QUOTE: “While traveling, I’ve found that spontaneity keeps things fresh, while serendipity guides me through it all. There have been a lot of rough moments along the way, but they often bear the best memories.” -- Joseph Pisani
Thought I would cover several issues around the NFL…
Why would Denver let defensive coordinator Mike Nolan leave?
On the surface, this mutually agreed departure looks a little fishy, but in reality, it was best for both parties. Nolan wanted an opportunity to secure employment for himself in case there was a work stoppage, and the Broncos wanted to make sure they had coaches who wanted to be on staff. Sometimes change is good for both sides. Naysayers might look at Nolan’s departure to the Dolphins as a slap in head coach Josh McDaniels’ face, but I don’t.
McDaniels is a head coach, not just a play caller, which is why I think he’s going to win big in Denver. Most Broncos fans are skeptical about the strategy he employs, but for me, McDaniels clearly knows where he’s doing and knows the best course of action to take along the way. He must transform the Broncos into his team, and in spite of the initial progress they showed last season, it’s going to take time. It’s going to take him being involved in all three phases of the game to get them to behave and play the way he envisions. Losing Nolan allows McDaniels to become more involved with the whole team and lets Nolan obtain the security he wants. I really believe this is a win/win for both.
A similar situation occurred in Oakland when Jon Gruden was head coach and Willie Shaw was his defensive coordinator. Gruden needed to be the head coach in all three phases of the game, but Shaw’s dominating personality made it difficult for him to be involved on defense. So the change was mutually best for both parties. Denver fans need to be patient with McDaniels — he showed progress in his first year, and next year he’ll be even better. As the Broncos continue to add talent to their roster, they’ll become factors in the AFC West.
Does Chan Gailey in Buffalo mean Michael Vick will be next?
Now that makes sense. Why? Look at Gailey’s track record at Georgia Tech when it came to quarterbacks. Reggie Ball was a four-year starter. He was a runner first, then a passer. Recruiting this kind of player is an indication of what Gailey might want for his pro team. He had athletic players who could move around and make plays with their feet.
Despite the rhetoric that Gailey has helped quarterbacks play well — John Elway and Troy Aikman were good way before their involvement with Gailey – the Bills’ new coach wants someone who can move around, throw on the move and run for a few first downs. Even in Kansas City, where there was no pure runner at quarterback, Gailey went to the pistol formation to help Tyler Thigpen and create movement plays. Sounds like Vick to me. I bet this has a chance to happen.
How could the Bills turn down Marty Schottenheimer?
This one made no sense at all to me — much like the hiring of Gailey. Schottenheimer has a great relationship with current GM Buddy Nix, he has proven he can turn around a team and he would be perfect for the Bills. But owner Ralph Wilson vetoed the idea, and you wonder why I call the Bills the Raiders of the East?
Seattle has a new GM…
I agree with the NFP’s Matt Bowen that John Schneider is the right fit for the Seahawks. Schneider is not a guy who will require the limelight, but he’ll work hard for the head coach in finding players. He’s going to be able to concentrate on football and help Pete Carroll rebuild the team.
What’s going on in Oakland?
Coaches are being asked to interview for jobs, but they’re not clear what job they’re actually interviewing for. Is Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson coming to town to talk about being the head coach or is he coming to be the offensive coordinator? Tom Cable, the present day head coach, is also the offensive play caller, so this interview clearly means Cable is going to lose one of the jobs he currently holds -- or he might lose both jobs depending on how the week goes.
Does any of this make sense? Of course not, but that’s life at the Hotel California. I’m sure John “Baghdad Bob” Herrera will be issuing a statement sometime soon now that he’s back from helping the Martha Coakley campaign in Massachusetts.
One thing we can be certain about is that the Raiders aren’t done with JaMarcus Russell. Much like the TV show “Mission: Impossible,” Hue Jackson’s mission, should he choose to accept it, will be to get Russell to play well. Jackson is a confident coach, and I’m sure he’s convinced he can do wonders with Russell -- and that confidence is exactly what the owner will want to hear.
But stay tuned. All this dancing around and interviewing may mean that Cable keeps his job, or he might be gone. I’m certain five years from now Cable will look back on these anxious days and ask himself, “Why did I even try to stay?”
