Shanahan, offense seem stuck in 20th century - The Orange Mane

HEAV · 12-25-2007, 02:13 PM

By Mark Kiszla
The Denver Post

DIEGO — Broncos coach Mike Shanahan became a grandpa for the first time this year.

He does not look old. But, too often, Shanahan acts stuck in his ways on the football field.

There is no grandfather clause for offensive genius in the NFL. You either innovate or grow old.

During the past two seasons, the scoring production of Denver is down a disturbing 20 percent from the peak efficiency Shanahan established during his first decade on the job.

On a blue Christmas Eve, when the Broncos looked lost against San Diego, the offensive game plan designed by Shanahan and his coaching staff appeared tired, stale and dated.

Final score: Chargers 23, Denver 3. But all you had to do is read the faces of the Broncos to calculate the magnitude of a 6-9 team's frustration.

There was safety John Lynch earning a 15- yard penalty for tossing the helmet of San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson.

Denver quarterback Jay Cutler took an earful of smack talk from Chargers counterpart Philip Rivers on the field and could not answer back with so much as a touchdown.

But maybe offensive lineman Matt Lepsis put it best: With these Broncos, it is sometimes difficult to find a pulse.

"We were frustrated all game long," Cutler said. "Struggled on third down, struggled in turnovers, struggled in the red zone. Offensively, we can't play like that and win."

Remember when all the Broncos had to do to score a touchdown was for John Elway to glance at Terrell Davis?

No more. In two games this season against the best team in their division, the Broncos did not reach the end zone against San Diego.

In an iPod world, Shanahan's CD player is stuck on the same old songs from the 1990s. Sounding very much like a baby boomer caught behind the curve, Shanahan recently poked fun at himself, talking about being introduced to the video game "Guitar Hero" by his son.

Of course, there are all kinds of newfangled toys and gadgets for which the appeal seems lost on grandpa Shanahan. Ever try e-mailing him? Good luck.

Worse, the Denver offense is now having trouble keeping pace with developments in the 21st century. Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are blinding Shanahan with science.

After taking the job with the Broncos in 1995, Shanahan's offense averaged a remarkable 25 points per game for 11 long years, and scored nearly 1,000 during the stretch of two regular seasons that saw Denver win the Super Bowl.

But since longtime confidante Gary Kubiak left Denver for Texas, Shanahan has watched his offense average a tick under 20 points in the past 31 games.

It's probably no coincidence Denver has not sent a single offensive player to the Pro Bowl in that time span. The problem, however, is greater than the sum of Cutler's inexperience and unfortunate injuries.

There's no gentle way to discuss what's gone wrong.

It appears Shanahan has lost the heart of the gambler, a trait that had him constantly raising the ante every time he held the play card in his hands.

The Broncos sometimes appear almost meek on offense. Their conservative approach no longer can be blamed on lack of trust in former quarterback Jake Plummer, who was off having himself a happy holiday and certainly could not be blamed for this debacle in San Diego, where the Broncos looked like accidental tourists, begging for directions to the beach.

Maybe general manager Ted Sundquist will be made the scapegoat for not providing Shanahan with adequate talent. And the mistakes of inexperience legitimately can be blamed for the Broncos too often walking away from the red zone with red faces.

The Chargers dictated and dominated. "It didn't surprise me," Shanahan said. "We had penalties, we had turnovers, we didn't score in the red zone. You do that against this football team, they've got a chance to embarrass you."

But want to know the real truth?

Shanahan, once known as the sharpest offensive innovator in the NFL, is looking sad and nostalgic for the '90s. The mastermind has lost his groove.

Florida_Bronco · 12-25-2007, 02:17 PM

Right Kiszla, so having a 2nd year quarterback, all the injuries and at times poor play from the O-line doesn't figure into it right?

This offense has the makings of a powerhouse, but it just wasn't meant to be this year and I don't think it has anything to do with Shanahan at all.

Hopefully he is reading these things and taking them to heart, so he can make these people eat their words when we come out in 2008 and light up defenses across the NFL.

NFLBRONCO · 12-25-2007, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Florida_Bronco

Right Kiszla, so having a 2nd year quarterback, all the injuries and at times poor play from the O-line doesn't figure into it right?

This offense has the makings of a powerhouse, but it just wasn't meant to be this year and I don't think it has anything to do with Shanahan at all.

Hopefully he is reading these things and taking them to heart, so he can make these people eat their words when we come out in 2008 and light up defenses across the NFL.

I like Shanny like alot too but, all the blame deflects from him amazing. He deserves plenty of blame other teams have injuries and play harder and tougher. His red zone offense is as predictable as a daily sunrise. Unless we hit on all our moves I expect to hear same excuses we hear every year next year.

