Josh McDaniels: Whats the plan? Oh…..THATS the plan!

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Hi Everyone,

 

This is an article I have been planning since before the draft. With starting a new business, my time has been limited so I am hoping this is still relevant! This is part 1 of the piece, and I will hit you guys up with part 2 in the next week or so. <!--EndFragment-->

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Hi Everyone,

 

This is an article I have been planning since before the draft. With starting a new business, my time has been limited so I am hoping this is still relevant! This is part 1 of the piece, and I will hit you guys up with part 2 in the next week or so. With all the negativity that I saw on the weekend from fans, MHR members and the MSM (who, frankly, I care for naught) I decided I would get on top of this now and try to get to the bottom of the plan that McDaniels has put in place since he arrived in Denver.

 

To adequately do this, we need to look at out team in a few phases:

• As it was before McDaniel’s arrived.
• As it APPEARED after free agency.
• As it APPEARS after the draft and CFA.
• What the future holds.

 

We need to look at the 3 sides of our team: Offense, Defense and Special Teams. Of course, we will be making some assumptions based on WHAT WE KNOW, as the proof of the pudding truly wont be tested until we start the season proper.

 

I want to do this as I would like all of US to look at our team as a whole, and to take into account only the facts on the board, and not the vitriol and garbage that we hear from lots of  different sources.

 

I implore all of us to go into this season, and the new version of our team with a VERY open mind. History means NOTHING……and I mean…..NOTHING! This is a fresh start for our team. It has been WHOLESALE changes in staff, personnel, front office and scheme. These Broncos are still OUR Broncos but are as far away from  last years model as the Oakland Raiders are!

 

With that said, lets jump in boots and all and look at our team as it was at the end of the 2008 season!

 

1/ The 2008 Denver Broncos:

 

Offense:

• Ranked 2nd in yards.
• Ranked 3rd in passing.
• Ranked 12th in rushing.
• Ranked 16th in scoring.
• Ranked equal 13th in Touch Downs scored.
• Threw 2nd most interceptions.
• Worst turnover differential in the league (tied with 49ers)

 

Many of us like to argue that we were one of the hottest offensive teams in the NFL. Just looking above at the stats, would prove otherwise. As has been mentioned ad nauseum here at MHR, we were great between the 20’s, but extremely average in the red zone. And here is another sobering statistic: Denver were the highest scoring team in the first 3 weeks but ranked 27th in scoring from weeks 4-17….hardly the stats of a high octane offense.

 

What can we take from all of this? Denver surprised the NFL with a pass first offense, which was then game planned against for the rest of the season. Cutler threw the 2nd most interceptions, and the team tied 5th in the NFL for give aways (18 INT and 12 fumbles). What is also a telling stat is that we were league tied worse in turnover differential with a -17. This hardly paints a picture of one of the best offenses in the NFL. Our ball security was poor, we relied on the pass, and we were slow or non existent in adjusting game plans.

 

We finished 12th in the NFL in rushing, and averaged 4.8 yards a carry. Seems good on paper, except that the majority of our gains were in games where we had been blown out.  2 examples of these are the losses to Carolina and San Diego.

 

We were just above average in Touchdowns scored, 16th in scoring total.

 

I look at this, and if I was the new coach coming into an offense that “should not be changed” I would be disappointed…..this is a very average offense with a lot if upside, but many places for  improvement.

 

 

 

 

Defense:

• Ranked 29th in total defense/ yards allowed.
• Ranked 26th against the pass.
• Ranked 27th against the rush.
• Ranked 26th in sacks.
• Ranked 29th in TD’s allowed.
• Ranked 11th in tackles made.
• Ranked 31st in interceptions.

 

Can anyone say “YUCK”?

 

Pretty embarrassing stats that paint a picture of a defense that needs blowing up in a hurry. We could stop the run, the pass, sack the QB or produce take aways. Worse even still, we made the 11th most tackles in the NFL, which means we could never get off the field on 3rd down.

 

Why did McDaniels want THIS job???

 

Many fans are VERY disappointed we did not address the front 7 more than we did. But here’s the thing: based on what you can read into the stats, we were giving up big plays ALL over the field: 26 plays of 20 yards or greater against the rush and 47 plays of 20 yards or more against the pass. We sucked EVERYWHERE across the field. This is something to remember for later on.

 

 

 

Special Teams:

• Ranked 23rd in returning.
• Ranked 19th in kicking.
• Ranked 5th in punting.
• Kick off coverage 5th worse allowing 24.7 yards per return.
• Punt coverage 5th worse allowing 11.8 yards per return.

 

The most telling stat is not one that appears above but one that McDaniels quoted at one of his most recent news conferences: Denver was ranked 32nd (LAST) in field position to start drives. That’s pretty ordinary.

 

Our return team was ordinary…..actually, below average, as was out performance by Matt Prater on field goals and PAT’s. Punting was good, but when you play half your games at altitude you would expect to be in the Top 10 minimum, but punt coverage was bad again, ranking 5th worse in the NFL.

