Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan is a made man. Of course, back-to-back Super Bowl wins with a team generally lends itself to a bit of job security. But how much longer will it hold up? After finishing last season with his first losing record in the past 9 years, should Denver’s ball coach really be worried?
Maybe.
Before you Denver fans grab the pitch-forks and come flood my post with excuses about last season, save your breath. I know. Cutler was sick (and I feel for the dude, seriously). Your running back went Ricky Williams on you. I know all this.
I pose the theory that Shanahan could someday find himself in the hotseat based on the fact that he’s continuing to implement an offensive gameplan that, well, he’s obviously not that good at running.
Let’s face it: the days of the mighty Denver rushing attack could be over.
Since Gary Kubiak left for Houston in 2005, the team’s rushing attack has steadily declined. The Broncos failed to gain over 2000 rushing yards last year for the first time since 2001, . This year they begin the season with second-year man Selvin Young starting and Andre Hall as his backup (at the moment; it isShanahan’s depth chart we’re talking about now). I watched Selvin last year and throughout college, and I’m just not buying into him being the next Clinton Portis. Take that into consideration and you could very well see another down turn in rushing production from the Broncos this season. Thanks to the NCES’ Kids Zone’s nifty graph creator, we can get a visual of the drop off in the Bronco’s rushing attack.
Meanwhile, the Houston Texans look poised for a breakout year on the ground. Kubiak has once again stocked up on running backs just as he used to in Denver, and all signs point to at least one of them making a huge impact on the ground for the Texans.
I’m a homer, I’ll admit. Skepticism is understandable when I say things like that, but the Texans are deeper than ever before in the backfield (injuries permitting), and they’ll be running behind the best offensive line the Texans have ever put on a field, hands down. And then there’s that Gibbs guy. I’ve heard good things.
Now I’m not saying that Denver is going to be terrible next season. You’ve got a re-energized young stud at QB with Cutler. You’ve got an extremely talented WR with Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler was a nice surprise as well. They have the tools to continue to produce on offense, but it’s evolved into a more pass-emphasized style. The line isn’t what it once was, and the talent in the backfield leaves something to be desired. I just don’t see the rushing attack returning to form any time soon.
This is a bold statement, considering that Denver has the opportunity to make me look stupid Saturday night when they take on the Texans. It’ll be interesting to see if Denver’s once vaunted rushing attack comes from the sideline opposite their own. If that turns out to be the case, Shanahan had better stop playing musical runningbacks or he could be playing his own game: musical coaching positions.*
*Speculation. Everyone knows Shanahan will never be run out of Denver. He will coach there until he dies, and then his body will be entombed like Vladimir Lenin in the foyer of Mile High Stadium.