<!--StartFragment-->

From anger regarding the Redskins debacle, to embarrassed laughter with the capitulation against the Chargers, these Broncos we have seen for the last 4 weeks are not even remotely related to the team we saw in the first 6 weeks.

 

While driving my kids to school, which is over an hour round trip when the roads are dicey, gave me plenty of time to theorize about the painful play of our team.

 

I had come up with a theory that I wanted to prove, but I needed some evidence.....some stats that would paint a picture. Time to go to the MHR bull pen and bring in the fire power. Time to go to "the Dude".......

 

THE THEORY:

 

For any of you that watch the Simpsons, you may remember an episode that explained my C Montgomery Burns had lived along as he did. He was a perfect blend of sickness and maladies that conspired to keep him alive. He was a perfect blend of potentially bad stuff that continued to allow him live and function.

 

Now, my theory is not that the Broncos are all kinds of bad......not at all! My theory is that the Broncos, much in the vain of C Monty Burns, were playing great as they were designed by McDaniels to be a perfect combination of a team in PRECARIOUS balance. A team based on role players, doing their jobs perfectly.

 

Based on a defense that played fundamentally sound football and made plays when needed, and based on a watered down offense that would not LOSE games and score enough points to keep the defense in it.

 

When studied in its simplest terms, its an INSANE concept to base a team philosophy on. This is a team that is consistently living on the edge of disaster, and with one slip up by either group, plummets the team into disaster.

 

This would then explain the dumping of Brett Kern (who is still undefeated for the season with the Titans) and Jack Williams......any slight miscue sends off a chain reaction into oblivion!

 

Now, I thought this theory made sense, but I needed proof. With that in mind, I emailed TJ Johnson (Lebowski...THE DUDE) who got back to me in 5 minutes flat. Now, he wanted no kudos for my article and was generally stoked to help out a fellow MHR member, but I wanted to give him major props. HE IS A GREAT ACQUISITION TO THE TEAM AND DOES STATS, AND INTERPRETS THEM BETTER THAN THE MAJORITY OF EXPERTS. Thanks my friend.

 

With that, lets look into the stats:

 

THE HARD TRUTH:

 

OFFENSIVE NUMBERS - 

 

Game	Total Yards	Pasing Yards	Rushing Yards	Points Scored
Cincinnati	302	227	75	12
Cleveland	449	263	186	27
Oakland	372	157	215	23
Dallas	337	221	116	17
New England	424	321	103	20
San Diego	328	227	101	34
Baltimore	200	134	66	7
Pittsburgh	242	215	27	10
Washington	305	185	120	17
San Diego	271	156	115	3
Average all 10 games	323.00	210.60	112.40	17.00
Average first 6 games	368.67	236.00	132.67	22.17
Average last 4 games	254.50	172.50	82.00	9.25
Variance between	(114.17)	(63.50)	(50.67)	(12.92)
6 games/ 4 games
League Average	335	219	116	21.7
(10 games)

 

 

So lets decipher these numbers, and it does not paint a picture that should fill any of us with confidence!

 

In TOTAL YARDS, you saw we were averaging close to 370 yards per game in the first 6 games. This is besting the league average by about 35 yards...not bad! But the last 4 games we are averaging only 254 yards...TOTAL......thats not offense, thats capitulation. We are losing 114 yards of total offense on average per game since the bye. Thats not great. 

 

The stat that pops out of you is the ineffectiveness of the running game in the last 4 weeks. A DROP OF OVER 50 YARDS PER GAME. 

 

In points, we were averaging just over the NFL average at 22.17 after the first 6 games. Not awesome, but the offense was doing what it had to do. The games since the bye...a WHOPPING 9.25 points per game......EERRRRRR YYUUUCCCKKKK!!!!!

 

So what does that mean in regards to the theory. Well, it clearly proves that the offense has "dropped the ball" and is doing nothing. Drops, fumbles, PENALTIES....a litany of problems that are hamstringing the team. 

 

Our whole offense, as I have mentioned many times, is predicated on gaining good first down yardage with an effective run game. This run game is then SUPPOSE to put the defense into 7 or 8 in box to open up the underneath passing game. We then start making yards with the pass game, which forces the D to NOT stack the box anymore, that then opens up the run game. It relies on BOTH parts of our offense to fire. When one does not work, the other does not work. Clearly, our lack of running game has killed us.

 

Against San Diego, we abandoned it after going down by only 7 points. Similarly, against the Redskins we put the game in Simms hands instead of under the wing of our running game....and we saw how that all turned out!

 

Lets check out the other side of the theory, our defensive performance!

 

THE DEFENSIVE NUMBERS:

 

Game	Yards Given Up	Pasing Yards Given Up	Rushing Yards Given Up	Points Given Up
Cincinnati	307	221	86	7
Cleveland	200	146	54	6
Oakland	137	42	95	3
Dallas	315	241	74	10
New England	305	209	96	17
San Diego	311	238	73	23
Baltimore	292	167	125	30
Pittsburgh	375	202	173	28
Washington	388	214	174	27
San Diego	348	145	203	32
Average all 10 games	297.80	182.50	115.30	18.30
Average first 6 games	262.50	182.83	79.67	11.00
Average last 4 games	350.75	182.00	168.75	29.25
Variance Between First 6 and Last 4	(88.25)	0.83	(89.08)	(18.25)
League Average (All Teams, 10 games)*	335	219	116	21.7
*Source: Pro-Football Reference
Teams with Winning Records

 

 

 

As you can see, we were a VERY effective defensive unit in the first 6 weeks. We were giving u an average of only 262.5 yards per game, besting the league average by 72.5 yards. Awesome play, shutting down the run effectively giving up under 80 yards, and only allowing 182 yards thru the air.

