A day after the Broncos lost for the sixth time in seven games when their spirited fourth-quarter rally fell short against the Rams, Head Coach Josh McDaniels explained some of the factors behind his team’s disappointing 3-8 record.
The head coach concluded there are no easy answers to his team’s recent inconsistency but took responsibility for that lack of success.
“I’ll be the first one to stand up and say, ‘I can do a better job doing what I’m doing,’ but I think that again, this is a team game — a situation where you have to have a lot of people do the right thing and execute it at a high level,” McDaniels said. “We’re playing against really well-coached and really well-put-together teams that play hard every week too.”
Earlier in the press conference, McDaniels vowed to focus on what he can control through the season’s final five games and continue to do his best to put the team in position to win on a week-to-week basis. The head coach pointed out that consistency remains a major goal for a team that has showed flashes of brilliance in recent weeks, such as a 49-29 home win against Kansas City on Nov. 14 and yesterday’s 20-point fourth quarter against the Rams.
It’s a positive outlook McDaniels hopes will serve his team well down the stretch of the season that includes three more division rematches and plenty of opportunities to show progress in many phases of the game despite a difficult last few weeks.
“There are no excuses — everybody else has injuries, everybody else has to fight through adversities, everybody else has to play home games and road games, everybody else has to deal with in-game problems or something that comes up on game day and everybody else — every once in awhile — gets outplayed or outcoached, because that’s just this league and it’s so competitive,” McDaniels said. “It’s not luck either. It’s not luck. You have to make yourself win in this league. You don’t just try to get close and then hope. That’s a bad game plan and I think our guys are still determined to try to go out there and play good football and coach good football — and that’s what it comes down to.”
AYERS RETURNS
After missing six games with a foot injury, Robert Ayers didn’t wait to make his presence felt on Sunday afternoon.
On the Rams’ first offensive play from scrimmage, Sam Bradford handed off to Steven Jackson. Ayers read the play quickly and dropped the former Pro Bowler for a 1-yard gain, setting the tone for a defensive effort that held Jackson to 2.5 yards per carry.
After the team’s 36-33 loss, Ayers, who finished the game with two tackles, remained positive about his first action since Oct. 10 in Baltimore.
“It felt real good,” Ayers said. “I was excited to be out there. The foot held up great. It didn’t bother me the whole game. I felt good cardio-wise. I just wish we could’ve got the win.”
The second-year linebacker warmed up before Monday night’s Week 11 game in San Diego but was ultimately not active. After another week of practice — this time with full participation — Ayers was more ready health-wise to play.
On Monday, McDaniels said Ayers showed signs of “rust from the time off,” such as when he got caught too far inside on a reverse and allowed Danny Amendola to get outside. But overall the head coach was pleased with the youngster’s progress in his return and hopeful he’ll continue to improve over the team’s final five games.
“I thought he’s getting back into that physical part of his game, which is really the thing you can’t work on for six-seven weeks when you’re not out there practicing,” McDaniels said. “He started to make some strides as the game went on in some of his bull rush techniques and did a decent job in the running game.”
INJURY UPDATE
McDaniels began his press session by announcing that Andre’ Goodman, Demaryius Thomas and Brian Dawkins will each likely miss Sunday’s game in Kansas City.
Goodman (hip) and Thomas (ankle) each missed yesterday’s game, while Dawkins hurt his knee in the third quarter of the loss.
McDaniels said Darcel McBath (quadricep) has a chance to play against the Chiefs after missing Sunday’s game, and Joe Mays, Jabar Gaffney, David Bruton and Kevin Vickerson sustained injuries against the Rams but “should be OK” as the week goes forward.
Tags: 2010, Denver Broncos, Head Coach Josh McDaniels, Robert Ayers, St. Louis Rams, Week 12
Whoever this rogue agent is, I would like to shake his hand.
It’s funny, in that quote he doesn’t deny that he said all those things. He’s just disappointed they were leaked out.
Gruden loves Tebow and will use him correctly. If we need to start a fund to get him to Denver I think we (the fans) should start it. I got 100 bucks down right now! This makes some much sense…pls Mr.B hire John Gruden today!
Yeah, I said in another blog that if he succeeds in getting McD fired, it seems obvious he has a beef with him, he should receive the keys to the City, haha.
Haha. And a spot in the Broncos ring of fame!
lol
atwaters da man,
I think most of us would love to see Gruden. But even despite his interest in the University of Miami job, I don’t think he’s going anywhere soon. He seems really happy on Monday Night Football.