Follow me on Twitter: michaelombardi
For more on the Chan Gailey hire in Buffalo, check out this article from Bleacher Report.
I don't pretend to know all the issues involved, but the Nolan move seems dumb to me from McDaniels' perspective. He hired Nolan and Nolan turned the defense around--and then McDaniels just lets him walk? Why would you hire someone and then let them go when, by most objective criteria, that person did the job you wanted them to do?
Forget it Lars. All the facts and stats mean nothing to an egomaniac who wants to clear out every Pro Bowler not in lockstep and an enabling owner who has doddered into senility.
I will say one thing about the sack totals. You can chalk that up in large part to the incredible nonathleticism of Kyle Orton. I saw it first hand in Chicago. The reason he doesn't throw more picks is because he takes the sack. He can't get out of the way of his own shadow. But boy, he sure can "manage a game." I'm pretty sure he would have won Super Bowls with the '85 Bears and '00 Ravens. He gets Trent Dilfer's vote every time!
Thanks Mike, very rare to find a guy in the media who agrees with McD. I agree with you full heartredly, I think it was best for both. I also think Nolan's impact on the D was not as big as most thought.
And I have heard Nolan also left because he didnt blitz enough for McD. Towards the end of the year, he started to move away from the blitz shemes that won them games in the first place. All you have to do to see this is look at the first Chargers game. It was exactly how the Jets beat them. I am actually convinced they studied the film of how the Chargers were beaten, so they looked at that game. The Broncos after the bye started blitzing less and that, in turn, cost them games.
Thanks Mike, very rare to find a guy in the media who agrees with McD. I agree with you full heartredly, I think it was best for both. I also think Nolan's impact on the D was not as big as most thought.
And I have heard Nolan also left because he didnt blitz enough for McD. Towards the end of the year, he started to move away from the blitz shemes that won them games in the first place. All you have to do to see this is look at the first Chargers game. It was exactly how the Jets beat them. I am actually convinced they studied the film of how the Chargers were beaten, so they looked at that game. The Broncos after the bye started blitzing less and that, in turn, cost them games.
What wellspring of irrational exuberance keeps people flying to Oakland to interview?
The prospective candidate has to know coming in that:
- You won't have control over the roster
- You won't even have control over the starting lineup
- You likely will be fired in 1-2 years and the balance of your contract withheld, or contested in court if necessary. As part of this, your professional shortcomings (real or imagined) will be publicly documented.
You will leave frustrated, unsuccessful and probably humiliated. Where's the win?
Again, the fact that Cable 1) wants to be here and 2) tries to play within the rules and 3) has done as well as he has, really points to him being the ideal man for the job, until AD is out of the picture.
The Broncos situation should be a warning for owners who are contemplating getting rid of a proven coach, even if they have a rational reason. Apparently, Shanahan was let go because he refused to fire his defensive coordinator. As it turns out, he was wrong. If he had the Nolan defense with his offense, they likely would still be playing. Shanahan might be arrogant and stubborn, but he is not dumb. He would have certainly seen the need for doing something with the defense and probablywould have made needed changes by now.
Consider the Broncos now. They lost 8 of their last 11 games, their unseasoned coach fueded with star players all season and benched his two biggest offensive threats, Marshall and Schefler, before the final game. Then he split with Nolan, who as Lars notes above, produced a far better result on defense than McDaniels did on offense. They face next year with question marks on offense( Marshall?) and defense, with a new coordinator. They are beginning to remind me of the Zorn-led Redskins, who started 6-2 his first season to fanfare similar to that showered on McDaniels, only to finish 2-6. This year they were 4-12, and one of those wins was at the expense of the Broncos. Zorn is out, ironically replaced by Shanahan.
Cool, losers.
Let's hate on the Broncos. We have nothing better to do. I guess you all know SO much more about football than McDaniels. Why aren't you coaches then, morons? The Broncos could be like the Bills, now that would really suck. Hating on the Broncos is something everybody loves to do but when we don't choke next season I'll be here to wave the middle finger at all you tools. Thanks Lombardi. Have a good one! I'm listening to you on Jim Rome's radio show right now!
