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Posts Tagged ‘Head Coach Josh McDaniels’

Making Their Mark

December 2nd, 2010 - 3:27pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

With four starters in the secondary with at least nine years of NFL experience, there’s not much the veteran unit hasn’t seen on the football field.

That’s good news for safety Kyle McCarthy and the three other rookies who have emerged in supporting roles throughout the season.

“It’s huge,” said McCarthy, who has played all six games since being promoted from the practice squad on Oct. 16. “It gives you a sense of calm knowing they’re out there with you and if you have a question they can help you out.”

McCarthy along with rookie cornerbacks Perrish Cox, Cassius Vaughn and Syd’Quan Thompson have all seen time on defense this season, showcasing an ability to adapt to the pro game quickly. They all are playing roles on special teams with many practicing at multiple defensive positions, putting an added emphasis on being prepared each Sunday.

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‘No Excuses’

November 29th, 2010 - 3:19pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

 

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.”

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Friends and Foes

November 26th, 2010 - 3:21pm by Gabe HiattOther posts by

Head Coach Josh McDaniels and his Rams counterpart Steve Spagnuolo have taken parallel paths to the peak of professional football.

Each man accepted his first NFL head coaching gig in 2009, and both of them contributed to Super Bowl championships with other franchises. McDaniels won three titles with the Patriots, but his New England team fell to Spagnuolo’s Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

Spagnuolo spent his last two years in New York as the defensive coordinator, while McDaniels served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for his final three years in New England. The coaches forged a mutual respect through their quick rise up the ranks in professional coaching.

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Time to Give Thanks

November 25th, 2010 - 2:30pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

Last year at this time, the Broncos were preparing to play the Giants in a primetime Thanksgiving night clash.

This season, Head Coach Josh McDaniels had the opportunity to give his players and coaches the most conventional holiday possible by NFL standards.

McDaniels moved up Thursday morning’s practice to ensure the players had the afternoon off to spend with their families. The coaches worked late on Tuesday night to get ahead on gameplanning normally reserved for Thursday, so they’ll have a little extra time away from the Dove Valley training facility, too.

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Tough Adjusting

November 23rd, 2010 - 4:14pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

The Broncos offense went 69 yards in six plays for a touchdown on the opening drive of last night’s 35-14 loss in San Diego. During its final 11 possessions, Denver picked up 169 yards total and just seven more points.

On Tuesday morning, Head Coach Josh McDaniels gave the Chargers credit for making defensive adjustments that his team never solved.

The head coach said the Chargers, who blitz on about 40 percent of plays, backed off the pressure significantly after the first drive and focused on taking away Kyle Orton’s sideline passing lanes.

“That took some adjusting on their part because they had to leave some of their comfort zone I am sure and go to some different things, but that was something they tried to do and we tried to combat it,” McDaniels said. “We didn’t do it very well, and the game ended up becoming more of a catch up game for us.”

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Striking a Balance

November 19th, 2010 - 5:24pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

The package of plays designed for Tim Tebow showcased a new wrinkle in Sunday’s win against Kansas City when the rookie quarterback tossed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Larsen.

Besides ensuring Tebow heads into Week 11 with a sparkling 118.8 passer rating, McDaniels said the play represents a natural progression for the package.

After a run in a similar situation earlier in the game on which Tebow scored a rushing touchdown, the coaching staff saw the Chiefs overplaying for the run and trusted Tebow to make the play with his arm.

“I think now everybody knows we will throw it with him,” McDaniels said. “It is just a matter of picking your spots there.”

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A Position of Strength

November 17th, 2010 - 4:46pm by Gabe HiattOther posts by

Last week against the Chiefs, the linebacker corps contributed four sacks, a forced fumble and a touchdown to the winning effort. On Wednesday, the unit potentially became even deeper.

For the first time in more than a month, Robert Ayers stepped onto the practice field. Before suffering a foot injury in Week 5 at Baltimore, the second-year linebacker had tallied 1.5 sacks and earned a game ball from Head Coach Josh McDaniels after the win at Tennessee for his run-stuffing performance against Chris Johnson.

McDaniels said the team will take their time evaluating Ayers as the week goes on.

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The First Step

November 16th, 2010 - 2:07am by mike_riceOther posts by

One game will not erase all the issues of a 2-6 first half of the season.

But Sunday’s 49-29 thumping of the Chiefs sure is a good start.

The Broncos came out prepared, focused and executing to near perfection in the blowout. Arguably, it was the team’s best performance in Josh McDaniels’ year-and-a-half as head coach. The timing could not have been better.

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‘The Life of a Fullback’

November 15th, 2010 - 3:51pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

Spencer Larsen came into the season without an offensive touch in his NFL career.

In Sunday’s 49-29 win against the Chiefs, the Broncos fullback-linebacker turned full-time fullback continued to show why the team has entrusted him with the position.

After earning four touches total in his first five games of the season, Larsen got the ball three times Sunday, showcasing himself as another weapon in a versatile attack.

The 26-year-old picked up a pair of rushing first downs in short-yardage situations, including a career-long 14-yard scamper in the third-quarter, and added his first career touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Tim Tebow.

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Coats Added

November 9th, 2010 - 4:51pm by Eric DetweilerOther posts by

Daniel Coats arrived in Denver on Monday and almost immediately started studying his new team’s playbook.

By this morning, the fourth-year tight end was adequately pleased with his progress.

“It’s difficult because it’s a lot different than what I’ve been doing, but a lot of it makes sense, so it should come pretty quickly,” Coats said. “Right now, I’m just working on it.”

As the Broncos began gearing up for the season’s second half Tuesday, they added Coats to the active roster and waived defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith.

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