FrontRowSeat1 · 12-25-2007, 02:51 PM

Once the lead dog begins to falter, the rest of the team begins to fail. Our lead dog is out of touch.

Florida_Bronco · 12-25-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NFLBRONCO

I like Shanny like alot too but, all the blame deflects from him amazing. He deserves plenty of blame other teams have injuries and play harder and tougher. His red zone offense is as predictable as a daily sunrise. Unless we hit on all our moves I expect to hear same excuses we hear every year next year.

With all the youth on our offense plus the injuries, I can understand why he was hesitant to try and get creative down there.

enjolras · 12-25-2007, 03:27 PM

You do have to wonder how the departure of Kubiak and Gibbs plays into all of this.

NFLBRONCO · 12-25-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enjolras

You do have to wonder how the departure of Kubiak and Gibbs plays into all of this.

Alot it seems but, to be fair Kubes is younger and still eager because its his first HC gig lets see him in 13 yrs.

L.A. BRONCOS FAN · 12-25-2007, 04:12 PM

Shanahan needs to step down as GM. Year after year, he fails to address the same fundamental problems, e.g., the D line, etc. Firing a DC whose defense was the main reason we were 13-3 and one game away from the SB was an idiotic move also.

Broncomutt · 12-25-2007, 04:22 PM

Great article.

Doesn't say Shanny is a bad coach, just implies that he's lost the fire and ability to innovate.

Reading my mind.

Los Broncos · 12-25-2007, 04:28 PM

This season cant end fast enough, i look forward to a fresh start next season.

FrontRowSeat1 · 12-25-2007, 04:32 PM

what other assistants are going to bail from The good Ship Shanny?

NFLBRONCO · 12-25-2007, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrontRowSeat1

what other assistants are going to bail from The good Ship Shanny?

I wonder if Dinger might leave

Popps · 12-25-2007, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enjolras

You do have to wonder how the departure of Kubiak and Gibbs plays into all of this.

Man, you wouldn't have believed this board when Kubiak was here. There were maybe two or three of us who defended the guy. Literally, everyone else bagged on him as a stooge, a puppet and he was routinely blamed for the offensive woes. You had the Griese crowd blaming Kubiak for Griese's shortcomings. (When they weren't blaming Shanahan.)

I always liked Kubiak. But, coaches move on and you have to be able to find talented replacements.

I'll tell you one thing, we have NO QB coach right now. I don't care what our list of 423 coaches says. NO one is coaching Jay Cutler.

FrontRowSeat1 · 12-25-2007, 05:05 PM

Its all about what have you done for me lately. When assistants realize Shannys star is falling they will run like thieves

Casper Bronco · 12-25-2007, 05:09 PM

I don't think that he is stuck. I just don't think he coaches like he did when he had Elway. He would take chances with Elway at the helm. I think they are just too conservative right now. I think in the near future he will turn this offense loose.

TheDave · 12-25-2007, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casper Bronco

I don't think that he is stuck. I just don't think he coaches like he did when he had Elway. He would take chances with Elway at the helm. I think they are just too conservative right now. I think in the near future he will turn this offense loose.

In Fairness he had a HOF QB, TE, RB and the best Oline this team has ever seen... hell the scrubbs of that teams offense were Rod Smith and Eddie Mac. It's pretty easy to take chances with that talent level.

This year he made do with a 2nd year QB a 2nd year #1 WR a handful of undrafted rookie RB's and a patchwork Oline... I think the inconsistant perfarmances has much more to do with talent and less to do with coaching.

Kaylore · 12-25-2007, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NFLBRONCO

other teams have injuries and play harder and tougher.

Oh really? Like whot? Name the team that has 13 starters go down injured during the season and "plays harder". Please, I am so eager to know of all these other awesome teams that are making us look bad because they not only don't get worse when they get injured, but play harder.

Florida_Bronco · 12-25-2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Oh really? Like whot? Name the team that has 13 starters go down injured during the season and "plays harder". Please, I am so eager to know of all these other awesome teams that are making us look bad because they not only don't get worse when they get injured, but play harder.

Ummmm...uhhh....well there is a....

.

(crickets chirping)

~Crash~ · 12-25-2007, 07:45 PM

NE several years ago that is about it ...

telluride · 12-25-2007, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lynchmob72

This season cant end fast enough, i look forward to a fresh start next season.

If Shanny is still here, it won't be a fresh start.

summerdenver · 12-25-2007, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaylore

Oh really? Like whot? Name the team that has 13 starters go down injured during the season and "plays harder". Please, I am so eager to know of all these other awesome teams that are making us look bad because they not only don't get worse when they get injured, but play harder.

