Broncos: Coaches That Fit

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not all that thrilled with Pat Bowlen’s decision to hire Josh McDaniels. The Broncos needed a defensive minded head coach. The first hire that McDaniels made was questionable as he brought Mike Nolan aboard. Now, we are back to where we started. We’ve got an offensive minded head coach with a mediocre defensive coordinator. Great. The Broncos have not seen a head coaching change in fourteen years, and it appears that it’s going on fifteen years.

I don’t care that McDaniels is 32 years old. I don’t care that he’s been coaching in the league for only 8 years. I don’t care that he’s never been a head coach in the NFL. He seems mature, grounded, and he’s studied under Bill Belichick. What I am concerned about is him being the right coach for the wrong team. McDaniels and Nolan are rooted in the 3-4 defense. Yet, there are no players on the Broncos roster that fit that scheme. We saw that as they threw the 3-4 in with the 4-3 earlier this season. Their defense went to hell as running backs exploded for large gains. It looks like there will be a lot of moves in the off-season to acquire players who fit the 3-4 scheme.

One thing is guaranteed: This off-season will be one of the most active off-seasons in a while. Players will leave, coaches will leave, and fans will question McDaniels’ moves. That comes with the territory. However, as Broncos fans, we will support this team and its coach because we want to see the Broncos of old.