 

 

Points allowed we really shined, giving up 11 points per game. PRETTY AWESOME!

 

But the last 4 weeks our defense has fallen apart at the seams!  While our pass defense has stayed pretty good, we have been getting gashed in the run game. From averaging under 80 yards a game, we have given up an average of 169 yards per game……a differential of – 90!

 

 

When discussing this with TJ, he brought up a really good point. Yes, most teams are making 3-4 yards a clip…but we have been gashed for big runs in ALL 4 games, which is another problem altogether. Not only are we soft up front, but our LB’s are missing their assignments as well that are allowing opposition running backs to get into our secondary. EERILY SIMILAR TO LAST SEASON!

 

 

This defense has been built on a couple of principles: Everyone doing their job, sure tackling and gap control.

 

 

Nolan is a fantastic schemer. As has been brought up by Slow White Guy in his pre season posts, we are running a 5-2 more than a 3-4 front. But what seems to have happened is that oppositions have studied Nolan’s defense closer.

 

 

Nolan relies on his players winning individual battles in the trenches. On positive match ups that take away the oppositions strengths. Ideas like matching a nickel safety like Barrett against TE’s, using Woodyard;s speed in passing situations, and putting guys like Dumervil in positions to succeed against TE in one on one blocking match ups.

 

 

San Diego was using many 3 and 4 WR sets, yet were running the ball successfully as we had guys like WW now put in the situation of having to defend running plays. With DJ and WW being our lightest LB’s, they were getting blown up in the run game.

 

 

To counter this, we would leave bigger bodied LB’s in like Elvis, who were then matched up against players like Vincent Jackson. There was also a situation where Jarvis Moss was asked to cover Darrne Sproles. He made a great play, but these situations are going to be won by Jackson and Sproles 8 out of 10 times!

 

 

And we wonder where the blitz and pressure has gone? If we cant win the individual match ups, we cant send pressure!

 

 

 

SO WHERE TO NOW?

 

As I discussed my theory with TJ, it became more apparent that Denver has been living on the edge for the whole season. They need to many things to go right to be successful.

 

 

They have turned into a team that cant run the ball, but cant stop the run either! Not an awesome formula for success.

 

 

I do see a positive out of this. Denver now has to be more aggressive on offense. We need to put points on the board so that our D can get back to being what it is: an aggressive defense that comes after you and confuses offense with different looks.

 

 

We were winning games in the first 6 weeks because our D was dictating the game and the looks. The last 4 weeks, the opposition has been forcing the D into looks and sub sets that make us vulnerable to our weaknesses.

 

 

McD is going to have to open the offensive play book. Orton is tough, is good and can make all the throws. We have a high powered offense that, for some reason, McDaniels has put restrictor plates on. He has no other choice now. We need to come out to score points!

 

 

This offense has multiple play makers, and is very well balanced. There is no reason why we are only putting up 9 points a game in the last 4 weeks. We need to come out and be ULTRA AGGRESSIVE on both sides of the ball, play tough and go down swinging.

 

 

Me, I am now excited for the rest of the season. I am hoping that McDaniels can abandon some of his principles and go back to trying to win football games.

 

 

This is the CRUX time of Josh McDaniels coaching career. He needs to win the team back, and he needs to recognize his mistakes and make the necessary adjustments. The ball is in his court and he needs to put this team in positions to succeed again.

 

 

I know that NO ONE out there believes that the Redskins are a better team than us, and that the Chargers are 30 point better team.

 

 

I am excited to see what our team and our young coach are made of, and I am looking for a turn around.

 

 

Once again, thanks to TJ for his help with the stats, and allowing me to bounce ideas off him.

 

 

It’s a long read, but I hope you guys enjoyed it!

 

 

Peace,

 

 

Boydy.

<!--EndFragment-->

Hello my MHR Bretheren!

 

This is a totally therapeutic post, and hopefully you all will get something out of it too!

 

Well.........normally, I get over our losses pretty quickly. For those of you that dont know, I am pretty passionate, call a spade a spade and with the assistance of some maturity, I normally try and calm down before I rush to judgments. One of the reasons I stay off the game day pages is that I am WAY too passionate during game day, and things I say (and I am sure from most of us) come flying off the cuff in the heat of battle.

 

With the way I am, I expected to wake up this morning, be able to read Horse Tracks, and move on getting ready for San Diego......but I cant today! I am still REALLY pissed.......and actually WAY more pissed than any time last season.

 

This got me thinking why. Anyway, read on after the jump and see if any f you can relate......

