Watching the incomparable Ndamukong Suh last night, I got to thinking-- what if our Oline struggles are caused by not their size, but their height and wingspan?

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I'd like to share with you all a link to one of my favorite websites, The Art of Manliness.  I think this community would appreciate the site a great deal, and they just posted an article that deals with the pros and cons of moving to a web based society.  Here's the quote I think is relevant to this site:

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While we're all playing Monday morning quarterback, debating the now infamous Knowshon Moreno fumble, I thought I'd point out some recent trends at the position.  In no way is this an exhaustive study, and I'm sure that there are many outliers that could weaken or refute the data presented here.  I just wanted to point out what I'm looking at when I make my judgments.

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Because of our wonderfully knowledgeable writing staff here at MHR, I understand that the 5-2 defense that we currently employ is susceptible to screen passes.  Because our own coordinators know that this is an innate weakness of our scheme, and the Chargers have consistently executed this play not only against us, but the entire league, I was wondering what strategies we might consider to limit this potentially game changing offensive weapon.

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I have to admit that this post is a bit of introspective psychology.  Jay Cutler is a divisive force in the Denver community, and he's found himself at the center of controversy not because of his personality, his ability, or his body of work in the NFL-- he found himself a place in our dialogue because of John Elway, or rather, the qualities that man embodies.  

Expectations are a tricky thing-- underpromise, overdeliver my father always taught me-- so is it possible that our greatest gift could also leave a lingering curse on this city?  Many have pointed out how bitter we can be in victory, or that we booed our starting quarter back for winning by three touchdowns.  Who ever thought our humble metropolis could contract a case of Schadenfreude that would put New York to shame?

So it's taken me two paragraphs to mention Kyle Orton.  I think that speaks to the unenviable predicament our neckbearded friend is in.  The performance is never flashy, but the results cannot be ignored - 2-0 as a Denver Bronco, 23-12 as an NFL Quarterback.  Even if we win a Super Bowl, will Mr. Orton ever be celebrated?

Football is a team game, and likely the most team-oriented game Americans watch.  Why then do we have Sports Illustrated Covers, Madden Athletes, and Franchise Players?  I think the answer lies in the fantasy life our professional athletes live.  We all want to hit home runs, score goals, and apparently, throw 60 yard lasers to the back of the end zone for a game winning score.  The dream of winning a championship drips off young athletes' tongues when giving an interview, but do they really want that championship, or do they want to be the reason for that championship?  That's what Americans want; a spectacular individual effort that transcends a group dynamic.

The quarterback position is a microcosm of the American Dream.  The gifts it takes to be even an average player at the position involve intelligence, athleticism, and confidence.  The position receives an undue amount of credit because the decisions made by that individual produce tangible results.  Yards, touchdowns, interceptions, and incompletions.  A CEO relies on thousands of employees, but his vision is rewarded or derided by Wall Street.  The American obsession with power plays directly into the psychology of a franchise quarterback.  We need an all-American gunslinger, a leader in battle, and a man worthy of our following.  Kyle Orton does not present these qualities superficially, and with the cost of silicon rising in the Hollywood Hills even during a recession, I fear that our fanbase may never accept anything less than an Adonis with a rocket  attached to his shoulder.  Unfortunately, this may be the legacy we are left with-- think of all the great QBs that have played for one organization that have never been replaced.  Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham, Jim Kelly... John Elway?  

I've obviously been indoctrinated into the culture of image, and I don't know if I can ever break that mentality.  I just wanted to point out that the man at the helm of our offense is experiencing a bevy of criticism because of the reductionist logic present in our society.  He's not John Elway, and he's not Jay Cutler.  But more importantly, he's not the man Americans see leading an organization, commanding the troops, or closing the client.  Abstract thought is the product of free time, and our reptilian brains are too well trained to consider how prejudiced our opinions might really be.  We need our Great Man, it's imbued in us as Americans.

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested Sunday and accused of choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star Tila Tequila, as she tried to leave his Southern California home.

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Leaving last season, we had one problem.  Defense.  Plain and simple.  Articles were written on this very site defending Jay Cutler, saying that if we had an average defense, we’d have won 7-10 more games during Jay’s two years as a starter.  That had to do with talent (or rather a lack of it).  We had a patchwork defensive line and linebacker core.  Our defensive secondary was like swiss cheese because we couldn’t get any pressure on the QB.

The only argument against Shanahan that I am willing to accept is that he could not evaluate defensive talent.  I truly feel that we were about 2-3 players away from Super Bowl contention, and that’s where my anger about hiring McDaniels and starting over came from. 

I think Jay Cutler could have stayed here, we could have drafted specifically for need and fixed the defense.  Shanny didn’t deserve the axe last year—injuries were far too prevalent to lay blame on him.  If Peyton Hillis stays healthy we play ball control and continue to win games. 

Now we’ve thrown away a franchise QB (yes, he is a franchise QB—he wins games by himself), traded away a likely top 10 pick next year (I don’t care about the economics, we need those players), reached on multiple “accessory” players (Smith, Ayers, Quinn) that we could have had much later and thrown away zone blocking—the only system that works with our lighter quicker offensive line.  These screens had better improve, because that’s the only way we get the same value out of our OL this year.

Finally, I’m really upset at the state of the franchise.  We were a model of class, had no drama, and generally put out at least .500 product.  I’ll take .500 and a championship every 10-12 years all the time… look at Cincinatti, Detroit, and Oakland.  You’d really rather go through a decade of sub .500 ball just because “it didn’t look good” at the end of last year?  For all the eternal optimism on this board, that sentiment is just down right confusing. 

Now we’ve got someone with no head coaching experience making his mistakes with our team, and everyone here gives him the benefit of the doubt?  All of us screw up, and we usually screw up a lot.  The product will be out on the field soon, and already people are preaching 3 years no matter what happens, as long as the “effort” is there.  This hiring has changed the image of Denver to one of arrogance, deceit, and omnipotence—the New England way.  I hope I get to see the smirk wiped of McDaniel’s face before he takes our franchise with him.