Josh McDaniels has hand in all the Broncos' plans

[Traveler]

Jeff Legwold answered my question in today's Denver Post.

Yeah!

Hopefully McDaniels isn't stretched out as much as the article might insinuate.
__________________________________________________ ______
Q&A: Josh McDaniels has hand in all the Broncos' plans
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post

Today's questions about the Broncos come from Papi. Send your questions via e-mail to jlegwold@denverpost.com.

Q: How do you and other teams view our coordinators? Are they highly respected? Some of the best at what they do? The way this team is playing, they don't seem to be getting better. And I'm not sure if there is anyone on the staff who can help McDaniels right this ship.

A: Titles aside, the Broncos have only one "coordinator" calling plays on game day. Coach Josh McDaniels is the team's offensive coordinator on game day and directs the team's scheme on offense through the week.

Mike McCoy carries the title of offensive coordinator, and McDaniels' brother Ben is the quarterbacks coach. McCoy is respected among his peers for his work in Carolina before he came to the Broncos last year.

McCoy certainly takes part in game-planning through the week, and has some impact in decisions (as do all of the offensive coaches), but the offense is Josh McDaniels' production. For McCoy and the other offensive coaches to move on to other jobs, or to be promoted, the team will have to have enough success to overcome the belief McDaniels runs the offense and the others are just involved in the process.

For example, when the Broncos were having a lot of success, Mike Shanahan used to go to great lengths publicly to say that Gary Kubiak was calling plays, even though Shanahan was very active in calling plays much of the time and would often veto calls.

Ben McDaniels was a high school assistant before getting hired by the Broncos. Many in the league wonder how that will turn out, but many at Dove Valley like the way Ben McDaniels handles himself.

But within the league, Ben has to battle the idea he was hired by his brother. He'll have to find a way to build his own résumé — where people see him as Ben McDaniels, NFL assistant, rather than Josh's brother.

Don Martindale had never been a defensive coordinator in the NFL before being promoted by McDaniels before this season, but he had been one in college football and has worked with current Jets head coach Rex Ryan, so he has some chops in league circles.

However, the perception in the league is that Josh has some big involvement in the defense as well, which is why other coaches believe Mike Nolan is no longer with the Broncos. Nolan is a respected defensive coach, and folks with other teams believe he left because Josh wasn't going to let him run the defense as he was accustomed to doing.

McDaniels has publicly said that isn't true, but that is still the belief. Defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely and secondary coach Ed Donatell, who has been a coordinator in the league, are longtime, respected assistants in the NFL.

McDaniels works off the Belichick model, in which the head coach is hands on in most things and coordinators have less control over their weekly game plans.

Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com

Read more: Q&A: Josh McDaniels has hand in all the Broncos' plans - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_16525723#ixzz14QmhLBWt

[Ravage!!!]

weird that we are 2-6 with him doing everything.

[arapaho2]

que the apologists excuses of a poorly written piece because josh is the head coach and cant be the reason we are failing in all aspects of the game

[Jake Klug]

...and he has his foot in something else.

[Softskull]

I think the comment on Nolan was interesting.

Under Nolan, our defense improved in every statistical category compared to the year prior (although barely in rushing defense).

Without Nolan, we've regressed in every statistical category.

Notably, Miami's defense has improved this year in every statistical category.

[Dzone]

getting rid of Nolan was another big screw up...how many blunders is this coach capable of?

[KCL]

So Josh McDaniels wears many hats...interesting.

[slim]

So Josh McDaniels wears many hats...interesting.

Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature.

[rcsodak]

I think the comment on Nolan was interesting.

Under Nolan, our defense improved in every statistical category compared to the year prior (although barely in rushing defense).

Without Nolan, we've regressed in every statistical category.

Notably, Miami's defense has improved this year in every statistical category.
yeah....they looked awesome after the bye last year when nolan was 'figured out' and didnt change. Miami has better players and already have 3-4 personnel.
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[rcsodak]

getting rid of Nolan was another big screw up...how many blunders is this coach capable of?
nolan quit. He was a good bridge DC but has always had a problem sticking for long.
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[TimTebow15MVP]

Yeah because miami is giving up 22 point per game. awesome

[Ravage!!!]