 

1. My expectations for the season: They were pretty simple actually. I compared our team a lot to the Packers of last year who lost 7 games by 4 points of less. They were a scant 21 points from a 13-3 season! I saw potential in our team to play tough, passionate football. I could really BUY into this team....they were passionate like me, had some edge (like me) and took no crap (how I think I am anyway). I wanted them to keep games close and go down swinging. I also expected them to win games they were supposed to win, be fundamentally sound with skills and show good leadership. I was buying in with what McDaniels was selling, I loved our draft and free agency period....I was stoked.
2. My feelings after yesterday: Please, I am not going to sugar coat this, and this is MY OPINION ONLY based on what I have seen the last 3 weeks and particularly yesterday. THIS TEAM IS REGRESSING.....every minute of every day! When I look back on my simple expectations for the season, I have seen NONE of them the last 3 weeks. I have seen our defense come out flat, and give up big chunks in the run consistently. For example, Betts was falling forward for 3 yards a clip on BAD plays.....and that has happened the last 3 games from play 1. Our O line looks unfocused, or RB's dont hit holes (although Moreno was way better yesterday with use of some ZB looks). Special Teams are HORRENDOUS and our coaching is flat and devoid of personality or inventiveness. WE ARE NOT KEEPING GAMES CLOSE, WE ARE NOT THE SAME PASSIONATE TEAM AS WEEKS 1-6 AND WE ARE NOT BEATING TEAMS WE NEED TO BEAT........and its ticking me off!
3. Boydy.....why so ticked off today???? That's a great question....why am I so ticked off? Well, i expect better of these guys: coaches and players. This is not the same team as last year. We dont have bobble head Webster starting for us, not Manuel, Josh Bell, Tatum Bell, McCree, Winborn, Darrell Jackson, Selvin Young, Dewayne Robertson or the bigger cast of Club Med veterans that Shanahan had assembled. We have assembled a MUCH better team, with some FA veterans like Dawkins and Goodman that should keep this team focused. We have a much better coaching staff......does anyone here REALLY prefer Slowik over Nolan......Child puhleasse! McDaniels is one of the brightest young minds in the business and we have the best owner in Pat Bowlen. (I am getting steamed just thinking about yesterday now). All this taken into account......LOSING TO THE REDSKINS YESTERDAY IS THE MOST UNACCEPTABLE LOSS (IN MY MIND) THAT I HAVE SEEN THIS TEAM SUFFER! To come out this flat on all sides of the ball when this was a game we should dominate as a springboard into the game of the season with the Chargers is not, will it EVER be acceptable. And please dont get me started on coaching......crappy all ways around but here are 3 things I could not believe with my own eyes: The special teams play that turned the game my 5 year old son saw coming....Preifer needs to be looking for a new job...TODAY! Simms seemed TOTALLY under prepared.....I get he has not played in 3 years....why are we signing a back up that has not played in 3 years.....and still no excuse why he does not have the accuracy to hit check downs and screens.....unacceptable. Why are we throwing a long bomb down field with a QB that cant even hit 10 yard check downs with Haynesworth off the field and Moreno finally looking like the back we drafted........wooh.........now breathe deep and think of a happy place Boydy.
4. Do I, as a fan, have the right to be so invested in this team that it can make me nuts like this? This is the ultimate question! One of the biggest strengths of MHR is that our fan base is HUGE and PASSIONATE. Thats a great thing! But we have been calling each other out because of it. So that then got me thinking on this next question.......
5. Do we have rights as fans? I am sure that my take on this may get conversation flowing. TOO BLOODY RIGHT .....WE HAVE EVERY RIGHTS AS FANS TO CALL OUT OUR TEAM WITH REGARDS TO DEBACLES LIKE YESTERDAY......AND PRAISE FOR WINS LIKE AGAINST NEW ENGLAND (ahh....the good ole days!). Not only are the Denver Broncos our team, of which we are emotionally invested, but the Broncos are part of the NFL, that when broken down into its simplest form is selling a product...not just football, but ENTERTAINMENT. Its a unscripted WWE! Any of us out there that have brought NFL products, bought tickets to games, subscribe to NFL services and red zone, are members of MHR are invested STAKEHOLDERS in our team......not shareholders......STAKEHOLDERS. We, as fans, are what makes this whole multi Billion dollar business tick. As a consumer and stakeholder in the Denver Broncos, I am very dissatisfied with the product in the past 3 weeks, and I analogize this to eating in your favorite restaurant.  If I eat at my favorite restaurant once per week, and for 6 weeks straight it is superb. I take a holiday, come back in week 8 and the apps are good, the entree above average and the desert is so so. Service is still ok but not as good. It drops again in week 9.....you are treated badly and food is average. Week 10, you come back fully expecting a turn around (the chef is back, you have come at a quiet time where there is no stress.....there is no REASON for a bad performance).....but guess what....from the service you receive to the actual meal is REALLY crappy. WHat do you do? You love this restaurant, it has brought great memories, it is part of your life....do you walk away and not say anything? Do you keep quiet and hope it all turns around......OR do you go see the manager and voice your complaints? I would voice my complaints. I may not be a shareholder or part owner of said restaurant, but as a consumer, and one that is passionate about the restaurant.....MY restaurant....I have a right and personal investment to do so! SAME situation applies here......and so I am giving my complaint.......THAT WAS THE WORST PERFORMANCE SINCE WE GOT EMBARRASSED BY THE LIONS I HAVE EVER SEEN FROM MY DENVER BRONCOS.......Coach, we need to be inspired......and that was anything but!
6. How can we get our positivity back? I kind of stumbled on a holistic approach! It was an eye opener, but also helped me to align my aspirations for our team in a legitimate place. After seeing us lose and the Chargers win, I was OVER football....ready to be done for the season. While working last night, I was watching a show, but started during the ads to go to the Colts vs Patriots game. Man, what a game! Gradually, I stopped watching the other show, and was tuned to this great game with 2 of the best teams, 2 of the GREATEST ever quarterbacks with one of the most shocking and greatest endings. Football provided PURE theatre...........Below are little hints that I hope we can all use to get our positivity back for our team.