Wow. I love all my Broncos Bretheren and Sisteren no matter what.
I see too much speculation. From what I’ve seen at Training Camp, first hand, and read from player interviews, it seems McDaniels is very consistent in what he drills the team and each player in.
Almost every player from Brandon Marshall to Brandon Lloyd has even said the coach knows what he’s doing, and execution on the player’s parts is the majority of the issues. We can see the difference like night and day with Orton from last season to this season, in terms of being familiar (and more importantly comfortable) with plays and schemes… Once We start seeing consistency from the players, and again, this will take time. Then I can judge how the coach’s performance has truly impacted the team’s.
But it just seems like if We get rid of a coach without giving a good three seasons to judge, We may start that revolving door at HC, like We’ve had with DC…. Oye, no one wants that.
The main example people always go back to (still and I can’t believe how naive) is Cutler. For all We know, he was trying to get Cassell as a backup for Cutler. Bottom line is, one must sift through what is truth(fact) from what is speculation, aka none of Us KNOW for sure wtf happened with all that – did the Patriots initiate talks or did McD? Did Cutler really straight up dis Pat Bowlen and not even attempt to call him back? None of Us will know for sure, that’s the naive part, is thinking that We do. I support the Broncos, period.
I welcome and enjoy constructive criticism from my fellow fans, I just can’t stand having fellow fans address Our Head Coach so childishly…. Namecalling, etc…That’s like freakin’ Todd Haley maturity level LoL!!! Seriously though, We’re all hoping for the same thing right? Which is Wins!!! Thanks for the honest rebuttal, and LoL milehigh88!
Keep drinking the Kool-Aid,but don’t expect us to drink it with you.
He wasn’t trying to get Cassel as a backup for Cutler PJ, I’m sorry. The deal would have sent Cassell to Denver, Cutler to Tampa, and Tampa’s 1st rounder to New England.
At least that’s what the report was. And then Belicheck stabbed McD in the back by sending Cassel to KC. Haha. Maybe he doesn’t even like McD.
It amazes me that even by now some fans haven’t yet realized that McD constantly brings controversy in our organization. I honestly could care less about how he might one day be good enough to bring us wins, I just simply don’t want to have a man of his character in charge of our team. Plain as that, childish or not, take it like a man.
Accountability. That is all I’m asking for. He decided to stir the pot..and this is what happens when you get paid millions of dollars to do what millions and millions of people would love to do for a living. He has lost 15 of the last 21 games (I think the record is actually worse) and deserves to get fired. Pretty plain and simple to me. Bring in Gruden..and lets turn this thing around.
Go -Broncos!
I honestly think that some of the fans have more common sense then McD and I have tried to support him. I really have…I have had gallons and gallons of Kool Aid…trust me
Bay, to go along with what you said, I know this sounds crazy but if McD stuck around and somehow (miraculously) brought us a Super Bowl ring or two, I probably wouldn’t even be happy about it. Maybe that makes me a bad fan, fine. But like you I can’t respect anything this man does. He has completely destroyed the integrity of what was once the classiest franchise in all of professional sports.
So even if he did win a bunch of championships (which he won’t), I would consider those accomplishments tainted because of the way he’s handled things so far.
atwater,
I had gallons of that Kool Aid too, but I finally peed it all out.
When the team was in the hunt for a new coach I really got excited about getting Spagnoulo but when McDaniels was named our coach I thought it was a really good decision. I was so wrong.
Rebuild a team that needed no rebuilding in the first place? Really?
McD was the one who dismantled the entire team.
The first thing he does is to get rid of the person in charge or personnel decisions, Mr Jim Goodman, so he gets all the power.
Then comes the Cutler fiasco.
(The next paragraph is about McD. Not about Cutler.)
A lot of you guys don’t like Cutler at all. I do like him. I really do. I know he is inconsistent and immature. But that’s part of a coach’s job, isn’t? To improve players, to take advantage of their pros and minimize the errors. From the very start McD knew he wasn’t capable of coaching Cutler. McD went the easy way trying to bring a guy he already knew. He failed. Then he lied. That was just the start of it all.
Then he brought Orton, who was sold to us as a “game manager”. Can you say that again? Are you really sure he can actually manage a game?