Miami already having a 3-4 in place just shows how good Nolan is.

He was able to build a faux-3-4 with lousy personnel while here in Denver, and allowed us to win our first 6 games...not letting anyone see just how terrible our offense really was. Once our defense was unable to completely shut teams out, our offense showed their head and complete lack of ability, and we lost 8 of the next ten. Continuing on to this day, the offense is unable to score many points, and unless the defense completely shuts the other team out, we lose. Already losing 6 of the first 8.Nolan

In Miami, Nolan was able to go to a team (not fired, but pushed out the door) that already had a 3-4 in place, and STILL improve their defense over the previous DC, while ours continues to flounder and drop like a rock.

[slim]

Miami already having a 3-4 in place just shows how good Nolan is.

He was able to build a faux-3-4 with lousy personnel while here in Denver, and allowed us to win our first 6 games...not letting anyone see just how terrible our offense really was. Once our defense was unable to completely shut teams out, our offense showed their head and complete lack of ability, and we lost 8 of the next ten. Continuing on to this day, the offense is unable to score many points, and unless the defense completely shuts the other team out, we lose. Already losing 6 of the first 8.Nolan

In Miami, Nolan was able to go to a team (not fired, but pushed out the door) that already had a 3-4 in place, and STILL improve their defense over the previous DC, while ours continues to flounder and drop like a rock.

:laugh:

So Nolan gets credit for the 6 game winning streak, but takes no blame for any of the losses?

I love it.

[Softskull]

yeah....they looked awesome after the bye last year when nolan was 'figured out' and didnt change. Miami has better players and already have 3-4 personnel.
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I guess the opposite of that is he did convert the worst defense in the league (and ever in Denver) to a respectable level in one year. And you're correct that once teams figured out his scheme, our Dline was fully exposed as very small and extremely untalented. I think he did a great job of hiding that weakness for the first six games.

I also agree that Miami had a 3-4 in place, but they like last year’s Broncos improved in EVERY category under his guidance. You have to give Nolan some credit on that (well, maybe not you but some non-homer might). ;)

[Broncolingus]

Josh McDaniels has hand in all the Broncos' plans...


http://bikevinyl.com/images/uploads/shocker-2.jpg

[Softskull]

Yeah because miami is giving up 22 point per game. awesome

Their defense is better in every catagory. And that's three points less than Miami gave up last year.

[G_Money]

Dolphins were 22nd in yards and 25th in points last year.

Broncos were 7th in yards (but 26th against the run) and 12th in points in '09, after being the worst D in the league the previous year.

This year the Dolphins are 8th in yards, 17th in points. That's quite an improvement through half a year.

Broncos? 24th in yards (31st against the run) and 28th in points (skewed by the Raiders game).

This isn't baseball - coaches make a difference. Getting a good one and losing him because you won't let him do his job is the height of arrogance. We're worse this year than last year, by far, and now that other teams have seen how we plan to defend (which is how they started picking apart our inferior D-Line with the run game last year) I'm curious to see if we can respond or if the pass D will follow the run D further down the drain.

JR is right, injuries play a part - but only a part. Every team in the league has injuries to deal with. Not being a deep enough team to withstand injuries is also on the head coach. When Shanahan lost 6 or whatever backs to injury he could still make a go of a running game.

We lose Doom and all of a sudden there will never be a pass rush the entire season? Do something with the scheme. Bring more guys, zone blitz, something.

Yes, we're a few plays from being 4-4. The Bills are a few plays from being better than us instead of winless. A few plays matter. If JR is talking about not hoping to get lucky in the postseason and instead wanting to build a juggernaut, I agree.

But you have to start by not hoping to get lucky in the regular season. Praying for luck or bemoaning its fallout is not what good teams do.

We are not a good team, and I see no indications that we're building in that direction. When former football players are either laughing at our coach or getting actively angry at his approach, that's an issue. When one of them calls him a bully on his afternoon radio show, that's deeply concerning.