• Start to love the GAME of NFL. Even if our team SUCKS (thats for you Doc!) there is still so much to love about the game.
• We are a talented team that is developing. I compared the Broncos with the Colts and Patriots last night and there is a lot to like. We are not in their league yet, but we have a lot going for us. Smart young coach, a QB that can make all the throws and will keep getting better (Kyle proved yesterday he has a great arm...so thats a positive and he is 5 or so years younger than Tom and Peyton), some good young talent and some veterans that still have some gas in the tank.
• Even with yesterdays result, we are probably further along than anyone of us thought. The fact that we are speaking about winning the division is awesome. Even if Chargers pass us, we will still be looking OK for a wild card, especially considering all the tie breakers.
• Everything our team is going thru now only sets itself up for success in the future.
• Dont listen to the MSM and all the doomsdayers. STAY HERE AT MHR, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL AND COMMISERATE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

In conclusion, I am still pissed. I will be for a while....probably till tomorrow!...... and I think it is totally legitimate and healthy to call out your team, and be emotional. Thats what fandom and sports is based on....RAW EMOTION. But everyone, me included, needs to keep our heads up and look at this team as what it will become, not what it is now. Our team is a boisterous, arrogant 14 year old kid that thinks it is an adult, but does not yet have the experience to function CONSISTENTLY in an adult world. It will get knocked down, have success and failures, but will keep growing and progressing. As Uncles and Aunties of this kid, we all see the potential, and we will praise when appropriate, and use tough love when needed too!

This team is a moving target my friends and we need to be patient!

Hope you all enjoyed the read, and thank you for letting me vent ad using YOU guys as an outlet!

Peace, Boydy!

OK!

 

BOYDY HAS HAD ENOUGH......

 

WE ARE 6-2 AND THE NEGATIVITY BY SOME OF OUR FANS IS REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF, SO I HAVE TAKEN UPON MYSELF TO MAKE SOME POSITIVE FEARLESS PREDICTIONS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.

 

AND YES.....THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE CAPITALIZED. READ ON AND JOIN THE FUN.......

1.  Denver will move to 7-2 on the season with a comprehensive win over Washington: Once again, we have all these MSM doziens predicting gloom and doom for our Broncos. This is right where we want them......our team vs the world with backs against the wal. GET IT DONE BOYS!
2. Don't believe the hype! San Diego will LOSE to the Eagles this week: Child, please! You think this is a big gam for the Chargers? This is even a bigger game for the Eagles. They need it to stay in touch with Cowboys and keep control of a wild card spot. Westbrook is back, they have weapons, and I like the match up for the team. River's and Jackson will be dangers, but the Eagles will pull it out and win. DENVER WILL THEN HAVE A 3 GAME LEAD AGAIN (counting tie breaker).
3. Patriots upset Colts and print a plan for Colt's demise: The Pats will win this week. Their secondary will struggle, and the O line will give Brady time to slice and dice. Manning will be pressured, and McD, Nolan and the coaching staff will have plenty of amminition for a Colts upset by the Broncos at Lucas Field. THE AFC RACE JUST GETS A WHOLE LOT MORE CONVILUTED!
4. Bengals upset Steelers: On any given Sunday! This sees the Bengals move to 7-2 as well, and remain number 3 seeds in the play off race. Colts remain number 1 even with a loss....and guess who is number 2 folks....no, not Rob Lowe or Robert Wagner......but YOUR DENVER BRONCOS!
5. Denver take down the Chargers at home: Our boys bring the PAIN. We jump start our offense against the Redskins, Hochstein proves he is an upgrade over Benny, and we get our run game going against the Chargers. Like swarming sharks in a PHYLLIS RIVERS we bring it on defense and take down the Chargers.
6. Colts finish 12-4: Colts lose games to Patriots, Ravens, Texans and........BRONCOS! You heard it here first!
7. Denver finish 14 - 2: You heard that here first too. Bronco's don't lose another game and people try and climb back on the band wagon but doors are closed. They take care of Redskins, Chargers, Chiefs (twice), Raiders, Eagles, Giants and Colts. DAMN SOMEONE PUT SOMETHING IN MY KOOL AID AND ITS TASTES FINE!!!!!!!
8. Denver becomes the Number 1 seed in the AFC and THE BENGALS are number 2: Yep, another fearless prediction! Denver wins the AFC West,  the Colts the AFC South, the Bengals the AFC North and the Patriots the AFC East. Wild cards go to the Steelers and the HOUSTON TEXANS that scrape in with 10-6/ 11-5 record.

OK.....this whole thing is fun......

BUT PLEASE GUYS, LETS SHOW SOME LOYALTY TO OUR TEAM. WE ARE 6-2, AND SHOULD BE 7-2 BY WEEKEND'S END, AND I HONESTLY THINK WE BEAT CHARGERS AT HOME.....IN FACT I HONESTLY THINK THAT THE EAGLES CAN TAKE DOWN THE CHARGERS THIS WEEKEND!

We have far exceeded where we THOUGHT we would be! This team was a reclamation project. They were on year 3 of the 5 year SHANAHAN PLAN and that was scrapped. They are on year 1 of the 4 year MCDANIEILS PLAN and have a real shot of making play offs 1 year ahead of where I thought they could be.