"McDaniels is a head coach, not just a play caller".....did you happen to watch any games this year Lombardi????? You're right, he is not just a play caller, he is an unimaginative, ill prepared play caller. Broncos went from a prolific offense to one of the worst in the league.....and if Jay Cutler sucks....then what else changed???
"McDaniels clearly knows where he’s doing"
Are you high? Seriously. Are you high?
I'm not really sure it's useful to just say that Denver went from the 22nd to 7th best defense last year, so therefore Nolan must be a genius. The differences between the defensive numbers in the first six games, before the bye, and the last 10 games are huge -- averaging 9.8 points a game before the bye, 22 PPG after the bye, and allowing 262.5 YPG before the bye versus 346.5 YPG after the bye. If you throw out the first six games, the Broncos rank at 21st in the league in both categories. Not exactly a huge leap, and it suggests that whatever improvements Nolan made, they were just temporary. As soon as teams had time to see how Nolan's defense was playing and how its new players were fitting in, they beat up on them just about as badly as under Shanny.
Which supports Michael's point that it will take some time for Denver to get good, and this will happen with sound coaching and solid player procurement.
Mike, I don't understand your love affair with McDaniels. I can't recall one time all season that you criticized his moves. And there was plenty to criticize. I hate to say it and can't believe I am about to, but Yahoo Dave's rants about you loving BB is starting to make sense. If you look at Denver from the day after they lost to the Chargers to end the '08 season to where they are at today, this team looks like a mess. Their record didn't improve, their offense regressed, special teams was still disappointing, and the one thing that did improve their D and now they essentially "parted ways" wink wink with the man responsible for the improvement.
Under McDaniels:
-Traded potential franchise QB for Kyle Orton.
-Fired almost the entire personnel department.
-Traded the 14th pick in the 2010 draft for Alphonso Smith (who was replaced by Ty Law).
-Had TWO 4 game losing streaks.
-Alienated one of the game's best wide receivers and their top pass catching TE.
-Fired Defensive Coordinator responsible for improving scoring D from 30th to 7th in one year.
-Was one of the worst play callers on 3rd and short.
-Has brought in just about every Patriot reject available short of Tony Eason.
Wow, all of this in a little over one year. I was taught a valuable lesson growing up: If you think everybody is the problem, maybe you should look in the mirror to find where the problem really lies. Little Napoleon McDaniels might be wise to do so.
I'm not really sure it's useful to just say that Denver went from the 22nd to 7th best defense last year, so therefore Nolan must be a genius. The differences between the defensive numbers in the first six games, before the bye, and the last 10 games are huge -- averaging 9.8 points a game before the bye, 22 PPG after the bye, and allowing 262.5 YPG before the bye versus 346.5 YPG after the bye. If you throw out the first six games, the Broncos rank at 21st in the league in both categories. Not exactly a huge leap, and it suggests that whatever improvements Nolan made, they were just temporary. As soon as teams had time to see how Nolan's defense was playing and how its new players were fitting in, they beat up on them just about as badly as under Shanny.
Which supports Michael's point that it will take some time for Denver to get good, and this will happen with sound coaching and solid player procurement.
lars94, you said it perfectly...
I really love Mike, but sometimes I just don't understand his perspectives. As lars pointed out, McD wanted Cutler out and thought he had the pieces to be a potent offense, yet they took a big step backwards on that side of the ball and will probably move further back since Brandon Marshall is unlikely to return.
Then he hires Nolan, who takes a bunch of aging players and switches schemes to a 3-4 and the defense takes a giant step forward. Now McD wants Nolan gone?
I just don't understand it. Mike, we get it, we've heard the "Coach McDaniels wants to implement a culture and philosophy and blah blah blah" so many times since he got hired, but what is that philosophy? You claim that he has a clear understanding of how he wants to get there. What is that path exactly? Hire and fire coaches and get rid of the most talented players on the team?
The funny thing is, the outside opinion of the Patriots wasn't that they'd get rid of players who didn't see things their way, but that the culture and leaders of the team GOT players to buy into the program. Moss, Harrison, Seau... they were able to take talented guys and get them to buy into the program. To me, it seems that McDaniels is either incapable or unwilling to do this and would rather just get rid of people who don't see his "master plan".