I hope the Broncos turn this around, I really do - Josh becoming a better leader and coach would be a boon to us. Having to go out and turn over all the personnel again under a new head coach means we're in for an even longer rebuilding project. I don't want to do that.

But it's up to Josh and this team to show that it CAN be turned around by the current group.

Jimmy Johnson went 1-15 and was winning Super Bowls a couple years later. You'd have been a fool to fire him. It's not the record, it's the progress that I want to see. The way guys play, the way they perform.

I haven't seen it, and Ellis and Bowlen haven't seen it on the field either. I would not have expected a vote of confidence, even though the likelihood of changing coaches after this season is small.

We can't bring anyone in on the coaching staff to help Josh. He already argued with and let go the only guy on the staff with head coaching experience. He's got a bunch of guys who won't tell him he's got no clothes, and won't get him any either. It's on Josh to right the ship - unlike Haley in Kansas City, we're not getting any massively qualified help to ease the burden and make it work. His hand is in every pie.

So unless Josh can sew himself some trousers, quickly, we're gonna be seeing a lot more ugly junk on that field the rest of this year.

I hope he's taking a sewing class during this bye week.

~G

[jhildebrand]

I laugh at the notion Nolan was figured out :lol: Especially considering where it is coming from.

The same people who insist we can't blame McDaniels because it is the players who are failing are INSISTING Nolan was the failure at the end of last year not the players.

Good ol flip flops in the middle of November :rolleyes:

Second, the notion Nolan was "figured out" is simply retarded! It was the O that was the issue. 3 and outs, going for it on 4th and X deep on our side of the field multiple times. 8 miniutes TOP in 3 games in the second half. 3 points on 3-4 turnovers are somehow on the D? :lol: Anyone who believes that doesn't know football.

As to the idea Nolan "quit." That is a joke too. Trust me that he was all but told he would be gone leading up to the Redskins game. Smart move McDaniels :rolleyes:

[jhildebrand]

Nolan held teams without first downs for the 2nd half in more than a couple of games last year.

How you let that guy go is beyond me. That is some Remember the Titans shit right there.

[Broncolingus]

Second, the notion Nolan was "figured out" is simply retarded!

Nolan's a 'reh-tard'...just like Rainman! :D

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yMpsttlXye8/hqdefault.jpg

[Ravage!!!]

:laugh:

So Nolan gets credit for the 6 game winning streak, but takes no blame for any of the losses?

I love it.

yeah slim, thats what I'm saying.

However, until.... we see our offense actually do something that puts points on the board against some of the worst teams in the league, I think its safe to say that the offense has been a complete joke when it comes to winning games.

[LawDog]

getting rid of Nolan was another big screw up...how many blunders is this coach capable of?

At least one more, as always...

[dogfish]

We are not a good team, and I see no indications that we're building in that direction. When former football players are either laughing at our coach or getting actively angry at his approach, that's an issue. When one of them calls him a bully on his afternoon radio show, that's deeply concerning.

I hope the Broncos turn this around, I really do - Josh becoming a better leader and coach would be a boon to us. Having to go out and turn over all the personnel again under a new head coach means we're in for an even longer rebuilding project. I don't want to do that.

But it's up to Josh and this team to show that it CAN be turned around by the current group.

Jimmy Johnson went 1-15 and was winning Super Bowls a couple years later. You'd have been a fool to fire him. It's not the record, it's the progress that I want to see. The way guys play, the way they perform.

I haven't seen it, and Ellis and Bowlen haven't seen it on the field either. I would not have expected a vote of confidence, even though the likelihood of changing coaches after this season is small.

We can't bring anyone in on the coaching staff to help Josh. He already argued with and let go the only guy on the staff with head coaching experience. He's got a bunch of guys who won't tell him he's got no clothes, and won't get him any either. It's on Josh to right the ship - unlike Haley in Kansas City, we're not getting any massively qualified help to ease the burden and make it work. His hand is in every pie.

So unless Josh can sew himself some trousers, quickly, we're gonna be seeing a lot more ugly junk on that field the rest of this year.

I hope he's taking a sewing class during this bye week.