I can think of only Was and NYG who have lost some key players during the season but still made the playoffs. Having said that i don't think we played without heart in the games i have seen. For the most part we were outplayed.

The strange part of the injuries we had this year was that most of them were on offense - Ekuban was the only starter whom we lost on the defensive side for a significant period of time. I think we played better that we porbably should have on off and underachieved on def.

summerdenver · 12-25-2007, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by telluride

If Shanny is still here, it won't be a fresh start.

Please stop it man. I can't think of another coach (even BB) who could have done better with our roster and the bad calls we got this year.

Rigs11 · 12-25-2007, 08:05 PM

dammit don't you guys know it's never shanny's fault. Seriously all this homerism is sickening. Injuries and young players excuse is bs.There are other teams out there that have these concerns and still find ways to win.Shanny is a has been, plain and simple.

rastaman · 12-25-2007, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rigs11

dammit don't you guys know it's never shanny's fault. Seriously all this homerism is sickening. Injuries and young players excuse is bs.There are other teams out there that have these concerns and still find ways to win.Shanny is a has been, plain and simple.

Which teams would that be? With only a 53 man roster and salary cap, its very difficult to stack your team with enough talent and backups to fill in for you when you have key injuries to starting players. Point is key injuries to your starters while replacing your injured players with inexperienced unproven players is a recipe for disaster.

The Chargers, Steelers,Patriots, Indy, Packers, Dallas, etc do not have injuries to key starters on their teams; as a results these teams have made the playoffs and expect to do well in the playoffs as well.

Injuries are a part of Football and you deal with these injuries as a team as best you can.

yavoon · 12-25-2007, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rastaman

Which teams would that be? With only a 53 man roster and salary cap, its very difficult to stack your team with enough talent and backups to fill in for you when you have key injuries to starting players. Point is key injuries to your starters while replacing your injured players with inexperienced unproven players is a recipe for disaster.

The Chargers, Steelers,Patriots, Indy, Packers, Dallas, etc do not have injuries to key starters on their teams; as a results these teams have made the playoffs and expect to do well in the playoffs as well.

Injuries are a part of Football and you deal with these injuries as a team as best you can.

so losing the most expensive defensive player in football and the very cornerstone that makes ur defensive strategy possible, along w/ a HOF #1 WR is not being injured? or are u refering to when the colts marched onto the field w/ a total of 6 offensive linemen healthy on the entire roster?

or perhaps when they lost clark/gonzalez for periods. or maybe when some of their linebackers went down?

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12-25-2007, 02:13 PM	#1
HEAV Ring of Famer It's about the Team Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Ville Posts: 12,077 Adopt-a-Bronco: Brian Dawkins	Shanahan, offense seem stuck in 20th century By Mark Kiszla The Denver Post DIEGO — Broncos coach Mike Shanahan became a grandpa for the first time this year. He does not look old. But, too often, Shanahan acts stuck in his ways on the football field. There is no grandfather clause for offensive genius in the NFL. You either innovate or grow old. During the past two seasons, the scoring production of Denver is down a disturbing 20 percent from the peak efficiency Shanahan established during his first decade on the job. On a blue Christmas Eve, when the Broncos looked lost against San Diego, the offensive game plan designed by Shanahan and his coaching staff appeared tired, stale and dated. Final score: Chargers 23, Denver 3. But all you had to do is read the faces of the Broncos to calculate the magnitude of a 6-9 team's frustration. There was safety John Lynch earning a 15- yard penalty for tossing the helmet of San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Denver quarterback Jay Cutler took an earful of smack talk from Chargers counterpart Philip Rivers on the field and could not answer back with so much as a touchdown. But maybe offensive lineman Matt Lepsis put it best: With these Broncos, it is sometimes difficult to find a pulse. "We were frustrated all game long," Cutler said. "Struggled on third down, struggled in turnovers, struggled in the red zone. Offensively, we can't play like that and win." Remember when all the Broncos had to do to score a touchdown was for John Elway to glance at Terrell Davis? No more. In two games this season against the best team in their division, the Broncos did not reach the end zone against San Diego. In an iPod world, Shanahan's CD player is stuck on the same old songs from the 1990s. Sounding very much like a baby boomer caught behind the curve, Shanahan recently poked fun at himself, talking about being introduced to the video game "Guitar Hero" by his son. Of course, there are all kinds of newfangled toys and gadgets for which the appeal seems lost on grandpa Shanahan. Ever try e-mailing him? Good luck. Worse, the Denver offense is now having trouble keeping pace with developments in the 21st century. Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are blinding Shanahan with science. After taking the job with the Broncos in 1995, Shanahan's offense averaged a remarkable 25 points per game for 11 long years, and scored nearly 1,000 during the stretch of two regular seasons that saw Denver win the Super Bowl. But since longtime confidante Gary Kubiak left Denver for Texas, Shanahan has watched his offense average a tick under 20 points in the past 31 games. It's probably no coincidence Denver has not sent a single offensive player to the Pro Bowl in that time span. The problem, however, is greater than the sum of Cutler's inexperience and unfortunate injuries. There's no gentle way to discuss what's gone wrong. It appears Shanahan has lost the heart of the gambler, a trait that had him constantly raising the ante every time he held the play card in his hands. The Broncos sometimes appear almost meek on offense. Their conservative approach no longer can be blamed on lack of trust in former quarterback Jake Plummer, who was off having himself a happy holiday and certainly could not be blamed for this debacle in San Diego, where the Broncos looked like accidental tourists, begging for directions to the beach. Maybe general manager Ted Sundquist will be made the scapegoat for not providing Shanahan with adequate talent. And the mistakes of inexperience legitimately can be blamed for the Broncos too often walking away from the red zone with red faces. The Chargers dictated and dominated. "It didn't surprise me," Shanahan said. "We had penalties, we had turnovers, we didn't score in the red zone. You do that against this football team, they've got a chance to embarrass you." But want to know the real truth? Shanahan, once known as the sharpest offensive innovator in the NFL, is looking sad and nostalgic for the '90s. The mastermind has lost his groove.