AND REMEMBER....this league is about getting on a roll and sometimes things click all of a sudden. This could be the week for our offense, and the defense will keep playing hard and fast.

The NFL is a strange beast. Just think, 2 weeks from now, we have beaten the Redskins and the Chargers and everyone is back on the band wagon again.

1 GAME AT A TIME.....and keep your support and faith people. WE ARE GOING DOWN A GREAT TRACK, AND WE WILL NOT ARRIVE AT THE END DESTINATION THIS YEAR.....BUT WE SURE AS HECK FIRE ARE MAKING REMARKABLE PROGRESS!

GO BRONCOS!

Hey MHR Crew!

 

Well what a difference 2 weeks can make. Judging by some of the so called "fans" post, we will be selecting with the 1st overall pick in next years draft!

 

Look, I was yelling at the TV as much as everyone last night, but the day after got me thinking that perhaps we ALL need to look at the first part of a season as a whole to help give a more balanced view of where our team REALLY is.

 

With that is mind, I have decided to use an old strategic planning tool to get into the Broncos season so far. Read on after the jump....

 

 

A) THE SWOT ANALYSIS:

 

SWOT analysis is a simple method of formulating a business strategy for the continuing success of your business. S for STRENGTHS, W for WEAKNESSES, O for OPPORTUNITIES and T for THREATS. Lets check it out when it relates to our Broncos.

 

1. STRENGTHS:

• The defense has been the surprise of the NFL. I still rate them as a Top 3 defense, even after the last 2 games. Our D kept it close for 3 of 4 quarters in both games. This was supposed to be the weakness of the team!
• The coaching staff put together by Josh McDaniels is a second to none staff. McDaniels himself is the leading candidate for coach of the year. For how universally panned McD he has proven that his way works. But is he too tied to his principles? We will look at that later.
• The performance of Kyle Orton has been a pleasant surprise. I know there a lot of haters, and I have been accused of being a drinker of Kool Aid, but I love KO's moxie, his leadership, his toughness, and in my opinion, his arm is a lot better than advertised. But is he being set up for success? We will look at this later as well.
• Team concept, chemistry and philosophy is a breath of fresh air. McD, Xanders and the staff have put together a group of team first, tough individuals. I love it! For the first time in years at Dove Valley, players are held accountable and the veteran inmates are not running the asylum.

2/ WEAKNESSES:

• I cant believe I am saying this, but our O line has become a real weakness, not just in the last 2 games, but it has struggled some all season. They provide great protection one drive, and then get crushed the next. Consistency has been the issue, and we have NO push on the inside. Has a change in scheme and philosophy had something to do with this? Stay tuned!
• The much vaunted Denver running game has left the building with Mike Shanahan! I was VERY concerned when I heard that McD was a fan of the POWER running game, and would be bringing that in to Denver. Thats great, but what about our ZONE BLOCKING run game, and the guys that we have on the line that are fits for that system. WIll they fit the power game? We know the answer and will investigate later!
• Our running backs have been underwhelming. Buck has been our best performer, but has seen the majority of carries go to the much hyped Knowshon Moreno. I was SO stoked to get him, but have been UNDERWHELMED by his play all year. He does not hits holes with purpose, dances in the backfield, struggles to fall forward and has been average in pass protection and chipping duties. He has fumbled, given away penalties for chop blocks and has a very bad YPC average. BUT...is it all his fault? He has talent, but where has that talent gone? We will check into that later.
• Special Teams is an oxymoron......our guys are lucky to be called BELOW AVERAGE TEAMS. We have seen some mild improvements in coverage, but our kick return and punt return games have been bad. Take away 2 HUGE returns against the Chargers and we have been pedestrian. Our returners dance in the back field and struggle to hit holes. Kern was replaced by Mitch Berger....someone needs to explain that to me! I know those more knowledgable than me will point to net average and giving our guys chances to cover, but Berger could not kick a skin off a yogurt. Hes horrid. There has to better. Our starting positions on drives is diabolical and putting undue pressure on an offense that is already living on the edge.
• Our O can drive, but we just cant score. It feels as if we are walking a fine line EVERY game. We cant seem to get a big lead, and are always relying on LONG drives in both number of plays and yards. Not a great recipe for success.

3. OPPORTUNITIES:

• We have a high powered, ultra talented offense. Look at these names, and please tell me EVERY other team in the NFL would not be happy: Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Brandon Stokley, Jabbar Gaffney, Daniel Graham, Tony Sheffler, Knowshon Moreno, Correll Buckhalter, Peyton Hillis. We have weapons to burn BUT...how will we get them in a position to succeed.
• We are 6-2....most teams would be STOKED on that. We play Redskins this week which we should win, and then play the Chargers at home. We control our destiny. We beat the Chargers, we move to 8-2 and the AFC is as good as ours. WE HAVE EVERYTHING TO PLAY FOR!
• Our O LINE IS TALENTED. You just don't lose all that talent in one season. Do we need to get back to their bread and butter?

4. THREATS:

• Our defense has played long and tough the last 2 games against the 2 most physical teams in the NFL. Injuries could be a concern if we cant keep them off the field.
• As we have found out, Josh McDaniels has strong beliefs in the philosophies he has gained from his dad and Bill Belechick. He will stay true to his course regardless of popular opinion. This can obviously be seen as confidence, but the last 2 games it has come across as stubbornness, particularly with his belief in the power run game and how ineffective it has been against 2 play off caliber teams. Is McD's stubbornness and his utter belief in his philosophies holding this team back?
• Will our team bounce back from 2 tough losses and be able to keep their eyes on the prize?