~G

completely on point, as usual. . .

i was listening to schlereth on the Fan yesterday, and he was talking about the OL problems in the running game. . . i don't have the exact quote of course, but he flat-out said play design was part of the problem. . . said he saw plays every week that he thought had very little chance of success because of the design, plays where OLs were being asked to make what he called "impossible" blocks. . . he spcifically called out a play against the raiders where he said beadles was expected to make a down-block on richard seymour where zane pretty much had no chance to get there, which allowed seymour (i'm assuming he was at LDT) to easily penetrate and blow the play up. . .

stink said he remembers alex gibbs getting in screaming matches with shanahan when mike wanted to install plays that gibbs didn't like the design of. . . said gibbs would go to war with the HC before putting his guys in positions that weren't built for them to succeed. . .

those comments provide an interesting glimpse into one of our problem areas, but also illuminate a larger point-- management and josh himself have put JMFMCD in a position to be pretty much the sole voice that's heard at dove valley and on our sidelines. . .

granted, none of us has been a fly on the wall, but who here honestly thinks anyone on that staff speaks up to mcdaniels? i most certainly don't. . . i suspect that anyone who screamed at mcD the way gibbs screamed at anyone and everyone would probably be canned in very short order. . . the guys on our offensive staff in particular are just glad to have jobs-- they aren't saying shit to josh. . .

really, bowlen should be embarrassed. . . right after he said the next coach wouldn't have shanahan's broad scope of powers and control, we bring in a wet-behind-the-ears guy and almost immediately put him right in the same situation? or allowed/helped him to back himself in a corner, is more like it. . .

it's becoming very obvious that he's in way over his head right now-- too bad he's done such an effective job of removing the majority of people who could've helped him. . . i'm not going to bother argiung any of these crusty old points with anyone, but let's take a quick look at the overall picture-- most of these can be explained away, or at least hotly debated, but the overarching trend is tough to deny for any but the most extreme apologist at this point. . .

our personnel guy who'd been hitting homeruns was moved aside almost immediately, which doesn't look like a good move given the amount of value wasted in the ensuing draft, and the failure of most of that class to make much significant contribution to this point. . . our gifted mismatch TE was shipped off-- the replacements have failed utterly to make an impact in the passing game, although opportunities have admittedly been limited. . .

the one that really hurts me the most is giving away a hell of a physical runner because we were too lazy to coach him up. . . sure would be nice to have a rugged grinder to lean on while our blocking is so bad. . . being unable to retain our highly successful offensive line and running backs coaches also stings while i watch the worse broncos O-line and running game that i've seen in my adult lifetime. . . josh also proved either unwilling or unable to retain our respected veteran defensive coordinator, and so far his replacement has also struggled. . .

that's all in the past, and talking about it won't change anything. . . mcD still has time-- the rest of this season, and quite possibly next if there's football, given the financial factors-- but the clock is definitely running, and it runs a little faster every time we lose. . . he can't survive many more debacles like that abortion of a raiders game. . . he needs to find some answers, quick, and it appears that he's probably gonna be looking on his own. . .

we'll see what happens, but i suspect he's going to find it real difficult to get any accomplished coaches to come here. . . between his apparent inability to play nice with so many others and his increasingly tenuous grasp on his job, i doubt anyone who has other options will want to come here next year. . . that may extend to free agents as well, and even if it doesn't i don't see pat forking over for any big name talent right now. . .

nope. . . looks to me like mcD is going to have to find a way to get it turned around himself. . . like an animal caught in a trap, he's going to have to chew off his own leg to get out. . . that leg is his pride, and he will need to humble it to the point where he can do an honest re-evaluation of his entire approach, from top to bottom. . . the guy is NOT dumb, but he's damn stubborn. . . can he accept/admit that you can't win throwing the ball 50 times per game, that you need talent in the defensive front seven, and that his new england castoffs aside from gaffney suck out loud and have to be replaced if we intend to win? can he get past his insistence on selecting only simon-pure types with our high picks, and recklessly burning value to get his targets-- can he expand his draft board, hold his ****ing water, and replace the value he wasted? can he find players who are healthy and ready to contribute now?

i sure as hell hope so, because if he can't he'll have to slink back to belly with his tail between his legs, and we'll be back to square one-- with no plan, and only a couple of hodgepodge pices to start with. . .

