Bronco Billy Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 LINK In the wake of a disappointing 9-7 finish, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan made his first coaching change of the new year Tuesday, firing defensive coordinator Larry Coyer. Coyer, who had one year left on his contract, had been defensive coordinator the past four seasons and on Shanahan's staff the past seven. Shanahan, who gave Coyer the news after a series of team meetings Monday, could not be reached for comment. The Broncos led the league in scoring defense after six games. They were 5-1 and had surrendered 272 yards a game. By the end of the season, they had fallen to 14th in total defense, allowing 326.4 yards a game, including 359.2 yards a game during the last 10. So Mike Shanahan finds this year’s scapegoat for the Broncos continuing lack of playoff success without HoF caliber players all over the field like he had with Elway, TD, Sharpe, Zimmerman, et al. Funny that the story didn’t mention the Broncos alarming drop off in offensive success this year, finishing 17th in the NFL in points scored – the lowest in Shanahan’s tenure in DEN, behind only ‘99’s 18th ranking – and 23rd in the NFL in O yds gained – the lowest in Shanahan’s tenure as HC in DEN – and the utter failure of Shanahan’s hand picked QB, Jake Plummer. The problem with the D, and the problem that the D has had for years, is that there isn’t nearly enough talent on the D-line. The CLE cast-offs are great as secondary or role players and they are easy on the salary cap, but they don’t get near enough penetration on run plays and can generate virtually no pressure on pass plays, making a superb LB corps & a solid secondary (that was decimated by injuries and lack of depth to cover those injuries) a moot point because the line gives them no cover. Shanahan – and no one but Shanahan – is to blame for putting little to no emphasis on the D-line & on special teams, and every time a player has broken out as a force on the D-line, like Bertrand Berry or Reggie Hayward, Shanahan has jettisoned them almost immediately instead of paying them appropriate money. For a guy who understands the value of O-line play intimately, he just does not seem to have any idea of the importance of a stud DE or a hoss in the middle of the D-line and the impact they have on all of the D players. Plainly what happened is that the D-line was exposed as poor as the season went on, and when DEN blitzed there was not enough capable cover people in the secondary with the injuries & lack of quality depth to keep up with one-on-one coverage. It was maddening to watch play after play when the D front 4 consistently was giving opposing QBs 5 seconds or more to throw the ball play after play. The only real impact guy was significantly undersized but surprisingly quick & tough rookie Elvis Dumervil. That lack of quality depth also showed up on special teams, which were among the worst, if not the worst, in the league. With this past year’s draft/rook FA being loaded with O players who look like they can step up – QB Jay Cutler, RB Mike Bell, TE Tony Scheffler, WR Brandon Marshall, OT Chris Kuper along with injured rooks WR Dominick Hixon and OG/C Greg Eslinger, the O is pretty well set for the next few years. The LBs are a solid unit, so I would hope that Shanhan would look for immediate stud D-line help in the draft along with quality depth for all D positions, especially LB & the secondary – the current starters can provide depth on the D-line. Make no mistake – the reason for the D collapse begins & ends with Shanahan, and his not giving Coyer enough tools in the trenches to make the D work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAUgrad Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Gotta agree with this. I will say over the last 3 weeks of the season, Wilson's injury seemed to have a huge impact on the defense as a whole. I believe that the LB's and CB's are okay, but building up the DL and the safety position has to be a major priority. I don't care how good a secondary is, in the NFL, if a QB has that much time to throw, they are going to complete it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAUgrad Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 One thing though, I don't blame Shanny for Plummer's major regression this year. I believe Shanny did everything he could to fix Plummer's problems but was left without a choice in the changing of QB's. Sort of like the Brister, Griese issue years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 part of me liked coyer, but another part of me has been thinking this needed to happen for quite a while. coyer's schemes seem to work great against poor-to-middling competition. but the way they've folded like a house of cards against pitt last year in the playoffs, against indy every time we've played them, against SD this year -- i know those are pretty good teams and everything, but teams with a lot less talent on defense played those offenses a helluva lot tougher than the broncos did. i just think a lot of that has to do with coaching. hopefully, they did this with someone specific in mind they want to bring in. we'll see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 (edited) One thing though, I don't blame Shanny for Plummer's major regression this year. I believe Shanny did everything he could to fix Plummer's problems but was left without a choice in the changing of QB's. Sort of like the Brister, Griese issue years ago. Agreed. But