(My Sportsbook) - In this "what have you done for me lately?" NFL world, even two-time Super Bowl champion head coaches get their pink slip.
Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen was asking the above question in December when he fired longtime head coach Mike Shanahan in order to open a new chapter with the baby-faced Josh McDaniels running the show. Bowlen couldn't get over the fact that his team had a three-game lead in the AFC West with three to play and the Broncos lost every game, including a 52-21 loss to rival San Diego in Week 17. The Chargers won their last three games to claim their third straight West title.
Shanahan, who also served as the team's vice president of football operations, was fresh off his 14th season as head coach when he got the bad news. McDaniels can only dream for now to have the type of record Shanahan compiled with the Broncos, as the latter posted a 138-86 record in Denver from 1995-2008 with three division titles, seven postseason appearances, and two Super Bowl wins. Shanahan lost four of his previous five playoff games, the last one coming in 2005, which helped precipitate his exit from town.
The start of McDaniels' tenure comes with much anticipation, and some nervousness, from the fans. The 33-year-old has eight years of NFL coaching experience, all with the New England Patriots, whom he joined in March 2001. He was named offensive coordinator in 2006 after holding a variety of positions, and the Patriots won Super Bowls with McDaniels on their staff during the 2001, '03 and '04 seasons. Unfortunately for McDaniels, his relationship with Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler went sour after Cutler caught wins of his new boss' alleged interest in trading for New England quarterback Matt Cassel. Cutler pouted his way out of the Mile High City via a trade with the Chicago Bears, sending run-of-the-mill signal caller Kyle Orton back to the Broncos. Cutler felt betrayed by the organization, which drafted him in the first round in 2006, and ended his Broncos career with 9,024 yards, 54 TD passes and 37 interceptions.
McDaniels also got under the skin of talented wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who like Cutler requested a trade but has since backed off from that. Marshall has more to worry about than his new head coach and can thank his lucky stars that he was recently acquitted of domestic violence charges against an ex- girlfriend. Marshall missed a game last season for violating the personal conduct policy, a suspension that was originally three games and reduced to one. If he learns McDaniels' playbook and recovers from hip and hamstring injuries, Marshall will continue to give defensive coordinators fits.
McDaniels, an offensive guru and quarterback specialist, will try to instill a power running game and hope that Orton can be an effective starter following some rough preseason performances. McDaniels has his rookie season as a head coach invested in a number of other newcomers, including veteran safeties Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill, running backs Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, and rookie Knowshon Moreno, and Tennessee defensive end Robert Ayers.
None of the above will feel the heat more than McDaniels this season and his confidence will be put the to the test on the road in Week 1 at Cincinnati. Only time will tell if this novice of a head coach can restore the franchise's glory a mile high.
Below we take a capsule look at the 2009 edition of the Broncos, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:
2008 RECORD: 8-8 (t1st, AFC West)
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2005, lost to Pittsburgh, 34-17 in AFC Championship
COACH (RECORD): Josh McDaniels (first season with Broncos, first overall)
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Mike McCoy
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Mike Nolan
OFFENSIVE STAR: Brandon Marshall, WR (104 receptions, 6 TD)
DEFENSIVE STAR: Champ Bailey, CB (44 tackles, 1 INT, 1 sack)
OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 12th rushing, 3rd passing, 16th scoring
DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 27th rushing, 26th passing, 30th scoring
KEY ADDITIONS: QB Kyle Orton (from Bears), QB Chris Simms (from Titans), QB Tom Brandstater (6th Round, Fresno State), RB Knowshon Moreno (1st Round, Georgia), RB Correll Buckhalter (from Eagles), RB LaMont Jordan (from Patriots), WR Jabar Gaffney (from Patriots), TE Richard Quinn (2nd Round, North Carolina), T Brandon Gorin (from Rams), G Scott Young (from Browns), OL Russ Hochstein (from Patriots), DT Ronald Fields (from 49ers), DT Darrell Reid (from Colts), DL Le Kevin Smith (from Patriots), OLB Robert Ayers (1st Round, Tennessee), LB Andra Davis (from Browns), CB Andre' Goodman (from Dolphins), CB Alphonso Smith (2nd Round, Wake Forest), S Brian Dawkins (from Eagles), S Renaldo Hill (from Dolphins), S Darcel McBath (2nd Round, Texas Tech), LS Lonie Paxton (from Patriots)
