Should Byron Leftwich be the Denver Broncos next coach?

Once the play clock hit double zero Saturday evening, it was clear that the Vic Fangio era was coming to an end. Leaving one question for Broncos Country…

Who is next?

The Vic Fangio era wasn’t all bad with the Broncos being one of the premier defenses in the NFL, however, much like the games, he just ran out of time. Luckily for the next head coach, that defense shouldn’t go through too much of an overhaul with the key pieces intact.

Despite top-of-the-shelf defenses, the Broncos have yet to find any ground due to lackluster quarterback play and conservative leadership. So, how can the Broncos guarantee a new-look offense that matches today’s NFL? You snag the man with a plan out of Tampa Bay…

No, not Tom Brady… The next best thing.

Byron Leftwich may have not panned out as a quarterback, but he’s been an MVP of an offensive coordinator. Before teaming up alongside Brady to develop nightmares for the opposing team’s defense, Leftwich was in Arizona, where he started out as a coaches intern to Bruce Arians.

A year later, Leftwich was promoted to quarterback coach where he coached with Steve Wilks for a year with the Cardinals. After an attempt at a Cardinals’ rebuild, Leftwich was dismissed and found himself joining Arians in Tampa Bay as the offensive coordinator.

Leftwich fits what the Broncos have been trying to do for the last few years, which is be aggressive early and score. Yes, it is easier to do when you have the greatest quarterback in NFL history throwing the ball, however, the play designs and when to throw are credited to the mind of Leftwich.

Still not sold?

Look at the work Leftwich did with Jameis Winston at quarterback in 2019. That 7-9 Buccaneers team averaged 28.6 points per game, which was 3rd in the NFL. Along with putting up points, the Bucs put up yards in the passing game with 302.8 average on the season for 1st in the NFL.

Lastly, Tampa Bay finished 3rd in red-zone percentage that year with 64.81%. To put things in perspective, the Broncos finished 22nd this year in red-zone percentage at 54.72%.

The problem with the Denver Broncos is clear. A head coach that can fill the khakis of what a coach is supposed to be is needed. The Broncos have struck out back to back going the conservative defensive coordinator route for the head coach.

So, why not go young with an offensive mindset to fix what has been missing in Denver…the offense.

Be sure to check back with Predominantly Orange for updates on the Denver Broncos head coach search.