OK, thats a lot to take in. We have all this information as it relates to where our team stands at the half way point, but how do we use it, and then formulate a basic strategy moving forward.
In a nutshell, we need to fix the weaknesses, maintain the strengths, take advantage of the opportunites and nullify the threats. Sounds easy doesn't it. Lets move on!


B) THE COMMON SENSE APPROACH:
Okay, I am no academic, and sure as hell will never be a rocket surgeon (see MYSTERY, ALASKA) but I feel I am a pretty logical dude, and a strategy to improve our team seems pretty clear to me. The one thing that I want EVERYONE to grasp is this:
WE ARE 6-2 AND HAVE A GOOD TEAM. WE ARE A YEAR AHEAD OF WHERE I THOUGHT WE WOULD BE!....so we should all be pretty stoked on that.
That being said, we want the progression to continue. Here's how I see it:

• We need to let our O line go back to doing what it does best: being a zone blocking team. We dont have the guys needed on the interior of our line to be able to move around the Casey Hamptons of this world, but they have been very effective in the last years, including Ben Hamilton of shepparding the opposition into zones that allow our RB's to one-cut and go. Consider this: The lightest guy on the Panthers line (who are a power running team) is over 300 lbs....Casey Weigman comes in at 280 and Benny under 300....they dont have the size or horse power to be effective inside. This also stays true to McD's mantra of putting players in situations for them to succeed. This then leads too......
• Our running game taking a step forward. This late breaking news: Knowshon and Buck are NOT POWER BACKS. They are ellusive one cut guys that are best used in a....yep, you guessed it....ZONE BLOCKING SCHEME. All of a sudden, we are now also setting up KM and CB for success. This will help our O keep moving on the ground, help set up the screen and give our RB's lanes on the oustide and of tackle where both these guys will be successful. Trust me on this. KNOWSHON THEN STARTS BEING THE PLAYER THAT WE DRAFTED instead of a between the tackles pounder (As an aside, Knowshon is being used how the Redskins used, and abused, Portis, which has shortened his career and limited his explosiveness). This will then lead to......
• Our offense not being one dimensional. I have heard all the poo pooing that Orton cant throw down the field. Well, here's a news flash, there is a thing called TIME that is needed for down the field routes to set up. If oppositions are bringing the house, because you don't have a running game, then NO QB in the league will be able to throw vertically. Its not a theory, its based purely on physics and time. What are defenses going to do when you have no running game? They will stack the box, bring blitz and pressure and give the QB no options. An effective running game, or even the ILLUSION of an effective running game, lessens the aggression of the defense and gives the offense more options. This then leads to.....
• Kyle Orton being able to better use his weapons as he has more time and it will allow routes to develop better. He will not be under pressure all the time, and will be able to throw more than from 1 or 3 step drops....that would be awesome!

NOW, consider this: We now have a team that can move the ball more efficiently. We start picking up more than 1 yard per down on running plays and takes a reliance off the short pass, dink and dunk game, and ACTUALLY helps McDaniel's scheme.

The beauty of all this is that it puts our players in the position to SUCCEED....and make plays.

It also takes pressure off special teams as it should, in theory, lead to less 3 and outs, and extend drives in a more LOW RISK MANNER, which is right up McD's alley.

The only proviso in this is the THREAT that McD is too stubborn in his ways, and keeps his love affair going with the POWER run game. I DONT THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN. I think Josh sees that the success of this WHOLE offense is predicated on a successful run game, and he needs to get back to the steak and potatoes of this team.

McDaniels is a SUPER smart man, and he will see the light!

IN CONCLUSION:
Fixing this thing is not hard. We have so many HIGH CALIBER pieces in place to be a threat in the play offs. Our D is as good as anyones, and I would not swap them for anyone.

We have the talent to be an explosive offense. and I have every faith in the world that KO will be a GREAT trigger man, but it all starts with the run game. We need it to make this team hum, and to put our guys in position to flourish and make plays. That starts by becoming more creative in the run game, and letting our O line going back to what worked last year, and I have faith we will see a much improved offense moving forward.

McDaniel's has to be smarter than us, right? HE WILL GET IT DONE!

Please hit me back with your thoughts!

Peace,

Boydy.

Hi Everyone!

 

Firstly, congrats to Baltimore! They outplayed, out schemed and out enthused us. They were clutch, and we were a little over awed.

 

Anyway, as my pops used to always tell me, you learn more about yourself from hardships, and as I tell all my athletes, you take more away from a loss than a win!

 

With this in mind, I want to look at some things that players, Coach McD and fans can take away from this game, both some positives, and some things to think about.

 

Read on and enjoy!

Continue reading this post »

Hi Everyone,

 

Well, what a weekend. Even without our beloved Broncos playing on the weekend proper, it was a great time for us fans to scout some of our up coming opponents and get a real handle on what we have going on in the coming weeks.

 

Check out some of the observations and get back to me.

 

Also, keep an eye out on the series that Bronco Bear, KK, BShrout and 91 are bringing out: "Scouting the Opposition" that can be read here. This will be awesome in depth series on all our upcoming games!

