Bronco Fans, Will the Rats Be Leaving a Sinking Ship?

After watching the last eight weeks of this season of the Denver Broncos, it has become clear that whether it is an intended consequence or not, there will be a MAJOR housecleaning before next training camp.

The glorious stadium that Bowlen had the taxpayers of Denver build is about as terrifying to incoming teams as that white gelding on top of the South stands wall.

Was a change at the head coaching position warranted after the past several seasons of continuing mediocrity? Probably. Was there a bit too much player coddling going on in some instances. Probably.

But when looking for a replacement for a coach with the credentials that Shanahan had, it might have made sense to look to someone who actually had some head coaching experience. And to hire one as young as McDaniels, it is asking for some issues to crop up.

One issue is that the new coach can’t seem to figure out how to prevent a second-half meltdown, just like his predecessor couldn’t.

Also, for someone who was trained under the mantle of Master Hoody himself, where everything is cloaked in mystery and wrapped in secrecy, spouting off to the media about your issues with certain players and almost writing off any chance at making a playoff slot seems to be rather immature and puzzling, to say the least.

The message seemed to be: “I am the boss of you and that is more important than winning a damn game and having a shot at the playoffs.” That message sure seemed to get through to the rest of the team, especially the defense and even the offense in the second half.

When you can make the lowly Raiders and Chiefs look like contending teams, you have succeeded in getting your ego-driven message across loud and clear.

Now to the even more painful issue that is the thrust of my headline:

The past eight weeks and the behavior of the head coach has set the stage for a mass exodus of what talent currently resides on the Bronco roster. It is almost a given that both WR Marshall and TE Scheffler will be gone. LB/DE Dumervil may not be too far behind them, either. Champ Bailey will be considering his options, as will Ty Law. In addition, guards Hochstein, Kuper, and Hamilton could take that walk down the hall. If I am not mistaking, that would mean two starters (Kuper and Hochstein) from the O-line plus a backup (Hamilton) could be gone.

Add to that the kickers (Prater and Berger) and Lloyd, a decent backup WR and you have some major holes to fill. Oh, and of course, Orton, making about $1 million, could get another offer, although not too likely.

But, you say, they wouldn’t all leave, would they? Probably not, this is about money but also more than that. Players want to play where they feel they have a chance at a Super Bowl ring, or at least to go deep into the playoffs. And they also want to play for an organization that has a commitment to winning and that treats the players with some level of respect.

That used to be the reason so many players wanted to come to play here. It was that kind of environment. Plus, Denver is not the worst place to live.

With that perception changing, it will be harder to keep the RFAs and the UFAs, not to mention signing other FAs to build back a quality team.

This article isn’t meant to cry “Wolf” or that all is lost, just to point out that all is not well on the Good Ship Bronco as some leaks are starting to flood the bilges.

And the rats might just be getting restless!

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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

 

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Josh McDaniels Needs To Learn What Accountability REALLY Means

Apparently it is possible to see a mirage in the Rockies.

Earlier this season after the Broncos started 3-0, I wrote that the Broncos and their fans were buying into what Josh McDaniels was doing with the team and, to steal a line from McDonald’s, I said they were “lovin’ it.”

Well, 13 games later, I think it is safe to say both the team and its fans are “hatin’ it.”  Even yours truly admits he was dead wrong. In a season of low expectations, the Broncos took advantage of no one taking them seriously and surged to a 6-0 start. 

Then the wheels came off and the Broncos finished a putrid 2-8 and becoming only the third team since the AFL-NFL merger to miss the postseason after starting the season 6-0. This collapse is worse than the three-game losing streak the Broncos had to end the 2008 campaign, due to that they played poorly for ten games versus three.

Mike Shanahan got fired for that three-game collapse last season, so logic dictates McDaniels should suffer the same fate. Will it happen?  Probably not this year. That said, Bowlen has even more just cause to fire McDaniels than he had to fire Shanahan.

First, as can be seen in the 44-24 thumping they took at home to the 3-12 Chiefs, McDaniels has lost control of this team. Just when fans thought it couldn’t get any worse than being beaten by JaMarcus Russell at the last second, it does. 