Shanahan knew what Plummer's resume was before he brought Plummer on to be his QB of the future. There was no hiding the fact that the reason Plummer had so many comeback victories on his resume was his erratic play early in games that contributed to his team being behind so often. His career TD/INT ratio is embarrassing, and his career completion percentage isn't anything to write home about either. It wasn't the only reason AZ was behind so often - for sure, but on the other hand his play was a factor also. Edited January 10, 2007 by Bronco Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAUgrad Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Agreed. But Shanahan knew what Plummer's resume was before he brought Plummer on to be his QB of the future. There was no hiding the fact that the reason Plummer had so many comeback victories on his resume was his erratic play early in games that contributed to his team being behind so often. His career TD/INT ratio is embarrassing, and his career completion percentage isn't anything to write home about either. It wasn't the only reason AZ was behind so often - for sure, but on the other hand his play was a factor also. True, but I believe is TD/INT ratio improved dramatically when he moved to Denver. Last year however, he was just terrible. I still am amazed that Plummer took Arizona to the playoffs and a win with that horrible team. There had to be something going on that told Shanny that they had better draft a QB of the future, because Plummer although servicable is not the answer. I also think that Den. needs to address their RB situation this offseason. T. Bell is not the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfish247 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Shanahan – and no one but Shanahan – is to blame for putting little to no emphasis on the D-line & on special teams it amazes me the number of teams that virtually ignore special teams. teams with esteemed coaches that reside to plugging along with sub-par return averages and ranking at or near the bottom in average starting field position... teams like Denver (dead last in ASFP), Indy (25th), Pittsburgh (31st) and Carolina (27th). Of the 12 playoff teams, only NYG, NO, and Indy rank in the bottom half of the league in ASFP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 I also think that Den. needs to address their RB situation this offseason. T. Bell is not the answer. I agree, but I do think they could go with M Bell if he trains up in the offseason & send T Bell back to his 3rd down/CoP role and be adequate there (per DEN standards), especially with what ought to be an improved & diverse passing game. If they could put some teeth in the D-line and spend their offseason resources making the D-line credible, the rest of the D would probably be capable of top 10 play, maybe better, and the O would be capable of similar results given the strength of the D and what that would offer to the O in terms of time of possession & field position. Strengthen the RB position with a late draft choice or a cheap FA acquisition by increasing the quality of depth with the possibility of Shanahan hitting one of his renowned jewels-in-the-rough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAUgrad Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I was kind of thinking that T. Jones might make a nice addition. Straight trade with Chicago, Jones for T. Bell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holliday Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 I was kind of thinking that T. Jones might make a nice addition. Straight trade with Chicago, Jones for T. Bell. I agree Thomas Jones would be a exellent fit in Denver. and IMO he is undervalued by Chicago. but I don't think dangling Tatum Bell around alone would get him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 While I disagree with much of BB's Shanahan-bashing, I think that his criticism is justified here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 d-line coach patterson (the browns guy) let go as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 d-line coach patterson (the browns guy) let go as well. Great! Shanahan can bring him in to coach the list of lumps he picked up from the Browns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Great! Shanahan can bring him in to coach the list of lumps he picked up from the Browns. bring who in? the guy he just fired? i don't get it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Score 1 Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 bring who in? the guy he just fired? i don't get it.. BB didn't know that while Andre Patterson used to Coach for the Browns, the last two years he's been the Broncos defensive line/tackles coach. You threw him when you said "(the browns guy)". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 (edited) bring who in? the guy he just fired? i don't get it.. Yup, to be DC, since Shanahan seems to love everything that was CLE. Fire his arse, remember that he was a D coach in CLE, and hire him for DC. That'll do. Edited January 10, 2007 by Bronco Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vet Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 Shanahan is probably going to the Hall. But he hasn't done much in awhile. It's time for him to go relax on a beach somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skilly Posted January 10, 2007 Share Posted January 10, 2007 LINK In the wake of a disappointing 9-7 finish, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan made his first coaching change of the new year Tuesday, firing defensive coordinator Larry Coyer. Coyer, who had one year left on his contract, had been defensive coordinator the past four seasons and on Shanahan's staff the past seven. Shanahan, who gave Coyer the news after a series of team meetings Monday, could not be reached for comment. The Broncos led the league in scoring defense after six games. They were 5-1 and had surrendered 272 yards a game. By the end of the season, they had fallen to 14th in total defense, allowing 326.4 yards a game, including 359.2 yards a game during the last 10. So Mike Shanahan finds this year’s scapegoat for the Broncos continuing lack of playoff success without HoF caliber players all over the field like he had with Elway, TD, Sharpe, Zimmerman, et al. Funny that the story didn’t mention the Broncos alarming drop off in offensive success this year, finishing 17th in the NFL in points scored – the lowest in Shanahan’s tenure in DEN, behind only ‘99’s 18th ranking – and 23rd in the NFL in O yds gained – the lowest in Shanahan’s tenure as HC in DEN – and the utter failure of Shanahan’s hand picked QB, Jake Plummer. The problem with the D, and the problem that the D has had for years, is that there isn’t nearly enough talent on the D-line. The CLE cast-offs are great as secondary or role players and they are easy on the salary cap, but they don’t get near enough penetration on run plays and can generate virtually no pressure on pass plays, making a superb LB corps & a solid secondary (that was decimated by injuries and lack of depth to cover those injuries) a moot point because the line gives them no cover. Shanahan – and no one but Shanahan – is to blame for putting little to no emphasis on the D-line & on special teams, and every time a player has broken out as a force on the D-line, like Bertrand Berry or Reggie Hayward, Shanahan has jettisoned them almost immediately instead of paying them appropriate money. For a guy who understands the value of O-line play intimately, he just does not seem to have any idea of the importance of a stud DE or a hoss in the middle of the D-line and the impact they have on all of the D players. Plainly what happened is that the D-line was exposed as poor as the season went on, and when DEN blitzed there was not enough capable cover people in the secondary with the injuries & lack of quality depth to keep up with one-on-one coverage. It was maddening to watch play after play when the D front 4 consistently was giving opposing QBs 5 seconds or more to throw the ball play after play. The only real impact guy was significantly undersized but surprisingly quick & tough rookie Elvis Dumervil. That lack of quality depth also showed up on special teams, which were among the worst, if not the worst, in the league. With this past year’s draft/rook FA being loaded with O players who look like they can step up – QB Jay Cutler, RB Mike Bell, TE Tony Scheffler, WR Brandon Marshall, OT Chris Kuper along with injured rooks WR Dominick Hixon and OG/C Greg Eslinger, the O is pretty well set for the next few years. The LBs are a solid unit, so I would hope that Shanhan would look for immediate stud D-line help in the draft along with quality depth for all D positions, especially LB & the secondary – the current starters can provide depth on the D-line. Make no mistake – the reason for the D collapse begins & ends with Shanahan, and his not giving Coyer enough tools in the trenches to make the D work. I agree with everything stated here, especially the part about Shanahan virtually ignoring special teams. Do they even have a special teams coach? My opinion on the D-line is this: early in the year they played well, because they were fresh, and Denver didn't have any injuries yet (especially in the secondary). Later on, they looked tired and worn down, but instead of giving the line help by rushing some linebackers or a safety, they were content just to rush four guys, and that ended up killing them. This is where I think Coyer faltered, by not blitzing enough late in the season with the linebackers and safetys. Maybe they are going to switch to a 3-4 next year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 part of me liked coyer, but another part of me has been thinking this needed to happen for quite a while. coyer's schemes seem to work great against poor-to-middling competition. but the way they've folded like a house of cards against pitt last year in the playoffs, against indy every time we've played them, against SD this year -- i know those are pretty good teams and everything, but teams with a lot less talent on defense played those offenses a helluva lot tougher than the broncos did. i just think a lot of that has to do with coaching. hopefully, they did this with someone specific in mind they want to bring in. we'll see. Bingo. I'm hoping to see Jim Mora Jr. as the Broncos DC next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 And they hire Jim Bates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Posted January 11, 2007 Share Posted January 11, 2007 Great hire. I'm fine with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted January 11, 2007 Author Share Posted January 11, 2007 And they hire Jim Bates. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! Now if he'll just go after some significant D-line talent in the draft.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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