Aw heck why don't i just say it....we're missing Kubiak!

[chrisp]

Dear old Mr K never got much love on this board when he was here (and I can't honestly say I was much different to anyone else in that respect) but you have to look at the offensive struggles we're having this year and say that, finally - we miss him!

I know its fashionable to blame everything on Jake, but the fact remains that Kubes was able to get a decent season out of him last year which is more than Heimerdinger has managed so far. I'm getting the feeling that he is more responsible for our past offensive success than anybody here has been willing to admit.....

To be fair to Shanny, he always tried to tell people how good Kubiak was but we never listened. The assumption around here - virtually unchallenged - was that the offense would not miss a beat with him gone, but since he has we've seen the running game stutter and jake revert to his 2003/4 'form'.

Surely with Kubiak still in place we would have at least been more likely to have picked up where we left off offensively? Surely that's not a controversial statement? I mean yes, Jake sucks but WHY does he suck SO MUCH MORE than last year?

OK, it may be too early to judge Kubiak's Texas tenure, but even if he fails there as an HC is still doesn't mean he wasn't a good OC - many great DCs and OCs suck at being HCs! Bear in mind also that everywhere that Shanny has been successful he's had Kubes with him - he was QB coach in San fran in the mid-90s when Shanny was OC.

Just thought I'd post it 'cos I hadn't heard it yet.....and I've heard just about everything else as a reason why the offense is struggling.....

[bloodsunday]

Hmmm... I don't know. I think we miss having Lepsis on the OL. I think we miss having a decent TE in the offense. I think we miss having a go-to RB. Where Kubiak fits into all that, I don't know.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

What many are missing in the change from Kubiak to Dinger is that all of the passing routes and calls have changed. Takes time for the changes to settle in.

[bloodsunday]

What many are missing in the change from Kubiak to Dinger is that all of the passing routes and calls have changed. Takes time for the changes to settle in.

There is some truth to this. There is a ton of change this year:
1) Cutler arrived on the scene (could have caused a confidence problem with Jake?)
2) Kubiak is gone (no more buffer between Jake and Shanahan?)
3) 4 new receivers in our top 6 (Kircus, Marshall, Walker, and Scheffler)
4) Dinger's new role and new system

It is SO hard to know what is wrong, but clearly something is.

[broncosteven]

Plummer is erratic at best. I like the changes & formations & cannot wait until Cutler is throwing the deep ball from the 2 TE BIG set & HITTING THE GUYS!

[watermock]

Jesus...the Jake apologists never fail to make excuses. Who do you think wrote the playbook? Did Kubiak steal it and leave us scratching our heads?

We are deficient in several areas, one quite notable. We don't have a real franchise RB, Horrible QB, no pass rush, and a dissapearing act in the secondary on and off.

When LT was rumbling down the field, Lynch just let him go because he knew he was toast. He took a horrible angle and was burned.

We need a new safety...Archuletta would be a start. Insert Jay, get a damn RB that isn't a pussy or backup, and someone who can get to the passer.

There were some questionable calls, but if Jake performs and executes, we win gliding away. He's simply horrible.

[Traveler]

Jesus...the Jake apologists never fail to make excuses. Who do you think wrote the playbook? Did Kubiak steal it and leave us scratching our heads?

We are deficient in several areas, one quite notable. We don't have a real franchise RB, Horrible QB, no pass rush, and a dissapearing act in the secondary on and off.

When LT was rumbling down the field, Lynch just let him go because he knew he was toast. He took a horrible angle and was burned.

We need a new safety...Archuletta would be a start. Insert Jay, get a damn RB that isn't a p***Y or backup, and someone who can get to the passer.

There were some questionable calls, but if Jake performs and executes, we win gliding away. He's simply horrible.


Mock,

Why are you pimping Archuleta? He's been replaced by a washed up Troy Vincent. Get off his wood...please!

[TexanBob]

Archuletta can't even keep his job with the Redskins. Another slow white safety is not the answer.

[chrisp]

Jesus...the Jake apologists never fail to make excuses. Who do you think wrote the playbook? Did Kubiak steal it and leave us scratching our heads?

Oh, I see, becuase I'm not prepared to say that EVERYTHING is Jakes's fault I'm a Jake apologist am I? (a status that seems to be approximately half a notch above a child abuser in your book...) If you actually read my post you will see that I freely admit jake sucks this year. I was merely trying to write a thought-provoking post about the role of coaching. Jake is a mediochre QB that somehow the coaching staff seemed to coax a decent season out of last year. If we did it last year why can't we do it again?

