His tenure started with a bang. Down goes Cutler , in a way, is what should have rang in the ears of NFL fans everywhere.

Of course, you had your Jay Cutler haters, who shrugged off the bold move by new head coach Josh McDaniels to challenge the rising superstar quarterback.

Bold? Yes, you’d say.

Stupid? Hell no.

And in the end, that may have been the correct assumption.

But then, after the trade that for all intents and purposes landed them Knowshon Moreno and Robert Ayers came the Brandon Marshall saga.

It poured into our media outlets for the rest of the summer, quietly drowning out the pain (or happiness?) of the so-called prima dona Cutler exiting Denver.

And then the Broncos started the season with an extremely unlucky (and dare we say lucky?) win on a tipped pass that was scooped-up by Brandon Stokley and raced in for a 12-7 Denver win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Victory bred emotion. Emotion bred momentum. Momentum bred more victories, and then the hugging began.

Oh, the jumping, the hand-holding, the swearing on camera, and all that jazz.

The Broncos were 6-0, McDaniels and his odd team of no-names and over-achievers were winning the hearts everywhere, er, in Denver.

It wasn’t stylish. The offense wasn’t always pretty. But they were getting it done McDaniels’ way.

Naturally, as we’ve already learned, it’s his way or the highway.

Then came the bye week and a loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Then a loss to the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Oh, but these were two “good losses”. Losing to the defending champs can’t hurt one’s stock, right?

Maybe so, but it only got worse from there.

Not only did the Broncos go on to lose to the Washington Redskins the following week, but they even dropped a fourth straight game in a huge divisional match with the San Diego Chargers, and it wasn’t even close.

In fact, all four of their losses after starting 6-0 were by 10 or more points, and three of them were by 18 or more.

Josh McDaniels had apparently lost control of his team and was staring at a full collapse as the Broncos entered a pivotal Thanksgiving showdown with the New York Giants, who had already endured their own four-game losing streak.

Denver escaped that game victoriously and lived to fight another day—several other days, in fact—and were alive in the AFC wild card race until the very final week.

But it’s that final week that has developed into the most concerning aspect of Denver’s season.

Forget about the second four-game losing streak that ended their season, as they blew a close contest with the Kansas City Chiefs and then watched as a lesser team kicked them to the curb and out of the playoff race.

That happened, and it’s over and done with.

The question now is who is responsible? Do we blame Kyle Orton for not doing what Jay Cutler maybe could have done?

Do we blame Brandon Marshall for causing another rift between himself and the coaching staff? Do we question his motives (or lack thereof) for sitting out the final week?

Or do we start pointing the finger at the very man who we promised not to question?

Josh McDaniels sent Jay Cutler away, and the Denver fans asked no questions. They gladly accepted the two extra draft picks (and another in 2010) and had high hopes for a Kyle Orton-led offense.

And when Brandon Marshall stood in the way of what McDaniels was trying to accomplish, many agreed that he, too, should be sent elsewhere. Let the coach be the coach, the players be the players, and so on.

As hard as it is to admit that the seemingly egotistical McDaniels is to blame for Denver’s fallout, Denver fans need to suck it up and give some much-deserved applause.

McDaniels is a rookie at this, but he didn’t coach like a rookie. He beat his former boss, started 6-0 with his first NFL team, showed a cocky quarterback the door, and lived to tell about it.

Then when his prima dona receiver started making a fuss about a sore hamstring, he calmly informed him that he’d be sitting out and didn’t guarantee him a spot in the starting lineup if the Broncos were to make the playoffs, either.

McDaniels didn’t do much to stop his team from sliding from 6-0 to 8-8, but there’s a strong argument that there wasn’t much he could do, either.

The fact is, this wasn’t (and probably still isn’t) a very good football team. McDaniels over-achieved in his first season, and he took a bunch of over-achievers along with him.

Kyle Orton isn’t the long-term solution. The defense is progressing but is inconsistent.

And as for Brandon Marshall, well, they call him “Baby T.O.” for a reason. It’s because he’s a joke when it comes to character, but he’s a phenomenal player that can change games.

Josh McDaniels knows everything we know and then some. He knows Marshall (and Eddie Royal) could have helped his team get into the playoffs.

But he also knows that guys like Marshall are what keep his team from winning it all.

It’s about the big picture for McDaniels, and it always has been.

It’s time we all start looking in the same direction he is.

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