Josh McDaniels: Rocky Mountain low
Broncos have had few celebrations
As a Denver Broncos fan living in Southern California, I made my first trip to the Mile High city over Thanksgiving last week. I had the pleasure (and disappointment) of taking in a game at Invesco Field against the St. Louis Rams.
Down 33-13 at halftime and with frigid temperatures, snow flurries and boo-birds out, this was turning into no fun. Although Denver managed to make a game out of it, they lost 36-33. Clearly, the Broncos have seen better days.
With a 3-8 record (which is good enough for last place in the mediocre AFC West), a 59-14 defeat at the hands of the Oakland Raiders in Week 7 and the Spygate II scandal, head coach Josh McDaniels is on the hot seat, and rightfully so. Another long and cold winter sans playoffs is in store for the Broncos.
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Will, and should, the Broncos fire McDaniels after two seasons at the helm?
Owner Pat Bowlen put that first question to bed after announcing that McDaniels will be back for the 2011 season. Is this a mistake?
McDaniels has done little to prove he is capable of handling the head-coaching position of an NFL organization, and it is starting to look like he has no business in that role.
A potential lockout in 2011 could have played a part in Bowlen's decision to retain McDaniels for another year. Keep in mind, the team is still paying former coach Mike Shanahan, and McDaniels was signed on in 2009 for four years and $11.9 million. It would make absolutely no sense to fire McDaniels this year and pay three coaches when the team may not even see the field.
While McDaniels doesn't have complete say on all of the team's personnel decisions, he has pulled the strings on many moves that don't sit well, especially when you're in dead last in the division and have gone 4-13 since a 6-0 start last year.
Some things to ponder while determining if McDaniels is the right guy for this job:
Marshall and Cutler - Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler - the team's two most popular and most gifted athletes - were forced out of town on McDaniels' watch, Cutler immediately and Marshall after one season.
Orton has become a bright spot during a dismal season
In McDaniels' defense, both of these moves actually look good, and don't forget that Marshall was in Shanahan's doghouse in '08, too. Marshall was likely to exit Denver regardless of McDaniels' hiring. Marshall hasn't been the same beastly receiver with the Miami Dolphins, either. He has just 58 grabs and one TD in Miami after putting up 101 catches and 10 scores in his last year in Denver.
Cutler was in need of a serious attitude adjustment and did not fit McDaniels' system when he came in. However, Cutler was the new face of the franchise and this was hard to swallow for many fans. In McDaniels' defense, Cutler hasn't exactly lived up to his expectations, and Kyle Orton (more on this in a bit) has morphed into a very capable NFL quarterback.
Hillis - This one may haunt McDaniels until his days are up in Denver. Hillis, for whatever reason, quickly was on McDaniels' bad side when he took the reins as the head coach. He was subsequently traded to Cleveland for backup quarterback Brady Quinn. Hillis has now become one of the leading rushers in the NFL this year. Ouch. The Broncos no doubt could have used a bruising power rusher like Hillis to complement the finesse of Knowshon Moreno.
Spygate - It remains to be seen what McDaniels' involvement was in the videotaping of the San Francisco 49ers' practice session in London. Regardless, this brings shame to one of the proudest organizations in the league and all comes back to the head coach. Just another example of how McDaniels may be in over his head at his current position.
Orton and the offense - McDaniels' offensive mastery became evident when he traded for Orton and rejuvenated his career. Orton has arguably become a more fantasy-relevant QB than Cutler. The emergence of Brandon Lloyd has been a pleasant surprise this year in a passing attack that currently ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards. The team's passing attack is even more impressive considering the lack of success in the running game.
Tebow - Tim Tebow and McDaniels may be joined at the hip. McDaniels may not get the axe until he can justify taking Tebow in the first round of this year's draft after already trading for a backup QB (Quinn). McDaniels has already proven that he can turn an average quarterback - Orton and Matt Cassel - into serviceable and successful leaders. Tebow could be his masterpiece.
The defense - In McDaniels' defense, the defensive unit began its decline in Shanny's last year in '08. McDaniels inherited a mess on defense and has not had the stability at the coordinator position to fix it. Losing Mike Nolan this year was a huge setback for the unit. Injuries, aging veterans and the lack of a pass rush have crippled their productivity. Elvis Dumervil, the team's leading sacker a year ago, has missed the entire season. McDaniels needs to address these issues with the defense early in the draft next year.
It's beginning to look like McDaniels would serve the team better strictly as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. My take: He needs another year, or two, to develop Tebow and his system in Denver - an improved defense and rushing attack next year could make them competitive again in a hurry. However, if things continue to go south quickly, he may find himself packing sooner than expected.