[Softskull]

like an animal caught in a trap, he's going to have to chew off his own leg to get out. . . that leg is his pride,

That was brilliant!

[Ravage!!!]

a big name coach MIGHT come in next year as an OC or DC....seeing that its very common to hire a new HC from within the organization. They might see it as a way to the HC job.

[Softskull]

a big name coach MIGHT come in next year as an OC or DC....seeing that its very common to hire a new HC from within the organization. They might see it as a way to the HC job.

Maybe, but that big name would have to prove himself in the JMD mire AND not look like Josh was heavily influence his coaching. If I was a big time coach, I wouldn't take my chances here under MCD.

[Medford Bronco]

yeah slim, thats what I'm saying.

However, until.... we see our offense actually do something that puts points on the board against some of the worst teams in the league, I think its safe to say that the offense has been a complete joke when it comes to winning games.

Lots of yards and little points. Kind of pointless really.

[Lonestar]

So far this year we have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league in the first 6 games.

Could have been 4-4 save 3 penalties in those games.

The OAK was an aboration IMO and doubtful we will see another game like that. The other games we could have won them. A play here or there made the games were close enough to have been wins.

Except in the minds of the doubters.
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[spikerman]

So far this year we have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league in the first 6 games.

Could have been 4-4 save 3 penalties in those games.

The OAK was an aboration IMO and doubtful we will see another game like that. The other games we could have won them. A play here or there made the games were close enough to have been wins.

Except in the minds of the doubters.
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You're using the "if ifs and buts were candy and nuts" argument?

[Ravage!!!]

So far this year we have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league in the first 6 games.

Could have been 4-4 save 3 penalties in those games.

The OAK was an aboration IMO and doubtful we will see another game like that. The other games we could have won them. A play here or there made the games were close enough to have been wins.

Except in the minds of the doubters.
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We weren't really in the Baltimore game, and the Jets game was a game where WE would have been the one that "upset" the other team. We would have been that game of the week where the "bad" team beats the "good" team. It happens almost every week in the NFL. There is an upset, and IF we would have gotten lucky, it was because WE played the best game we ever have, and THEY played a bad game.

Yes, the Oakland game was an oddity, and I don't count that. But, you are talking "almost" beating a 1-6 San Fran team.

This "second hardest" schedule thing... is a pretty lame excuse. Every team in the NFL basically has the same difficulty of schedule because so many teams in the NFL are hovering around the same level of play. But if you haven't noticed, the games we were supposed to win in the "easy" part of the schedule... we are Oh-fer.

Thinking we were only a few penalties away... is pretty short sighted. A single penalty doesn't take away our win. How about all the missed third down conversions.. or here's a new one.. how about actually SCORING? Penalties didn't cost us, and we aren't nearly a .500 team. We are what we are and that is a 2-6... a .250 team THIS season. We are just as close at being 0-6 as we are 4-4.

We are a .222 team since Last bye week.

[spikerman]

Every time I hear the "we're only a few plays away from being 4-4" argument, I can't help but think of the quote by noted football expert C. Montgomery Burns,

" Burns: Honestly, Smithers, I don't know why Harvard even bothers to show up. They barely even won."

[Dean]

So far this year we have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league in the first 6 games.

Could have been 4-4 save 3 penalties in those games.

The OAK was an aboration IMO and doubtful we will see another game like that. The other games we could have won them. A play here or there made the games were close enough to have been wins.

Except in the minds of the doubters.
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But time and time again, we continue to not make those plays. You also have to remember that part of why that is the second hardest schedule is that we contributed 6 wins to our opponents' total.

[Ravage!!!]

But time and time again, we continue to not make those plays. You also have to remember that part of why that is the second hardest schedule is that we contributed 6 wins to our opponents' total.

VERY true..... every team we play moves UP in the standings for passing yards, rushing yards, TDs, points-held-against, and wins.

[nevcraw]

So far this year we have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league in the first 6 games.