So GC, throw out the first six games, and this team went 2-10 and their offense went from scoring over 22 points per game and 368 yards to scoring an average of 19 points per game and 345 yards. Under Shanny, in 2008 they averaged 23 points a game and averaged 395 yards per game on the offense. Maybe your right, maybe they need sound coaching and solid player procurement, guess they need a new offense coordinator as well?.?.? Oh yeah, I wonder who is responsible for the O? My point being, if Nolan's improvement wasn't good enough, what do you think of McD's offense and overall coaching ability.
Mike,
Both McDaniels and Nolan were clients of the almighty Bob LaMonte.... how did this happen???
Was LaMonte consulted and was he asked to condone this??? How dare one client dictate to the other???
I'm a Broncos fan and I couldn't agree less with you Mike . Mc Daniels seems to be doing his best to ruin this team and seems to be succeeding at that and that only . He seems to be an arrogant man ( or boy ) who clashes with nearly everyone . If that is how you build a winner then he's one of the best I've ever seen LMAO !!!!!!!!
gjecat is typical of the idiot commenters on the denver post website........all of which dissapeared during the 6-0 start just to crawl out of their holes when things went south....and all of which will mercifully disappear forever when McDaniels gets the ship turned around. i apologize to the rest of you for having to deal with our clowns.
gjecat is typical of the idiot commenters on the denver post website........all of which dissapeared during the 6-0 start just to crawl out of their holes when things went south....and all of which will mercifully disappear forever when McDaniels gets the ship turned around. i apologize to the rest of you for having to deal with our clowns.
McDaniels is doing a good job? Lombardi take your head ourt of your butt and maybe you wouldnt be so stupid. Forget all about the cutler, Marshall crap that went on and lets look at what he did with the o-line. this is a line built for zone blocking the interior is small but he wants to switch to a power blocking scheme. thats fine does he bring in anybody. No, just a castoff from the patriots that is a reserve at best.(Holtstein) He says he is going with a combination zone and power blocking scheme which he did at first but as the season went on it was mostly power blocking. Now how is that good coaching your having the o-line playing a system that they cant physically play. This line was put together to fit the zone blocking scheme and thats all they played but instead of waiting to get some guys to fit the power blocking scheme you make these guys play it and it hurt the team. Just look how the running game got worse as the year went on. As far as the Defense Nolan was under contract how much security could he want the problem was McDaniels wouldnt let him run the defense. McDaniels didnt want Nolan to blitz more he wanted him to blitz less. He wanted to play the system the pats play and get pressure with mostly your d-line. Thats fine if you have a d-line that can do ithat and denver didnt. Denver
dline was the weak point of the defense they didnt have anybody that could rush the passer. Elvis is a linebacker. The secondary was the strongest part of tthe defense but any secondary will get torched if you cant pressure thwe qb but here again mcDaniesl and his ego we are going to run my system and I dont care if we dont have the players to do it and the players are better suited to something different. I dont care if it hurts the team*(and it did) and when we lose (which they did) I will just blame everybody else and which he is doing. then throw in the fact he wont let assistant coaches talk with the media and continously berates his coaches in front of this players and also berates his players that coaches hate the atmosphere that mcDaniels has created and the idiot Lombardi thinks he has done a great job
I think McDaniels can be a very good coach, but I also think he has a lot to learn about managing people. I do not know the dynamic that existed between McDaniels and Nolan and this move makes sense if there were insurmountable problems. I also understand the need to a leader to be in charge. However, a good leader and successful manager is able to integrate the ideas and opinions of his staff when it is for the greater good of the organization. (I also do not really understand the whole job security angle - was Nolan's contract only 2 yrs and they wouldn't give him more?).
While there may have been a power struggle between Nolan and McDaniels, it is another in a series of divorces in which the common denominator is McDaniels. That is not to say that every one could have been resolved in a better way, eg Marshall. However, the problems with Cutler and the decision to go away from the zone-blocking running scheme (Dennison & Turner) were both bad choices that I believe are setbacks for McDaniel. A more experienced coach would have found a resolution where he clearly maintained the power position (Cutler) and figured out a way to utilize the strengths of the running scheme while improving it.
