bringing in veterans to tutor the children and get them ready for the future.

I admire McDaniels for sticking to his guns on draft day and finding the best player to fit the team and knowing when to take them. 

After all, desperation on draft day cost Shanahan his job, but today I feel that would not be a problem when building the future of my Beloved Broncos.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Talking Strategy on the NFL Draft

Recently I had a conversation with a good friend of mine about how the NFL draft is a complete crap shoot and how it is virtually impossible to be consistently successful during that famed weekend.

I disagree. I believe that the right strategy on said weekend gives you the ability to maintain good depth on the roster and supply the team with playmakers on both sides of the ball, all the while building for the future.

Of course, if you listen to this so called “experts” on the subject like Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay, they will have you convinced that the best strategy is to draft the best available athlete despite of position.

Not only do they throw worthless numbers at you like 40 time and vertical leaps, but they celebrate teams that follow that mantra.

I say its all bull; however, the one thing that they have been right about is that, you never, ever draft for need.  That’s how you end up reaching and overpaying for a guy who may just end up as a back up.

The teams that have been constantly successful during this past decade have been the teams that follow a different motto on draft day.  I am speaking of teams like the Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Giants, and Eagles, among others. 

These teams have rarely followed the hollow rule of drafting the best available athlete, and yet they have all been successful.  So, what gives?

Is it that some teams have more information on prospects than others? Or maybe some teams have more luck than others?

Well the answer to those questions is a resounding no. You see, the best strategy is to draft the best available FOOTBALL player who best suits your specific scheme.

Take, for instance, the San Diego Chargers. They have followed the advice of drafting the best available athlete for some time and the reality is that their draft picks of recent years have been less than desirable and team depth is an issue at key positions.

Just look at the NT position, Jamal Williams is 34 years old, that means he’s about 50+ in football years specially for a guy in the trenches, and yet AJ Smith has not addressed this issue.

Instead, Smith went with picks like Larry English, who was not only a reach but the Chargers also exposed the fact that they either don’t believe in Merriman or they do not plan to keep him.

Also, the safety position has been in shambles for the Chargers since Harrison was let go.

Also there are the Raiders. They have have continuously drafted the fastest player available and that hasn’t really worked out well for them. 

Now, I understand that being the fastest does not mean your the best athlete; it is, however, a big part of how we define a great athlete, at least in the NFL.

I am glad to see that McDaniels is not of this school of thought and instead drafted the best available football players who best fit his needs, guys like McBath, Smith, and Moreno.

McDaniels was alsosmart enough to lure Baker, a guy who before his little mishap and during his last year at Penn State was being graded as a can’t-miss prospect, along with bringing in veterans to tutor the children and get them ready for the future.

I admire McDaniels for sticking to his guns on draft day and finding the best player to fit the team and knowing when to take them. 

After all, desperation on draft day cost Shanahan his job, but today I feel that would not be a problem when building the future of my Beloved Broncos.

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

Denver Broncos Continue to Impress

We admitted last week in our article “2009 NFL Surprise Teams: Broncos and Bengals ” that we were wrong in our preseason expectation of the Broncos. As we said last week, we saw the disarray in the Broncos’ camp surrounding the Cutler fiasco and the Brandon Marshall suspension, and we thought the Broncos were a last place team waiting to happen.

We did a new chart last week in our article “NFL 2009 Win – Loss Records: A Look at the Schedule Excuse .” In this article, we looked at all of the teams with winning records who had faced competition also with winning records. The list last week consisted of three teams, and this week there are five.

One of the things that was true last week and is still true this week is that not a single one of the unbeaten teams has faced competition with a combined record over .500,  while none of the winless teams have faced competition with a combined record under .500. 

However, the Broncos and Saints are actually close. In fact, for both teams, if you drop the games their past opposition has played against them, then their competition’s combined records would be over .500. This is not true for the other two unbeaten teams: the Vikings and Colts. 

Going forward, the Broncos’ competition does not appear to be that tough in that they have a combined win-loss percentage of just .491. We are not trying to argue that the Broncos do not have some tough teams in their future; they do.

They still have to face the Steelers(4-2), the Colts(5-0), the Giants(5-1), the Eagles(3-2), and the Ravens(3-3). Given the way the Broncos have played the first six games, we now have to believe that they can win at least two of those five tough games.

In our PossessionPoints.com preseason preview, we said it looked like the AFC West was the Chargers’ division to lose. As we have said, that was a poor assessment. We call ourselves a “data analysis” company, so we try to learn as much from our mistakes as from our successes. So, we went back over our preseason data, and we are going to blame some of our “surprise” on human error.

It turns out our Preseason “Relative Performance Measure (RPM)” data was pointing to good things for the Broncos relative to the Chargers in their division. If you go back to our article “2009 NFL Preseason Performance Rankings ” you will see we said:

“So, are we concerned about the 1-2 Chargers who have a terrible -55 RPM? Yes, we are a little. To us, this might be a warning flag. We would rather see the Chargers’ RPM up there with the 0-3 Broncos.”

In the chart in that article, the Broncos were 10th with an RPM of positive 9.96. If you read through the comments in that article you will see that we took some heat from Chargers’ fans who just wanted to throw out the preseason. We mistakenly agreed that you probably should not read too much into preseason data.

However, our stat is scoring drive-based, and good numbers can be accumulated quickly even in preseason, so perhaps we undervalued the chart a little.

If we look back on that preseason chart we see the bottom five consisted of the Raiders (currently 2-4) the Chargers (2-3), the Rams (0-6), the Titans (0-6), and the Chiefs (0-6). The top five consisted of the Saints (5-0), Falcons (4-1), Steelers (4-2), Cardinals (3-2), and the Jets (3-3). We’ll remember that next year when we look at preseason performance.

This week’s regular season RPM chart has the Broncos at seventh with an RPM of positive 39. This is a really nice performance, and while their future schedule has some teams with good RPMs, only two—the Steelers and Giants—are currently higher than the Broncos.

Our RPM chart this week is below:

Read more Denver Broncos news on BleacherReport.com

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