For example, McDaniels had the gall to make a more boneheaded move than Shanahan ever did by benching two of his best three pass catchers for “attitude problems,” for a game that had playoff implications. Anyone who saw today’s game would have been able to see that Marshall’s height and Scheffler’s hands would have helped the Broncos.

Marshall’s case is sketchy at best, but as a former problem child who had been on his best behavior all season it makes McDaniels’ move that much more puzzling.

On top of that, McDaniels has proven himself to be such a big liar that it would make Bill Belichick cringe. Case in point, McDaniels said today that Marshall’s benching had nothing to do with the Pro Bowl receiver missing a treat session for his purported injured hamstring. However, earlier in the week the head coach told Ed Werder of ESPN that missing a session was a primary reason for Marshall’s benching.

Which one is it coach? I understand that coaches mislead members of the media a lot with statements that aren’t necessarily true yet not entirely false, but this was an out and out lie that wouldn’t have been such a big deal had McDaniels told it one way or the other.

Such an outright lack of integrity even has me questioning how much of what McDaniels said about the falling out with Jay Cutler is true, but as they say “there is no use in crying over spilled milk.” We likely will never know what really happened there, but recent events should cause some Broncos fans to re-examine who the real villain in that situation really was.

Owner Pat Bowlen is learning what Cleveland (times two with Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini) and Notre Dame have come to terms with recently: the “Patriot way” of running an NFL works nowhere outside of Foxboro and even there, Belichick’s methods are starting to show signs of strain. Fudging on injury reports is no longer tolerated and Belichick’s monotone press conferences are beginning to become the laughingstock of the NFL. 

Players and fans alike want to see their teams run with integrity and class, a way in which the Broncos were run just one year ago. Taking out shortcomings on defense and struggles to finish off seasons, no one can say that the Shanahan regime wasn’t classy.  Shanahan’s final press conference is an example of that. He didn’t get it done and openly admitted it.

What does McDaniels do? He throws two of his best offensive players under the bus. If you have an issue with some players’ attitudes, that’s fine. McDaniels said the word of the week was accountability, and he held Marshall and Scheffler accountable. 

Now, following another embarrassing defeat, does the coach hold himself accountable? McDaniels said after the game, “Obviously, something is wrong and it needs to be fixed.”  Look in the mirror, coach.  McDaniels went on a power trip this past week and now he needs to learn the true meaning of the word “accountability.”

Mr. Bowlen, for the sake of your franchise, please fire this man. You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) bring back Shanahan, but please hire a proven winner.

Bill Cowher would be a good start.

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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.

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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. 

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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?

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Why Denver Must Select Jimmy Clausen in the NFL Draft

Let me start by saying this is not a hate on Kyle Orton story.  The guy did the best he could have done with his physical talents and the position he was in. 

He won six straight games.  He played injured.  He’s good in the community. I actually like the guy. 

But he is not a franchise quarterback.

In the modern history of the NFL, just two teams have won the Super Bowl without a superstar quarterback; the 2000 Ravens, and the 2002 Buccaneers.  What do those teams have in common?  They both had all-time great defenses.  Defenses loaded with Hall of Famers. Denver is not going to have in that kind of defense in the 2010-11 season. 

While the defense has been very good, this defense will be another year older and our best players will be another year past their primes.   I’m pretty confident saying that Kyle Orton will not be quarterbacking a Super Bowl winning team with that defense playing alongside him.

I’m sure that Josh McDaniels learned the oldest saying in the NFL during the three-peat in New England.  If you do not have a franchise quarterback, you must get one.  He thought he had one in Jay Cutler, but Cutler showed that he was unwilling to play for Josh after the trade rumors, which ultimately lead him to the prime pickings of Jason Campbell or Kyle Orton.

If McDaniels wants to save his job past his four year contract and if Pat Bowlen ever wants to see the Broncos win another championship, they cannot pony up with Kyle Orton for the long haul.

This year the Broncos will be selecting 10th in the NFL Draft.  There will be three teams needing quarterbacks selecting in front of them in St. Louis, Washington, and Cleveland.  Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen are the only two prospects that will receive a top ten grade at the position.  