And what about Marshall, Sheffler, Hillis? He plainly could coach them. I can’t believe that there were sooo many “bad seeds” on an offense that played so well with so much chemistry just a year before. (The #3 even with 7 injured RBs)
Personally I don’t think he deserves a third year. He’s not the coach I want to guide this team. Is not like my opinion is SO important but just as valid as any other. And I think many Broncos fans agree.
just imagine us winning the Super Bowl under McD… who would believe we won it without cheating?
Even if we don’t. That kind of stains won’t go away just like that.
sure, jacob, but who got rid of Nolan and brought “Wink” to the Broncos?
What is with the “I can do a better job doing what I’m doing” crap. He needed to finish by saying he can do it somewhere else. Failure and disgrace do not belong in this organization.
I would love to see Gruden riding Thunder out at next years home opener. We have had good luck with ex-raider coaches. He commands respect, not demands it or your gone.
Zombified, Thats true, But who blitz on 3rd and 15 and leaves Bdawk one on one with sproles brian isnt as fast as he was back in the day and brian got burned bad
I used to agree with you, PJ, but now I can’t in good conscience. I want Dick LeBeau as the new HC.
Dick LeBeau would be a huge upgrade!
Either LeBeau or Ron Rivera would be a great move
Dick Lebeau or Gruden would be at the top of my list.
Actually if you watch MNF,you can easily see how smart John Gruden really is,he’s straight up one of the smartest coaches ever,he sees everything and if you listen a lot of times he will tell you what is going to happen next,plus the man loves TT,he would be my #1 choice and then Lebeau #2.
BFE
jacob,
I’m pretty sure the whole reason Nolan left was because of a “difference of philosophies” with McD. In fact, they both are on record saying that. The truth is, McD seems like the kind of coach who doesn’t allow his coordinators to do what they want to do. After all, he learned from the best at that in New England. Remember Belicheck basically runs the whole show their–offense, defense, special teams, you name it. It seems obvious McD is trying to run this team the same way.
And if that is McD’s style of coaching, then the defense’s blunders are in fact more on McD than on Wink.
Does that clarify anything? I mean, our D started out fantastic last year, but then couldn’t stop anyone the last few games. Now Nolan is gone, his unit is #6 in total defense, and our beloved unit is #27. Maybe, just maybe, McD isn’t letting Wink do things his way, because it sure seems that he never let Nolan do things his way. I know it sounds like I’m looking for anything to blame McD for, but this defense reeks of his stink at every position.
I would love Lebeau as well, but I seem to remember him saying he plans to retire as Steelers DC. Bummer for us, lucky for them.
I’m guessing the next coach will be someone no one has even thought of yet.
I say Dom Capers. He knows his stuff about as well as Lebeau.
Gruden already said he wants to stay as a TV commentator. At least they said so on NFL Network when the Miami job was offered to him.
Funk,
I could go along with your 3 season request if I could see the team improving year on year, and the performance improving during the season, but none of that is happening here.
The only stat I am interested in is the win column. Orton might have improved because of McD, and leads the league in passing yards, but none of that matters if he cannot find a way to finish off in the redzone.
I could care less about Orton’s stats. They mean nothing. Stats are illusory, and can be made to mean anything. The only stat that matters in fact is the number of wins, that decides everything. And in my mind our W stat since McD arrived means that now is the time for him to go.
Pj, I respect your thoughts and I hope that one more year could make all the difference, but realistically I know it wont. Since McD started in Denver the only real improvement I have seen have been in Orton. I can see how McD has a great offensive mind, but forgive me because I can’t see much more. Week after week I watch our team walk onto the field and the biggest thing I see is the complete lack to recover from a bad play. It seems if we have a negative rush of incomplete pass I can almost always say “well there goes that drive.” I want to see the Broncos begin a drive and build off a good play, McD just doesn’t have his players game ready. Everyone on this site knows we have one of the most talented teams in the league and when we play well we can compete with anyone, but every week there are new players making new mistakes and other players making the same mistakes, we cannot win doing this.
Also, I can’t understand this pattern that I am seeing. Last year we had the 6-0 start and we crashed and burned with 2-8 from there on. This year we started 2-2 (I know not so flashy but we were competitive) It seems to me that as the season goes on we actually get worse or less competitive. One could blame the players for quitting, but I think it stems from the lack of change from McD. We recycle plays like crazy, I honestly watch our offense and there is maybe one or two times a game that I actually say “oh I haven’t seen that play before” Change it up McD!