KEY DEPARTURES: QB Jay Cutler (to Bears), QB Patrick Ramsey (to Titans), RB Tatum Bell (not tendered), RB Michael Pittman (not tendered), RB P.J. Pope (released), FB Andrew Pinnock (released), WR Darrell Jackson (not tendered), WR/KR Cliff Russell (released), TE Chad Mustard (released), TE Nate Jackson (released), T Erik Pears (to Raiders), DT Dewayne Robertson (released), DT Josh Shaw (released), DE Ebenezer Ekuban (not tendered), DE John Engelberger (released), LB Nate Webster (not tendered), LB Niko Koutouvides (released), LB Jamie Winborn (to Falcons), CB Karl Paymah (to Vikings), CB Dre' Bly (to 49ers), FS Marlon McCree (to Jaguars), S Marquand Manuel (released)
QB: Now that Cutler's strong right arm is earning him money in the Windy City, Orton appears to have locked up the starting quarterback job. Orton (2,972 yards, 18 TD, 12 INTs) enjoyed his best season as a pro with the Bears in 2008, and the 2005 draft pick out of Purdue has a great opportunity to thrive in McDaniels' offense. Tom Brady and Cassel excelled in it, and Orton can do the same if he works hard. The Broncos had the third-best pass attack last season, averaging 279.4 yards per game, so much will be expected of Orton and the new attack. Backup Chris Simms (7 yards) appeared in one game for Tennessee last season and is fully recovered from a shoulder injury suffered a few years ago as a member of Tampa Bay, though he was hampered by a high ankle sprain in the preseason. Simms, who has only played in 20 games since being drafted by the Bucs in 2003, has an accurate arm.
RB: It was no secret around the NFL that even the water boy could run for a positive gain when Shanahan's ground attack was going well. A new era will begin in the Denver backfield under McDaniels, who has three solid candidates to choose from in the crowded backfield. Moreno would be the best pick to get the nod in Week 1, but was bothered by a knee sprain in the preseason that could negatively impact his chances. Veterans Buckhalter (369 yards, 2 TDs with the Eagles) and Jordan (363 yards, 4 TD with the Patriots) are also battling for time after playing behind stars for their previous employers. Peyton Hillis (343 yards, 5 TDs) had a decent rookie campaign in 2008 out of Arkansas and will also see action, more than likely as the fullback. Denver finished 12th in NFL rushing a year ago.
WR/TE: Marshall (1,265 yards, 6 TDs) is one of the premier receivers in the NFL, and McDaniels would be stupid to lose a player of his caliber. The two must mend their fences and Marshall has to stay out of trouble because he's such a great on-field asset to this franchise. Marshall, who has recorded back-to-back 100-catch, 1,000-yard campaigns, enjoyed another solid season in 2008 and grabbed a career-high 104 balls for 1,265 yards and six scores. The 6-4, 230-pound UCF product will line up opposite second-year wideout Eddie Royal (980 yards, 5 TDs), who had an impressive rookie debut last year and is a valuable commodity. The speedy former Virginia Tech star is poised for a breakout campaign in 2009. Denver also added veteran receivers Jabar Gaffney (468 yards, 2 TDs withe the Patriots) and Brandon Lloyd (364 yards, 2 TDs with the Bears) for depth, while Brandon Stokley (528 yards, 3 TDs) is back to run the slot. Tight end Daniel Graham (389 yards, 4 TDs) will appear in his third season with Denver, while fellow tight end Tony Scheffler (645 yards, 3 TDs) is entering his fourth season with the Broncos. Scheffler had a career high in yards a year ago.
OL: The Broncos are set with two strong tackles in Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris. Clady enjoyed an All-Pro rookie campaign in 2008 on the left side, while Harris held down the right side in his second year. Orton will be safe with those two protecting the outside rush, something he was not accustomed to in Chicago. Guards Chris Cooper and Ben Hamilton are expected to do a lot of pulling this year in McDaniels' new offense, and their hamstring must be in top shape for the pounding that's expected in September. Always-reliable center Casey Wiegmann is entering his second year with Denver after he joined them as an unrestricted free agent. The 14-year pro hasn't missed a snap since early 2001, the longest active among NFL offensive linemen. McDaniels kept his burners in the New England fire by trading for offensive lineman Russ Hochstein for an undisclosed draft pick late in the preseason.