 

1. Broncos Defense: Anyone check the Patriots game yesterday? Man, how impressive! This puts what our D against the much vaunted Patriots in even GREATER light. We have heard all the stats, but put in laymans terms, we did a hell of a job. Lets also remember though, that the Titan's are decimated in the secondary too. But still, seems like our D has the key thru game planning and adjustments to such teams down. Many pundits are talking of the explosiveness of the Chargers. After yesterdays performance from the Pats, I am willing to bet on our defense in tonights game.
2. The Powerful NFC East: Umm....about that? Denver has already beaten the Cowboys, and I watched some of the Giants game and most of the Eagles game. As we know, ALL NFC east teams went down HARD on the weekend. Chiefs got there first win against the hapless Redskins, the raiduhs took down the mighty Donovan McNabb and the Giants were smashed by the Saints. A couple of observations from all games: each of these teams has glaring weaknesses in the secondary and are ready to be picked apart. McNabb hates pressure, and he can expect that from our boys. The running games of ALL these teams are resembling paper tigers, with each o line struggling to move and get push on aggressive front sevens. The Giants could be a factor of a soft schedule, the Eagles look better with Kolb behind center and the Redskins have become the raiduhs of the east......I no longer the NFC East and not only should we be in ALL of these games, we should win them, based on what I saw out of these teams.
3. Baltimore in an offensive juggernaut?: Baltimore's secondary is AVERAGE. When your starter is a 5'9' nickel then you are in for some trouble. (Note: I love Dom Fox, but he is not starting quality corner). They are struggling to stop the run, and are ready to be picked apart in the pass game. If we can get pressure on Flacco and stop Ray Rice, they are ripe for taking.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers......cant run the ball!: They put up pedestrian numbers in the run game against ....THE BROWNS??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! Big Ben threw for over 400 yards and they have now become a pass first team. Based on this, you have ot wonder how many running yards the Broncos can put on the Chargers tonight based on what Walter Payton did to them last weekend....whats that you say...it was not Payton....oh, it was Rashard Mendenhall......right! KM and Buck could have a field day!
5. Paging Josh Cribbs....report to Dove Valley.....Josh Cribbs: Look, Eddie Royal has done NOTHING in the return game. He is hesitant, waves off too many kicks, takes fair catches when he has room....he is just playing gun shy, and he is our best threat in the return game. A dynamic returner is what we are missing at the moment, and it could put us over the top. Cribbs took ANOTHER one to the house against the Steelers. Lets give the Browns a 3rd and Brandon Lloyd and call it a wash. Cribbs is big, tough, strong and fast with exceptional vision, and an immediate upgrade for our ST. His acquisition would put us in the Super Bowl conversation. We need better field position when starting drives, and Cribbs would od this for us. XANDERS GO GET IT DONE!
6. Ist round draft watch: Chicago moved to 3-2 on the season on the back of ill disciplined play by the Bears and 2 interceptions by Jay Cutler. For this season, I am backing against Chicago in every game (which sucks as I really like the Bears) to help with the 2010 draft. Hester looked great and is really improving as a WR, and you can see what a great return game can do to field position. Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox are improving, and showing some talent. Matt Forte....ehhh........same as I though about him last year....a work horse with low yield per carry. Jay....is, well.....Jay. My heart goes out to the Bears fans......they are reliving our nightmare. He will win you games, and lose you games, and thats how he will be. Still love watching him play though, but glad that he is with another team.
7. The Colts and the Saints are legit!
8. What has happened to the Titans.....I like Jeff Fisher but they need a change. Just like what happened with the Broncos, or in any sport, a coaches message can get stale after a long tenure unless you are super creative. The loss of Jim Schwartz has killed them
9. Are the Broncos setting a record for being the only undefeated team that is constantly the underdog in EVERY game. 60% are favoring the Chargers to win!
10. Did anyone see the Arkansas/ Florida game? I will say this only once.....the officials were NEVER going to let the hogs win that game......NEVER. A phantom pass interference and another personal foul 20 yards from the play (that should have been called against Florida) made sure that Florida scored the game winning touch down. (I know the Hogs had some chances but this changed the complexion of the game) It harks back to what I think HT said: We need full time paid referees and not Billy Bob, good ol' boys as referees.....they are killing the game with stuff like this. Rant over!
11. My prediction fro tonight: Denver 31 - Chargers 13.

Thanks everyone, and hit me back with comments.
Go BRONCOS!

 

Hi Everyone,

 

Just wanted to share a few things with the MHR faithful, and get your take on these observations.

 

Without further ado, please read after the jump!

Continue reading this post »

Hi Everyone,

 

Long time since I posted anything. 

 

I just wanted to chime in with some things that I have seen from Coach McDaniels from my perspective as a coach from ANOTHER sport and let you guys mull on them a little bit.

 

Anyway, read after the jump and hit me back with comments!

 

A quick background on my coaching. I have coached different sports, from tennis, to golf, to rugby and to my career now as a snowboard coach for more elite athletes (which I have done for over 10 years!). I am a career coach, and have helped to write education material for coaches, train coaches how to coach as well as train and coach athletes.

 

Now I am very lucky. I love what I do, and I have had a very fun and rewarding career, and one which I continue to pursue.

 

I get a kick out of being coached myself, love to watch other coaches at work, no matter what the sport, and always try and walk away with something new in my own bag of tricks.....there is always something NEW you can learn from other coaches and your own athletes.