Could have been 4-4 save 3 penalties in those games.

The OAK was an aboration IMO and doubtful we will see another game like that. The other games we could have won them. A play here or there made the games were close enough to have been wins.

Except in the minds of the doubters.
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splash some cold water on your face.
If the oakland game was such an aboration then they would have gone and won the San Fran game and proved you right. but... they were beat in all phases of the game by a 1-6 team with a 3rd string QB.
this team is very very bad right now and with the lines playing as bad as they are a complete turnaround is unlikely..

[BroncoStud]

getting rid of Nolan was another big screw up...how many blunders is this coach capable of?

The Dolphins have talent on defense. They were never horrible to begin with.

[dogfish]

Every time I hear the "we're only a few plays away from being 4-4" argument, I can't help but think of the quote by noted football expert C. Montgomery Burns,

" Burns: Honestly, Smithers, I don't know why Harvard even bothers to show up. They barely even won."

classic episode. . . :D

[Oldschoolcrush]

Lots of yards and little points. Kind of pointless really.
These aren't sustained yards, this happens within a huge number of possessions........... Even if you manage the clock and win the field position battle without scoring; you allow your defense to impact the game... Neither of these are being accomplished.
You begin to realize that our defense isn't horrible, when you allow an opposing offense that many possessions to test a defense... You can't expect a good outcome!
In a game where the offense manages alone, it offers choices in the defense.
A defense can attack the line and force the ball in the air... It's risk assessment, if they catch you on a long pass play that's the name of the game.... You did so because you could afford it!
After four possessions by both teams and the opposition is leading because your offense is one dimensional and cant sustain a drive; really, what are your options on defense?
You can't afford to give up the big pass and you can't afford a team to chisel away yardage on the ground.
In a nut shell, if you have to provide your offense with a ridiculous amount of possessions to actually accomplish putting points on the board; you are asking your defense to perform the impossible. As far as injuries are concerned, you are also asking way to much of your players.... I don't care what kind of depth you have in talent on the defense, this isn't the point; if you continue to ask talented players to perform the impossible, you will completely and quickly fatigue any semblance of talent you might have on defense...... That is what I see going on right now.
Anyone saying that the defense sucks isn't paying attention. It isn't rock solid, but there is plenty of talent when healthy to fill in where it's lacking. You ask the defense to manage the entire game and cover a broad range of field doing so, they are going to get beat. The defense doesn't have the luxury of choice to shorten or stretch the field of play, because they cant depend on their offense to get it done on their end.
How many possessions did it take for the Raiders to score 59 points? It was well over nine, I'm not going to bother to look.
Many see this number and attribute it to a defense that completely buckled.... And it's true! But there is more to the story, the offense had just as many possessions. If you think back, every game has had way, way to many possessions; the defense actually kept these games reasonable.
The defense is broken, but it isn't a personnel problem, it's a team problem that's trickled down from a piss poor one dimensional offense from a head coach with a lack of vision.

[Bosco]

nolan quit. He was a good bridge dc but has always had a problem sticking for long.
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qft

[Softskull]

nolan quit. He was a good bridge DC but has always had a problem sticking for long.
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Not true. Here's his travels

DEN 6 years
NYG 4 years
Was 3 years
NYJ 1 year *
BAL 4 years
SF 4 years
DEN 1 year

The one year in NY was the Belichick resigning at the podium year and Al Groh and Nolan were stuck. But the idea that he's a vagabond in the NFL is crap. Few coaches have as long a tenure, and few would stay with a team as long as he did. The one year stint here was an anomaly. His history shows that he would have stayed longer if the conditions were acceptable. Take out that Jets season and he's averaged 4.2 years per stay. I'd take that out of a DC...considering we change them like underwear around here.

[Bosco]

Not true. Here's his travels

DEN 6 years
NYG 4 years
Was 3 years
NYJ 1 year *
BAL 4 years
SF 4 years
DEN 1 year

The one year in NY was the Belichick resigning at the podium year and Al Groh and Nolan were stuck. But the idea that he's a vagabond in the NFL is crap. Few coaches have as long a tenure, and few would stay with a team as long as he did. The one year stint here was an anomaly. His history shows that he would have stayed longer if the conditions were acceptable. Take out that Jets season and he's averaged 4.2 years per stay. I'd take that out of a DC...considering we change them like underwear around here.