DL: New defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will instill the 3-4 defense in Denver, and will be taking over a unit that finished near the bottom in every major category last season. Kenny Peterson (24 tackles, 3 sacks) and Ryan McBean are slated to start at the end spots. Peterson, who enters his fourth season with the Broncos, tied a personal best with three sacks in 16 games (1 start) in 2008. McBean is a second-year lineman and spent the 2008 campaign on the Broncos' practice squad. Matthias Askew and Marcus Thomas will share time at the end spots too. Thomas (34 tackles) was a 16-game starter a year ago and has not missed a game in two seasons. Ronald Fields (19 tackles) is expected to start at nose tackle after spending his first four seasons with San Francisco. He played in all 16 games in each of the last two seasons.
LB: The rookie Ayers will be converted to linebacker in Nolan's scheme and the former Volunteer will be relied on right away to produce off the edge. Ayers, who was taken 18th overall in April's draft, led the Southeastern Conference with 15 1/2 tackles for a loss, recording 49 total stops along with three sacks during his senior season. Ayers started out as an outside linebacker for Tennessee before moving to defensive end during his redshirt freshman campaign, and now will switch back to linebacker. D.J. Williams (93 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks) and Elvis Dumervil (24 tackles, 5 sacks) are returning starters for Denver and will play inside and outside linebacker, respectively. Andra Davis (90 tackles) joined Denver in the offseason after spending his first seven seasons with Cleveland, and will line up next to Williams. Mario Haggan (20 tackles, sack) will see more time at outside linebacker after hooking up with the Broncos midway through last season.
DB: Denver couldn't stop the pass in 2008, ending 26th in that category, despite having Champ Bailey and Dre' Bly. Bailey (44 tackles, INT), who appeared in only nine games last season due hamstring, groin and elbow problems, should be back at full strength. Bly is in San Francisco and Andre' Goodman (39 tackles, 5 INTs) will replace him on the right side. Goodman played the past three years in Miami and has played at least 13 games in each of the last four seasons. The Broncos added a pair of safeties this offseason in Hill and Dawkins. Hill (78 tackles, 3 INTs) is a nine-year pro and has started at least 10 games during five of the last six seasons. He spent the last three years in Miami. Dawkins, meanwhile, will be donning a Broncos uniform for the first time after spending the first 13 years of his career with Philadelphia. The fiery and hard-hitting Dawkins has lost a step in coverage, but can produce if put in the right spot. Dawkins suffered a hand injury this offseason, but is expected to be ready for Week 1. Second-round draft pick Alphonso Smith will see time at nickel after leading the nation with 15 picks in his final two years at Wake Forest.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Smith will get some looks as Denver's top return man on both kickoffs and punts, and it should be noted that he also blocked five punts as a Demon Deacon. Kicker Matt Prater is back for his second full season with the Broncos and tied the team's single-season record and ranked fourth in the NFL with five 50-yard field goals, including a career-long 56-yard boot in 2008. Prater (25-34 FG) was erratic on shorter kicks, but recorded his first 100- point season a year ago and finished fifth in the NFL with 19 touchbacks on kickoffs. Punter Brett Kern ended fifth in the NFL with a 46.7 average on 46 punts last season, and landed four inside the 10-yard line. Kern, who is the holder on extra points and field goals, may be in for a busy season as the offense gets a grasp of new material. Long-snapper Lonie Paxton,a three-time Super Bowl champion with New England, enters his first season in Denver. He played in 155 of a possible 161 games (regular season and postseason) in his nine-year tenure with the Patriots.
PROGNOSIS: So now it's back to the drawing board for the Broncos, and holding the reins is a boyish head coach from Ohio. McDaniels' tenure got off to a hideous start with the Cutler ordeal, but controversial issues have settled down as the team prepares to prove all pundits wrong. Any of the pressure not on McDaniels rests with Orton, who can lead the Broncos to a 3-0 start this season with favorable matchups against Cincinnati, Cleveland and Oakland in his first three games. Orton doesn't possess the arm strength of Cutler and will have to use his Purdue smarts to get the Broncos running on all cylinders, but he has good weapons in Marshall, Royal and Moreno. The defense has a lot to prove after a tumultuous season a year ago, and Nolan mist get them up to speed quickly. Denver actually has a shot in the feeble AFC West, but San Diego will most likely capture its fourth straight division title. Expect the Broncos to miss out on the playoffs for a fourth straight year, the longest drought since their first 17 years of existence (1960-1976).