Pj, I want McD to have success, but at this point I’m not going to hold my breathe. I’m not sure if their going to give him another year, if they do I will support him if they don’t I’ll move on and not think twice.
Go Broncos! Start Tebow!
I meant to mention that seeing Bay quote McD about how great all the other teams are and how difficult it is to win against them reminded me of what DeMarcus Ware said before the Cowboys played the Bears, exactly the same thing.
It seems to be the evergreen excuse but in reality we all know that all the players are of a high calibre, but some have that much more class which sets them apart.
Anyway in a team game the whole point is that you make the team better than its component parts. That is the job of the Head Coach. So whatever way you look at it the buck stops with McD.
This may not be the right time to bring this up, or maybe it is, I remember reading that a KC TV station cameraman was right there filming Haley when he went over for the coaches hand shake at the end of the game and they said that on the tape they could hear Haley say the following to McD while pointing his finger at him: “I know about you”. What do you guys think he meant by that, hmmm…
Yovi, I’m glad you mentioned how plays seem to be recycled over and over. I usually watch the Broncos games with several people and they’re always surprised because I’m predicting just about every offensive play by the third quarter. But if you pay attention, it’s easy to do. McD goes into a game with a handful of packages and formations, but he sticks to those few packages and formations the entire game! He never makes adjustments.
I see Larsen go in motion from one side to the other, or trips left, or the swamp package, or whatever it is, and I can tell you what’s going to happen once the ball is snapped.
It’s so dumb. No wonder we’re so easy to beat. McD basically tells the opposing defense what is coming on every play. He might as well walk over to the other sideline and draw a diagram of what he’s gonna call next for the other team’s DC.
But that’s right, it’s the players who aren’t executing. Surely it’s not the playcalling…
i heard that gruden made a statement and shot down any rumors of the miami job. havent heard anything about not wanting to coach. i think if we made him an offer he would accept.
BTW, I’m watching Arizona, and we definitely should be able to go 4-12, they are just plain awful.
Maybe Haley meant “I know you watch Dancing With the Stars” lol
Or watching some other kind of tapes…???
McD… once again shows his true color. First he throws “video” guy under the bus, then he throws the team under the bus… read his quote: “I’ll be the first one to stand up and say, ‘I can do a better job doing what I’m doing,’ but I think that again, this is a team game — a situation where you have to have a lot of people do the right thing and execute it at a high level,” McDaniels said.”
If I am correct, regardless of how a team, corporation, an organization runs, the “buck” always stops at the one in charge. Sure, players have to play at a level they are paid for; however, failure lies in the coach–hiring assistances, recruiting, practice, game planning, adjustments, EVERYTHING. To tell us that although he is to blame, but then say others need to be held accountable… not sure about that. Players must play; however, I think no one on the team wants to say this… but the season is over and they have nothing to play for.
I hope you know I was being sarcastic Bay haha
The article I read said that Haley told McD,”There’s a lot of (*!#%) being talked about you”.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/broncos/2010-11-29-josh-mcdaniels_N.htm
It’s at the bottom of the article.
Still thinking!
FTR
Hire Gruden!!!
Thanks BFE, it’s been a while but I knew it was something along those lines, makes you wonder what he really meant….
BFE, I was thinking about that very thing today. Haley jesturing a in your face kind of thing. Like he`s saying, dude, you`ve been found out.
And we put up 49 points on them, and everybody here was like “where did that come from?”, even us fans couldn’t believe what we saw, weird.
I was all over Haley at the time, but I take it back now. Maybe he just knew something shady was going on before we did. After the allegations came out, I thought, “Wait, why was I trying so hard to defend McD?” I guess that’s what a 20 point win against a divisional rival does to a fan, it makes you delusional.
Pat Bowlen said to AOL that Josh McDaniels will be the head coach next season. It was on the ESPN hot bar on the Monday Night Game.
NOOOOO!!!!
Hopefully that’s just PR talk.
I’ll take that with a grain of salt, I remember even Ellis when he was interviewed about McD didn’t go there. And Bowlen has talked to no one this year, and now he talked to AOL!?!?!
Yeah, there’s no reason to get too worried yet. After all, owners will say whatever they need to say during the season to prevent players from giving up altogether. If the players and fans think McD is coming back, they’re less like likely to completely turn on him.
The problem is, I think mostly everyone has already.
So hopefully Mr. B is just playing the damage control card.