It's also worth noting that Nolan was considered a relative failure as a DC after the Redskins and Jets debacles (which to fair, weren't entirely his fault) and had to take a job as a receivers coach for a year with Baltimore before he was able to resurrect his career after Marvin Lewis left.

I've said it before, but Nolan is the defensive equivalent of Dan Reeves or Marty Schottenheimer. He's very good at converting teams to 3-4 defenses and getting early success out of them, but he's never really been able to get it over the proverbial hump so other teams view him as a short term solution.

[Northman]

I've said it before, but Nolan is the defensive equivalent of Dan Reeves or Marty Schottenheimer. He's very good at converting teams to 3-4 defenses and getting early success out of them, but he's never really been able to get it over the proverbial hump so other teams view him as a short term solution.

Unfortuantely, after just one year with no Dline help its hard to call him a failure. Especially when we get Dline help but are worse defensively under Wink.

[Bosco]

Unfortuantely, after just one year with no Dline help its hard to call him a failure. Especially when we get Dline help but are worse defensively under Wink.

I'm not talking about him being a failure now. I'm talking about how he was perceived circa 99-2002 when he was in somewhat serious danger of never getting another coordinator job in the NFL.

[Ravage!!!]

The Dolphins have talent on defense. They were never horrible to begin with.

and yet.. HE has improved them. He improved the Denver D with a make-shift DL and trying to build a 34 without having 34 personnel... and then goes to a 34 team, and takes a team that wasn't bad, and STILl improves them.

Nolan didn't leave because the working relationship between he and McD was good. It was terrible. They couldn't get along. Nolan has been around the league a long time,a nd knows how closely a DC and HC have to work together. How many hours they ahve to spend together, and what kind of relationship they must have in order to work together. Nolan and McD didn't have that. McD ruined that. Nolan LEFT because he (and McD for that matter) knew their relationship wouldn't work. McD didnt' want Nolan around, and Nolan knew they couldn't work together.... so they parted ways. They did it diplomatically in public, they said all the right things, and didn't make a stink. But Nolan didn't "quit" like some of the McD sniffers will try to make it sound :beer:

[jhildebrand]

and yet.. HE has improved them. He improved the Denver D with a make-shift DL and trying to build a 34 without having 34 personnel... :

You should know by now the "new coaches, new players, new scheme, new philosophy" argument doesn't hold for Nolan. That is reserved exclusively for McDaniels only!
;)

[Broncos Mtnman]

So far this year we have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the league in the first 6 games.

You play the schedule you're given. This is just as lame as your "age" excuse.

By the way, if you can't beat good teams, isn't that proof that you aren't good enough?

What was the excuse last year when they finished 2-8?


Could have been 4-4 save 3 penalties in those games.

If we had scored more points than the other team, we would be 8-0. If we had shut out the other team, we would be undefeated too.

But alas, games aren't decided by the "if" factor. The final score is all that matters, not the "ifs" of the game.

You can use that excuse for an occasional loss, but not 6 out of eight.


The OAK was an aboration IMO and doubtful we will see another game like that. The other games we could have won them. A play here or there made the games were close enough to have been wins.

It will only be an aberration IF it doesn't happen again. Unfortunately for you, there's nothing to assume that to be the case.


Except in the minds of the doubters.

Yeah, going 4-14 over the past year has nothing to do with it, does it?

:coffee:

[arapaho2]

I'm not talking about him being a failure now. I'm talking about how he was perceived circa 99-2002 when he was in somewhat serious danger of never getting another coordinator job in the NFL.



too bad 2002 isnt relevent tday

what we are talking about is how he took the 29th ranked total defense and not only changed def schemse...but improved us to the 7th ranked total def in one season

then without him we are already at mid point...the 23rd ranked total def
including the 27th ranked in scoreing and 31st in rush def

only a fool would think we would not be better on def with nolan today as opposed to wink