Yes, there have been changes in the playing personnel and a lot of reasons why we have struggled, all I'm trying to suggest is that we add the loss of Kubiak to that list, not that we say its all down to losing him.

But even that seems a bridge too far for some people. I honestly think that some people on the board would rather chew their own arm off than admit that Kubiak was a good OC

[Crushaholic]

Our offense HAS become better in recent weeks as our new components on offense have become more comfortable with playing in the NFL. The problem is that our defense has deteriorated in recent weeks...

[broncosteven]

Our offense HAS become better in recent weeks as our new components on offense have become more comfortable with playing in the NFL. The problem is that our defense has deteriorated in recent weeks...

Our O needs to be able to be able to score more than 17 points at home vs a division rival. We need a QB that does not need a quarter to warm up & get a decent drive from.

[Popps]

There is some truth to this. There is a ton of change this year:
1) Cutler arrived on the scene (could have caused a confidence problem with Jake?)
2) Kubiak is gone (no more buffer between Jake and Shanahan?)
3) 4 new receivers in our top 6 (Kircus, Marshall, Walker, and Scheffler)
4) Dinger's new role and new system

It is SO hard to know what is wrong, but clearly something is.

Good post.

It's a number of things, ranging from QB problems to a whole lot of changes. I mean, we're picking a starting RB on Sunday mornings.... playing without Lepsis and integrating a new #1 receiver.

All of that said, I couldn't agree with the thread more. Our offensive game plan has just looked strange all season long. Run, run, bomb to Walker... run, run... bomb to walker, run.... etc.

There are a TON of plays we could institute to help a struggling QB. The west coast offense is actually very QB friendly in that way. In the past few years, we've seen Jake throwing a ton of short slants to slot receivers. Now, hardly at all.

The lack of TE use has been well documented. Again, some will just say that's all Jake, and there's no doubt Jake has struggled. But, TEs are usually a struggling QBs best friend. Last year, we designed all kinds of plays to hit the TE. It just seems like they're not in the game plan at all this year.

Overall, it's a combination thing. I DO give credence to the notion that Plummer is letting the back-up situation get in his head. All QBs are different. Some respond well to being pushed by another guy, and some respond well to knowing they have the club's confidence. Jake was cool and collected most of last season, and now he's not. Too bad. I would have thought he'd respond better... but again, all guys are motivated differently.

It's definitely a myriad of factors, and a new O.C. is one of them.

[Northman]

The Head Coach has stated himself the system has not changed from last year.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

The Head Coach has stated himself the system has not changed from last year.

The "system" may not have changed, but the play design and the play selection sure the h3ll have changed.

[Northman]

The "system" may not have changed, but the play design and the play selection sure the h3ll have changed.



Than why hasnt Shanahan just come out and said that the new OC is what has been ailing Jake? Sounds like you guys are reaching if you ask me.

[Bronco Bob]

Than why hasnt Shanahan just come out and said that the new OC is what has been ailing Jake? Sounds like you guys are reaching if you ask me.

You expect the Head Coach to throw his OC under the bus?

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Than why hasnt Shanahan just come out and said that the new OC is what has been ailing Jake? Sounds like you guys are reaching if you ask me.

I didn't say that. I said the plays have changed - period.

[bloodsunday]

Than why hasnt Shanahan just come out and said that the new OC is what has been ailing Jake? Sounds like you guys are reaching if you ask me.

Shanny would never do that. Its not his style to make excuses. Even if he believes this he would take responsibility. Like wise he would expect Jake and Dinger to take responsibility for the struggles as well.

[bloodsunday]

The lack of TE use has been well documented. Again, some will just say that's all Jake, and there's no doubt Jake has struggled. But, TEs are usually a struggling QBs best friend. Last year, we designed all kinds of plays to hit the TE. It just seems like they're not in the game plan at all this year.

yeah I should have mentioned that they expected a TE and a RB to step up and no one really has. I think they got some talent in both spots, but it has not translated into production just yet. I liked what I saw out of Mike Bell/Nash combo last night though. The TE seems to be protecting our tackles a bit which probably contributes to why they have disappeared.

[Popps]

The Head Coach has stated himself the system has not changed from last year.

The overall system probably hasn't. Individual play-calling sure looks different.

[Play2win]

The only thing missing from not having Kubes here is the coddling and babysitting of our QB.

Next year, with Cutler, Dinger will open things up and make everybody forget about Kubiak.