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Lonestar
12-08-2009, 12:07 AM
Paige:
By Woody Paige
The Denver Post
Posted: 12/07/2009 01:00:00 AM MST


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs' coach should be called Bubblehead Boy. Todd Haley's comet mind evidently is composed of rocks, dust, ice and bad gas — and streams in outer space.

Haley is not a deep cerebral thinker.

Marty Schottenheimer attended Sunday's game. Kansas City should have rehired him as head coach at halftime.

The Broncos are very lucky. Very lucky they got to play the subterranean Chiefs on Sunday. Very lucky that they get to play the Chiefs again this season in what could be a critical final regular-season game for them — the Broncos, not the mouth-breathers. Very lucky that Haley is in Kansas City, not Denver.

And very, very lucky that they chose Josh McDaniels over the myriad other coaches who were available for employment after Mike Shanahan was dumped.

McDaniels had an ominous start with the Broncos (Cutler and Marshall and all that other jazz), and his age, wisdom, cockiness and hoodie were frowned upon.

But Josh-By-Gosh not only has coached the Broncos to an 8-4 record, with a guarantee now of 10 victories (Chiefs and Raiders), he has proved to be an intelligent, eclectic leader (the players believe in), an exuberant, entertaining coach (leaping for joy after the Patriots victory, trash- talking the Chargers, screaming a colorful 13-letter word on Thanksgiving).

He will be the Broncos' head coach for years to come.

Which can't be said for 10 other coaches in their first year — or first month — with their present NFL teams.

Among the crowd, only Jim Caldwell of the Colts (the Broncos' opponent next Sunday) has a loftier record (12-0) than McDaniels, and he was an in-house ordained successor. None of the rest has a winning record. Most have miserable records.

Would the Broncos really rather be stuck with Steve Spagnuolo (1-11), Raheem Morris (1-11), Jim Schwartz (2-10), Rex Ryan (6-6) or Haley (3-9), five rookie head coaches whose names were prominently mentioned in regard to the Denver job, and who eventually were hired by others? Then there's Tom Cable (who did win his fourth game of probably his first and last full season) and Perry Fewell (Buffalo's interim, and brief, coach with a 1-2 mark). How about Eric Mangini, Mike Singletary and Jim Mora, who have a combined 11-25 record?

Hiring new NFL coaches is an inexact science, but a lot of teams have reduced it to an illogical art.

Take Haley. Please.

The Chiefs were trailing 7-0 at the beginning of the second quarter, but moved to first-and-goal at the Broncos' 1. Three plays resulted in minus-3 yards. The Chiefs, who are Kaput in K.C. this season, had to go for the touchdown. Haley ordered a field goal.

Late in the second quarter, with the Chiefs behind 14-3 and facing fourth-and-one at the Broncos' 30, Haley insisted on another field goal.

On the first possession of the third quarter, the Chiefs were fourth-and-eight at their 28. Haley went for it with a ludicrous fake- punt play that failed.

The Broncos took over and gained only a yard in two plays — and Kyle Orton's pass on third down was off — while the Broncos were called for holding. Haley could have pushed the Broncos back 10 yards and hoped the Chiefs stopped them or sacked Orton or forced the Broncos to try a 54-yard field goal. Instead, Haley declined the penalty, and Matt Prater made (barely) the 44-yarder.

On Sunday, Arrowhead Stadium was half-full, and Haley and the Chiefs are completely empty.

McDaniels has produced a few brain burps this season, but the Broncos have responded with two victories after four losses after six victories.

Because of the Patriots' and the Steelers' losses Sunday, the Broncos are the No. 1 wild-card team in the AFC and hanging close to the Chargers in the West Division.

It was believed by some (including my own self) that the Broncos would be wallowing with Lions, Rams, Bucs, oh my. But McDaniels has risen above the rest of the candidates with mandates and without Manning.

"In December," McDaniels said Sunday, "we have to play our best football of the year if we want to have an opportunity to live longer than the season says we are supposed to live." Translation: "Longer than skeptics thought we would against a tough schedule."

Praise be to Joe Ellis, the CEO of the Broncos. Ellis seldom is heard of, or from. Ellis was a Broncos' marketing-promotions exec in the mid-1980s, worked for the NFL in the early '90s and returned to the Broncos in the late '90s as a vice president. He was promoted to his current position last year. So what?

Ellis was the influential voice in persuading owner Pat Bowlen to fire Shanahan and was the point man in the hiring of McDaniels. Ellis represented the club in the second meeting with McDaniels and recommended him as the right choice.

Fortunately, Joe E. advocated McD, not Spagnuolo, Morris or Coach Potatohead.

Woody Paige: 303-954-1095 or wpaige@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13941826