12-25-2007, 02:17 PM	#2
Florida_Bronco Got trolls? Welcome to Mile High, Brady! Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 13,810 Adopt-a-Bronco: Brady Quinn	Right Kiszla, so having a 2nd year quarterback, all the injuries and at times poor play from the O-line doesn't figure into it right? This offense has the makings of a powerhouse, but it just wasn't meant to be this year and I don't think it has anything to do with Shanahan at all. Hopefully he is reading these things and taking them to heart, so he can make these people eat their words when we come out in 2008 and light up defenses across the NFL.

12-25-2007, 02:51 PM	#4
FrontRowSeat1 Solid Starter New to the Forum Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 148 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Once the lead dog begins to falter, the rest of the team begins to fail. Our lead dog is out of touch.

12-25-2007, 03:27 PM	#6
enjolras Ring of Famer Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6,941	You do have to wonder how the departure of Kubiak and Gibbs plays into all of this.

12-25-2007, 04:12 PM	#8
L.A. BRONCOS FAN Mo' holla fo' yo' dolla! Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: In a bunker in an undisclosed location Posts: 52,694	Shanahan needs to step down as GM. Year after year, he fails to address the same fundamental problems, e.g., the D line, etc. Firing a DC whose defense was the main reason we were 13-3 and one game away from the SB was an idiotic move also.

12-25-2007, 04:22 PM	#9
Broncomutt Truth is.... Goliath never stood a chance. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Waxhaw, NC Posts: 1,092	Great article. Doesn't say Shanny is a bad coach, just implies that he's lost the fire and ability to innovate. Reading my mind.

12-25-2007, 04:28 PM	#10
Los Broncos Ring of farmers Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Anaheim Hills, Santa Ana Mountains CA Posts: 18,766 Adopt-a-Bronco: Ryan Clady	This season cant end fast enough, i look forward to a fresh start next season.

12-25-2007, 04:32 PM	#11
FrontRowSeat1 Solid Starter New to the Forum Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 148 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	what other assistants are going to bail from The good Ship Shanny?

12-25-2007, 05:05 PM	#14
FrontRowSeat1 Solid Starter New to the Forum Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 148 Adopt-a-Bronco: None	Its all about what have you done for me lately. When assistants realize Shannys star is falling they will run like thieves

12-25-2007, 05:09 PM	#15
Casper Bronco All Ready!! Gettin Greedy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Casper, WY Posts: 371	I don't think that he is stuck. I just don't think he coaches like he did when he had Elway. He would take chances with Elway at the helm. I think they are just too conservative right now. I think in the near future he will turn this offense loose.

12-25-2007, 07:45 PM	#19
~Crash~ My new dog Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 6,600 Adopt-a-Bronco: Kuper	NE several years ago that is about it ...

12-25-2007, 08:05 PM	#23
Rigs11 Ring of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 7,829	dammit don't you guys know it's never shanny's fault. Seriously all this homerism is sickening. Injuries and young players excuse is bs.There are other teams out there that have these concerns and still find ways to win.Shanny is a has been, plain and simple.