 

Which leads me to Coach McDaniels. One thing I have always wondered about NFL coaching and Rugby coaching, which are very similiar in methodology, is WHY more coaching techniques from other sports are not incoroporated into the codes of football,

 

I have never heard one of my own rugby coaches, not ever heard any interview from any NFL where they have mentioned the learning styles of athletes, the pathways in which an athlete will most effectively absorb and retain information. I have never seen in rugby or NFL where the individual is looked at first and evaluated BEFORE the team as a whole is looked at and evaluated.

 

Now, when breaing it down to what it is, does it not seem strange that in MOST cases a team has a system in place and expects the players to adapt, rather than evaluating players FIRST, and then buidling a system around the players?

 

Here are some things that, not as a Bronco's fan, but as a fellow coach, have I been over the moon impressed with Coach McDaniels, and also with his coaching staff:

 

• Hiring: Coach McDaniels brought in other coaches that were teachers: coaches that could relay information in simple and logical terms. From Coach Nunnely, to Coach Nolan, to McDaniel's himself, these are all guys that know how to COMMUNICATE....not just with the spoken form. They know how to reach the players on all levels.
• Treating the individual as an individual: I have NEVER heard a football coach speak about learning styles or Learning types. To help some of you that have not coached, there are 4 learning types. The DOER is the type that must go out and do the task to get it. The WATCHER that must watch the task to be able to understand it. The THINKER that needs to listen to the information and then process it their own minds before they can perform it and then the FEELER who must feel the task in their bodies to be able to allow them the muscle memory to learn the task. Now, as a coach, if you can identify what type of learner your athlete is, will aloow you to coach more effectively and efficiently. Coach clearly knows how to do this, and this would explain why the Broncos are ahead of the curve. Also, you can tell that this is flowing down to the other coaches on his staff as well. Coach also understands the learning styles of his athletes: Visual who like to learn by watching, Auditory that like to learn by listening and Kinesthetic that learn by feeling. Just from the footage I have seen from camp, you can see McD EXPLAINING things, you see him DEMONSTRATING things and then have seen him be "hands on" and let the players FEEL the task. Him and his coaches are covering and coaching to ALL the learning styles and types.
• Creating an environment of success: Simply, athletes must trust the coaches, trust the support staff and feel comfortable in their surroundings to prosper. 
• Buying in to a system: Athletes need to be shareholders and partners in the system with some decision making ability. STraight from the players mouths, you here how behind the HC the players are, and what believers they are. They are part of the team, and they feel like members of the team. SImilarly, you have never seen McDaniels above the team. One of his quotes from this week was awesome...he feels confident because of the players he has. He has belief in his athletes, he has their back, and he puts them above him.

These are just some of the things that I see that from our coach. He has done an outstanding job.


In conclusion, I feel almost sorry for the rest of the NFL. Here is a young man who has been raised as a coach, who has a good deal of old school in him, being fiery and not being scared to be physical in his training camps. But I also see a very progressive coach: one that thinks outside the box, one that uses new training and coaching methods and techniques, and uses all resources available to him both inside and outside the game.


He reminds me of John Wooden a lot. Wooden was seen as a wet behind the ears coach that would never make it. He was different from other Basketball coaches. He saw things differently, and coached with an ATHLETE first mentality. John Wooden is perhaps the greatest coach EVER from any sport.

Coach McDaniels has many of the same traits. Any coach that puts athletes first, will have a great kick start to success!

Hope you enjoyed the read guys!

Peace!

Hi Guys,

 

Just a quick post to illicit some discussion.

 

As well as bleeding orange and blue, on Saturdays, I bleed the red and gold of USC.

 

So, you can imagine my dismay when Denver got rid of Jeremy Bates as OC (Thank God!) only to find out he has gone to USC as QB Coach/ OC. 

 

Now, along with Shanny, I apportion a lot of the blame for the lack of progression and accountability of Jay Cutler to him. His play calling last year was embarrassing bad, but the thing that was even worse, was his lack of ability to be able to adjust. After week 3, the whole NFL was onto what the Broncos were doing, yet there was no change in the overall philosophy of the team, and lack of half time adjustments to help the team win (see Oakland game at home).

 

With Bates move to USC, I was hoping he would turn over a new leaf, bring something different to the table. Boy, was I wrong!

 

Watching the Trojans last night was like watching a watered down version of the 2008 Broncos. Ineffective running game, toss plays, bubble screens, telegraphed play calling and the QB throwing into double coverage.

 

I found myself screaming at the TV.....wow, groundhog day!!!

 

So my question is: Do you think that Jay Cutler's development and ownership of his own performance been hampered by ineffectual coaching of Shanny, and in particular, Jeremy Bates?

 

After watching last night, I saw precisely the same tendencies in the USC team as I saw in the Bronco's team last year.

 

The only saving grace: USC got the 2 point conversion on a bubble screen! LMAO.

 

Thoughts?

Hey Guys,

 

HUGE nugget just presented by Mort on ESPN.

 

Shanahan planned to cut Brandon Marshall in this off season.

 

After the last game of the season, Shanahan had had enough of BM, and thought he had cost the Broncos more games than he had won them.

 

The day before his firing, he even discussed the move with Jay Cutler.

 

This is huge, and could have had something to do with what went on with Cutler after the removal of Shanny.

 

Thoughts???