It is possible that Cleveland or St. Louis could surprise and take an elite defensive player such as Suh or Eric Berry instead of a quarterback, especially Cleveland who has Brady Quinn already on the roster.  That would leave us in a position where Washington picks sixth with at least one QB still left on the board.  That QB could very well be Jimmy Clausen, and if it is, Denver must do whatever it has to do to select him.

Why?

Jimmy Clausen is simply the best Junior quarterback of all time, and he comes from Charlie Weis’ pro style offense.  Yes, the latter was also said about Quinn, but Quinn did not compile the stats that Clausen has. 

Clausen has better stats with less talent around him at this point of his career than Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Matt Ryan.  This season Clausen amassed 3,722 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions, all on the national stage with more pressure than any quarterback in the nation and playing half the season not being able to push off an injured turf toe.

The Broncos must trade past Washington and get Clausen.  The best trade scenario would be with Cleveland to acquire the third pick, which kills two birds with one stone.  It puts Denver ahead of Shanahan and Washington, and also gets Cleveland out of the way.

The draft value of the third pick is 2,200 points. The value of the 10th pick is 1,300 points which is a 900 point difference.  Nine hundred points is roughly the 18th pick in the draft, or a second and a third round pick.

After the inevitable trade of Brandon Marshall, Denver must get their franchise QB while they are in the best position to do so.   Stay with Kyle Orton for the next five years and we will all look back and face palm ourselves as Cutler and Clausen are leading their teams deep into the playoffs every year.

Josh McDaniels, save this franchise while you still can.

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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.

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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. 

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Thoughts on the Deactivation of Brandon Marshall

 

I have viewed the press conference when Josh McDaniels addressed the media regarding his decision to deactivate Brandon Marshall from the Broncos’ final regular season game, and I have also read Marshall’s response to what happened.

I must say that I do not have confidence in this decision by Josh McDaniels, and, surprisingly, I find myself sympathizing with Brandon Marshall.

McDaniels was less than forthcoming in his press conference, giving very vague explanations as to why he took such a drastic measure.

He kept talking about “accountability” and putting the 45 guys out there who are willing to give their all, but he never got into any specifics as to how Marshall was being unaccountable.

Marshall seemed to shed more light on the subject in his response, stating that he believed McDaniels was responding to his hamstring injury, which he suffered at practice on Wednesday.

Marshall feels like he can’t play in his current condition, while McDaniels feels he is exaggerating the injury and should be able to play.

So, was it absolutely necessary for Josh McDaniels to deactivate Brandon Marshall? I will never claim to know more than the coach does, but I think this was a huge mistake.

First, it makes McDaniels look like an egomaniac. Maybe he is one. I am pretty sure I would hate his guts if he coached any other team, but he is the coach of my beloved Denver Broncos.

If all that was going on was that Marshall was complaining about his hamstring bothering him and doubting if he would be ready to go on Sunday, McDaniels’ move is a complete overreaction.

It’s a little too late for him to be trying to send a message to his team. With a 2-7 streak, any move that could lower morale or hurt team unity is ridiculous.

It looks like Josh McDaniels is desperate, trying so hard to pass the blame to his players for the late-season meltdown. He seems to be trying to send the message that he is in control when, in reality, he lost it somewhere around the bye week.

Second, deactivation completely eliminates the possibility that Marshall could play. Why not list Marshall as doubtful or questionable for the game against the Chiefs? With Eddie Royal possibly out of the picture, why deactivate yet another receiver?

What if Marshall ended up being well enough to play? Hasn’t he contributed enough this season and fought hard enough to deserve that chance?

Third, it could potentially destroy any hopes of what seemed to be a happy reconciliation process between Marshall and the Broncos. We all know where Marshall was at the beginning of the season, and he seems to have taken gigantic steps to improve on his image and attitude.

His immediate response to the deactivation seems fair and mature–more mature than the actions of his head coach, if you ask me. However, I wouldn’t blame him if his attitude re-soured (if that’s even a word).

McDaniels has not yet proven to be the genius that he would like the media, his players, and the rest of the NFL to believe he is.

This is definitely a gutsy move, but I am having a hard time seeing any positives that can come out of it. If he is trying to send a message, it is a little too late in the year.

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