McDaniels has the making of a great coach, but he has experienced some growing pains. Deconstructing what looked to be a perennially potent offense is painful as a Broncos fan. Those who are blindly for McDaniels claim that this is the Patriot way. Well, unless Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Faulk, etc are just average players, as far as I can tell the Patriots do employ plenty of star players. Those who are blindly against McDaniels call him an egomaniac. Well, so was our previous coach, my favorite, Mike Shanahan. Shanahan had his share of divorces (Gerard Warren, Trevor Pryce, Lenny Walls, Eddie Kennison, etc). However, Shanahan seemed to engender loyalty. Cutler obviously respected him. Supposed problem child Brandon Marshall had only positive things to say when Shanahan made him practice with a bum hamstring in the 2008 training camp. McDaniels has to learn that strong leaders know when they can compromise and resolve disputes without losing power.
Frankly, my biggest problem with this regime is the drafting: Moreno at 12? Nice back, not good value, esp with they could have had McCoy or Greene later. In the LB rich draft, they get Ayers, who played only slightly more than Jarvis Moss. EIther Cushing or Matthews would have been nice since Davis and Haggan will be 32 and 30, respectively. Drafting for need can hurt you, but given that the D line was a huge problem in 2008, it had to be addressed even if it meant trading up to get value. This is going to bite them again in 2010 as the D line was at the root of the defensive collapse after game 6.
Loved your take on Marty Schottenheimer. He was the PERFECT pick by Buffalo to try to save that franchise, and they pass him by for Chan Gailey.
mike
you are still a fox in the hen house, get over it, your days with raiders are done, we know al davis is a horses ass but you still the fox.
Nolan got hired immediately after he was let go. He improved the D a ton and did alot better than most thought...but of course it's a win win for everybody. Not the broncos.
Very good article.
Thanks
Regarding Marty Schottenheimer, is it realistic that he'd have success after having been totally away from the NFL for four years? Not even a coordinator position or a member of a front office. He's 66 or 67 years old, I think Schottenheimer's only shot at coming back would be as an advisor or player personnel director. I think his days as being coach are gone.
Now matter how it is sliced, Denver loses in the Nolan for Pees swap and jettisoning Nolan after one season should outrage Broncos fans and provide top management more than enough evidence to support the conclusion that McDaniels is not fit to lead an NFL team and should be fired!
Visit www.joshmcdanielssucks.com, a Denver Broncos online community advocating for the swift termination of Josh McDaniels, or at the very least ensuring McDaniels knows that Denver Broncos fans deserve better than Kyle Orton! The website offers a detailed timeline of McDaniels' disastrous first year, photo gallery of "McDumb Faces," Broncos news and insights, and a petition to fire McDaniels that has been signed by 3000+ individuals in 10 days!
When Bowlen hired McD the hating started, well in advance of Cutler's departure. I'm not sure if it had to do with the fact he came from New England and all the hating over recent years toward their coach, and possibly what has become a tradition of hating teams who are successful. McD has definitely made mistakes but I suspect if Shanahan had remained and had another no playoff season year fans would have been screaming for his departure and a new coach. Clearly the Broncos and Shanahan had become stagnant and predictable in the second half of the season. Although Cutler has a good arm I was never sold on his performance on the field and felt as though he acted live a diva. A good quarterback, yes, but not one of the top and this season proved it. I wondered about Nolan when they hired him. On one level I thought he could be a safety back-up if McD didn't work out or possibly a mentor to McD. But I wondered about someone his age, having been a former head coach working for a first year extremely young coach. I suspect that was a hard thing to swallow for Nolan. His quick arrival in Miami suggests things were going on behind the scenes well in advance of his departure. I suspect there is some truth in what Lombardi says about McD but even when McD succeeds and proves the hater fans wrong I would bet they will still find reason to hate.
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Jan 20, 2010
10:59 AM
Great line about Coakley. It must have been Herrera's idea to have her take a 2 week vacation in the month before the most important election of her life!!