 

The stats paint a pretty true picture on special teams. If you cant start drives from good field position, and cant keep pressure on the opposition by making stops on special teams, it puts TOO much pressure on both the defense (who get short fields to defend) and pressure on the offense (who must maintain LONG drives to score points). Add to this Prater’s inaccuracy, and you have a pretty good recipe for underperformance from our team across the board BECAUSE the special team unit is a hinderance and not a help for the team.

 

2/ Our Team after Free Agency:

 

Free agency was the first stone that McDaniels, Xanders and the staff casted to change not only the roster, but the culture, with in the Denver Broncos organization. For any of us who watched the nightmare unfold down the stretch last season, our boys looked under prepared, unfocused and showing a distinct lack of heart and passion. Our coaches looked like deer in the head lights. A telling sign was how let down the team was when they were relying on Kansas to hold off San Diego…this showed a lack of confidence by the players in themselves and the team. The broncos had no team leaders that could bring fire and passion to the table. It was no coincidence that our team looked best when our rookie force played: WW, Hillis and Larsen brought balance, passion and focus to the team…..it was all lost when DJ, Webster and Champ returned.

 

So, who did McDaniels bring in? In a nutshell, he brought in players that filled some, or all, or the following characteristics:

• Team leaders.
• High character and high motor guys.
• Experienced leaders.
• Multi talented and versatile but also present 1 skill that they are BEST at.
• Mentors.
• Filled NEEDS for the team for the next couple of seasons.
• Players that are team first orientated.

 

Guys like Dawkins, Reid, Goodman, Davis, Buckhalter, Hill, Simms, Fields, Gaffney and resigned guys like Kenny Peterson, that would all bring work ethic, passion and team work to the Broncos.

 

Gone were guys like Nate “The Turnstile” Webster, Dre Bly, Manuel, Niko, Winborn, McCree….it was house cleaning at its most clinical.

 

McDaniels brought in NEW staff, which signaled the beginning of the end of the Jay Cutler era. Upgrades were made across the board: Mike Nolan, Mike McCoy, Nunnely, Martindale and in the smartest move made by McDaniels, he keeps on Bobby Turner and Rick Dennison.

 

Gone are Slowik, Bates and others who only proved (in this authors opinion) how out of their depth they were last season.

 

Our free agency period was universally panned by the MSM experts. We had done nothing to really upgrade our front 7, all our free agents were  on the wrong side of 30 and we had brought in NO playmakers. As said in The Waterboy:

 

“Oh no, we suck again!”

 

Yeah, but do we? Not to give away the finale, but this was the biggest and most important part of McD’s strategy. Without these wily veterans, the whole scheme AND culture that the Broncos are trying to install does not work. More of that later.

 

This period was also important because……

 

WE TRADE JAY CUTLER!!!!!!

 

Perhaps the most DERISIVE event to happen in Bronco’s football EVER. We all have our opinions, and it has been played out to death, but the trading of Jay Cutler may have allowed Jedi McD the chance to get his plan happening quicker than even HE expected.

 

The trade brought a cache of picks and options, plus a QB with a 70% winning record and known as a team leader and smart, smart quarterback.

 

Denver already had 9 picks in the 2009 draft….this now gave us an extra 3rd and 1st……as well as an extra 1st in 2010!

 

The Broncos now have so many options that they become a player in the 2009 draft and have the ability to turn the team into a competitive team 1 year earlier than expected. This will be a piece of the puzzle that will lead to Denver’s ultimate drafting ideology come April 26th.

 

Based simply on our roster, before the draft, on paper, we are already a better looking team.

 

Our team now lines up with improvements here:

• Dawkins and Hill now manning our safety positions over McCree and Manuel. This is also a great tool for the development of Josh Barrett. A huge upgrade!
• With Dre Bly gone, we now have starting corners of Andre Goodman and Champ Bailey. Behind them are upstarts Josh Bell and Jack Williams…..a lot better mix for our secondary.
• With a turn to the 3-4, some of our current roster are more suited to this scheme. We bring in a team leader like Andra Davis. Darrell Reid, a special teams ace, and a BIG man with great speed, gives the Broncos options in an elephant/ Adallius Thomas type role.  Jarvis Moss and Tim Crowder, who came out of college regarded as better fits for a 3-4, now are in a scheme where they MAY thrive. Dumervil also has the ability and agility to thrive.
• Ronnie Fields is brought in as a NT prospect. He is regarded by many as THE steal of Free Agency. He is young, tough, has played for Mike Nolan and his play is maturing.  Already in camp is Carlton Powell, whos scouting report is not dis-similar from that of Ron Brace. Add to that Marcus Thomas, Kenny Peterson, Matthias Askew and J’Von Parker and we have some options along the line.
• We appear deep at the running back position with Ryan Torain, Peyton Hillis, and include Free Agents Lamont Jordan and Correll Buckhalter.
• Jabbar Gaffney is brought in. A former Pats player with good receiving skills. Not only does he bring knowledge of the scheme, but he is an upgrade over Darrell Jackson and the other WR’s we had last year that have been cut.

 

So, moving into the draft, our team not only looks better on paper than last year, but we have solved the leadership problem that was prevalent last year.

 

Things are looking up for a positive draft!

 

Please hit me with any comments.

 

Stay tuned to part II!

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