Lombardi's Take on McDaniels

The best analyst out there, Michael Lombardi, gave his impression of Josh McDaniels and evaluated what lies ahead for the new Head Coach of the Denver Broncos:


BACKGROUND
When he was hired by the Broncos in January, McDaniels, 33, was the youngest coach in the NFL (Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris, 32, has since assumed that distinction). McDaniels was born to coach: His father, Thom, is a successful high school coach in Ohio. Josh, after a successful playing career at John Carroll University, got his first job working for Nick Saban at Michigan State as a graduate assistant. On Saban’s recommendation, he moved to New England to work in the personnel department before transitioning into coaching. In the Bill Belichick program, cplayers and plays. Working for two of the top coaches in the game and learning the lessons taught by his successful father have helped McDaniels on his fast track to coaching in the NFL.

LES STECKEL EFFECT
McDaniels has full control of the roster and the full backing of owner Pat Bowlen. This support allowed McDaniels to make the call on trading quarterback Jay Cutler and starting his regime with Kyle Orton at the oaches and scouts at times become interchangeable parts, learning the essentials of both helm.
When McDaniels took the job in Denver, many in the NFL viewed it as the best job in the league because the team had a budding star at quarterback. But for whatever reason, it didn’t work. Now, McDaniels must make it work with Orton as he installs his unique offense, which will feature multiple looks, formations and packages.
With the Cutler trade, he got the team’s attention – there’s a new sheriff in town. With the power to hire and fire, McDaniels will have the players’ full attention when he stands in front of them at team meetings. There won’t be any question who’s in charge, and with a good, solid foundation of veteran players on the team, there will be cooperation between players and coaches.

THEY DIDN’T TELL ME THIS WOULD HAPPEN
McDaniels inherited a team built to score points but a defense that’s poorly constructed. Since 2003, the Broncos have drafted eight first-day (rounds 1-3) defensive players and have one starter to show for those efforts. In the 2006 and 2008 seasons, they didn’t select a defensive player on the first day. It’s no wonder the 2008 season was so bad on defense. It’s hard to play good defense when you don’t address your needs. As you look over the Broncos’ defensive roster, there are only two draft picks from previous years in the starting lineup. It’s hard to mix and match defensive talent and expect to put a quality product on the field. Elvis Dumervil is counted as one of the draft’s starters (D.J. Williams is the other), and I’m not sure he can hold down a starting position as he makes the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker. Dumervil is just an average rusher against bad tackles and is not very effective when the competition rises. He would have a hard time starting for many quality defensive teams in the NFL, which is always the key assessment.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ON GAME DAY?
McDaniels is going to be a very busy man on game day, but despite of his youthful appearance, he’ll be ready for the challenge. Having spent time roaming the sidelines with Belichick is going to serve him well in terms of game preparation. The key to being effective on game day is being able to visualize the game before the game. Good game managers know the exact pace that will be required to win the game. Some games might be field position games, others might be offensive battles, but whatever is decided before the game, the key will be to rehearse those elements in practice so the actual calls are easy to make.
With McDaniels making the calls on offense, someone will need to be in his ear to help him with replays and other situations. Having a bad defense can place the play-caller at a disadvantage because there’s a fear that if you punt, you give away points. So there’s a sense of desperation with each call, wanting to make sure you don’t give the ball back without scoring some points.

I KNOW WHEN TO PUNT...I THINK
McDaniels is talking about being versatile with his offense, which means knowing that who’s on the field will dictate what kind of offense they run. When RB Knowshon Moreno is in the game, the Broncos might be spread, attempting to create a loose play attack. When LaMont Jordan is in the game, they might want to power teams with their run game and eat the clock. And based on the level of excellence in camp, other roles will be discovered. Nevertheless, the key for the opponent will be trying to figure out how they will attack your defense, not necessarily how they attacked the opponent the week before.
Last year, for example, even though the Patriots were not a power team, they played the Cardinals at home in Week 16 and started with two tight ends and two backs (with guard Ross Hochstein as the fullback). They knew the Cardinals did not adjust well to that formation, allowing the Pats to control the game and score four of the first five times they touched the ball. Controlling the game did not mean they ran the ball out of that formation, it just meant it gave the Patriots an advantage in both the run and pass elements of their offense. The key to being multiple on offense is not running new plays each week, but rather running the same plays from formations and personnel groups that specifically bother the defense.
McDaniels will be different each week. At times, he will be very aggressive with his calls; at other times, he will be very deliberate. He will be a student of how to give his team a chance to win games and will excel in this area.

I WISH WE HAD DONE...
There will be no doubt that this year the Broncos might take some steps to improve their defense, but they will still be too many players short of being consistent. I really believe they’ll regret not getting more beef for their defensive line in the draft; in fact, they should have dedicated more of the draft to the defensive line. Picking one defensive lineman for a team as bad in the defensive line as they are was a mistake. It will set the recovery time back. They’re so thin in the defensive line, it might get ugly in October if injuries occur to their front line players.
Drafting three defensive backs might look good now, especially since every starter in the secondary is over 30 years old, but with no pressure, they’ll be exposed no matter how young or old. Second-round pick Alphonso Smith (5-9, 193) worries me with his size at corner, especially when opponents get into the red area and try to find the smallest corner to throw the fade.

I AM GOING TO REMEMBER THIS ONE...
When October comes rolling around, the Broncos will be tested physically on both sides of the ball. Starting Oct. 4 with the Cowboys, followed by the Patriots, Chargers, Ravens and Steelers, Denver’s depth will really be tested. Injuries will creep up from playing these five physical games, and the Broncos will be thankful their bye comes after the first three, giving them time to heal their wounds.

THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT NEXT YEAR
McDaniels made a bold move trading Cutler, but by next season he will either be a hero or on the hot seat, depending on how his team plays. He controls his future with his ability to coach, lead the team and evaluate. The key for the team in 2010 will be finding out whether McDaniels has the Belichick ability to evaluate players or if he’s like other coaches from the tree, unable to handle that key element. My sense is McDaniels will be a very good coach for years to come, and much better in 2010.