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Tuesday Morning QB: Tom Brady or Colin
Kaepernick atop rankings?
Mike Klis
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
Even with the absence of Peyton Manning, you've got to love this Final Four
quarterback field. There is the classic, pocket-passing icon in Tom Brady. There is
the New Age multi-threat in Colin Kaepernick. And there is the 2008, first-round
draft class of Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco. Quick, who was the third quarterback
drafted in 2008? Answer below.
The top four NFL quarterbacks who are still playing, according to Denver Post
reporter Mike Klis:
1t. Tom Brady, Patriots (2, previous ranking)
Through sheer volume, he now has all the career postseason passing records. Of
course, volume is only attained through victories. Check out these playoff stats: 176, 41 TDs, 20 INTs, 5,629 yards. Two more wins this year and his competition will
no longer be Peyton Manning but Joe Montana.
1t. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (5)
I'm not going to say he's the best pocket passer from the dual-threat group of Cam
Newton, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson III and the Godfather of the NFL's new
option-spread QB, Tim Tebow. But Kaepernick does lead the best team of the
group, and he is the No. 1 long strider.
3. Matt Ryan, Falcons (6)
Let's forget for a moment, the field goal drive that started with 31 seconds
remaining that Matty Ice pulled off for his first playoff victory. OK, OK. So it won't
be soon forgotten around these parts.
4. Joe Flacco, Ravens (7)
He throws it high. He throws it d-e-e-p! Oh no, Broncos. It's outta here! Give
Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome credit for selecting Flacco with the No. 18 overall pick
and not Brian Brohm, who was the next QB drafted. Brohm was the third QB
drafted in 2008, going in the second round, No. 56 overall (one spot ahead of Chad
Henne). Brohm, Elvis Dumervil's teammate at Louisville, was a backup quarterback
this season for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League.
Broncos hire Cory Undlin as defensive
backs coach, replaces Ron Milus
Jeff Legwold and Mike Klis
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
In the wake of the Broncos' 38-35 double-overtime loss to the Ravens on Saturday,
Denver coach John Fox did not renew the contract of defensive backs coach Ron
Milus and hired Cory Undlin.
This move was in the works for awhile, as Milus' coaching style clashed with several
players over the past two years.
Undlin, who was the Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive backs coach under head coach
Jack Del Rio from 2010-11 and spent the past season as the Broncos' quality
control defensive assistant, is Denver's new secondary coach.
"This wasn't about one play or one game," Fox said.
"It was about the best fit for our secondary and defense as we moved forward.
Cory's a bright, experienced coach who has learned from some great defensive
minds. He's worked with Jack in the past as his defensive backs coach, and he
knows our players very well."
When Milus' contract was not renewed, there was natural speculation he was the
scapegoat for the Broncos' allowing a 70-yard touchdown pass by Baltimore's Joe
Flacco with 31 seconds in regulation Saturday that tied the game, 35-35. The
Baltimore Ravens went on to win the AFC division round playoff game, 38-35 in the
second overtime period.
However the immediate hiring of Undlin indicates the coaching change would have
been made even had safety Rahim Moore knocked down the pass.
Undlin, 41, was a Cleveland Browns' assistant from 2005-08, coaching the
secondary in 2007 and 2008. He then joined Del Rio's staff in Jacksonville in 2009.
Del Rio is now the Broncos' defensive coordinator.
The Broncos surrendered 331 yards passing to Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, a
total that included touchdown throws of 70, 59 and 32 yards.
It was the first 300-yard passing game allowed by the Broncos' defense this
season. The Broncos held a 35-28 lead in the final minute of the game when Flacco
hit wide receiver Jacoby Jones up the right sideline for a 70-yard scoring play to tie
the game with 31 seconds remaining in regulation.
After the game, Moore said: "It's my fault, that's a play I have to make."
Milus' contract had elapsed at seasons end. He was in his second year of his second
stint with the Broncos. He was on Mike Shanahan's staff from 2000-2002.
Chargers snare Mike McCoy; Broncos in
hunt for new coordinator
Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
January 16, 2013
Calling it "the right move at the right time," former Broncos offensive coordinator
Mike McCoy was introduced as the San Diego Chargers' head coach Tuesday.
The announcement capped a whirlwind courtship operated at the speed of the
league's best no-huddle offenses as McCoy went from interview to on the job in less
than 24 hours.
When introduced in San Diego, McCoy promised to help "build a team to win over
the long haul."
"We had a great meeting (Monday) afternoon, and they offered me a job (Monday)
afternoon," McCoy said by phone Tuesday night. "I just had to talk to (wife) Kelly
about it and the kids and make sure it was the best thing for us. But we had no
doubt, none at all."
It is the second time in two years an AFC West team has swooped in to snatch a
member of John Fox's coaching staff. Last season, the Oakland Raiders hired
Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Tuesday morning, McCoy told Broncos'
officials, including Fox and executive vice president of football operations John
Elway, he would accept the Chargers' four-year offer.
McCoy, 40, who canceled a second interview with the Cardinals on Tuesday, had
interviewed with the Cardinals, Eagles and Bears and was a candidate for the
Jaguars. McCoy had interviewed with the Jaguars and Dolphins after the 2011
season, but those jobs went to Mike Mularkey and Joe Philbin, respectively.
McCoy said the presence of four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers factored
into the decision.
"Without a doubt, he's a talented player. It's always nice to have a quarterback like
him on your football team," McCoy said, adding he felt an immediate comfort level
with newly hired general manager Tom Telesco and team president Dean Spanos.
McCoy was a prime candidate for several openings because of the success he had
with two vastly different quarterbacks and offenses for the Broncos in less than a
calendar year. The Broncos led the NFL in rushing in 2011 after Tim Tebow was
inserted into the starting lineup six games into the season to eventually run a readoption based offense.
This season, with Peyton Manning behind center, the Broncos re-tooled the
playbook and finished the regular season fourth in the NFL in yards per game
(397.9) and No. 2 in scoring (30.1 points per game). The Patriots and the Broncos
were the only two teams to average at least 30 points per game.
"It's a great opportunity," McCoy said. "Coach Fox, John Elway, Mr. Bowlen did a lot
to help me ... grateful for the opportunity I had there and grateful for the
opportunity I have here."
McCoy's departure means quarterback Peyton Manning will have a change in his
offensive play-caller for the second time in two seasons. Veteran assistant Tom
Moore was Manning's play-caller for 13 of Manning's seasons as a starter with the
Colts. The Colts made a change when they didn't renew Moore's contract in 2011,
but Manning missed that season after neck surgery.
Asked this week how the Broncos would proceed, if they would keep the same
playbook or retool once again with a new play-caller, Fox said: "No different than
when Dennis (Allen) left a year ago. I think that worked out all right. I don't have
any reasons to think any different."
The Broncos have won back-to-back AFC West titles and finished the regular season
at 13-3 as the AFC's top seed before losing 38-35 in double overtime to the Ravens
on Saturday.
Who's next?
Broncos' reporter Jeff Legwold looks at the top two candidates to replace departed
Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy: Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase
and former Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt:
Broncos QB coach Adam Gase: Up-and-comer who arrived in Josh McDaniels'
first year in 2009 and has drawn praise for his work with Tim Tebow and Peyton
Manning. Was wide receivers coach when Brandon Marshall was with the Broncos.
Former Rams coach Mike Martz has called Gase "a fabulous coach."
Ex-Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt: Has the experience, and coach John Fox
has shown with Jack Del Rio that he is willing to hire a former head coach as a
coordinator. Whisenhunt is a respected offensive coach who has known Manning,
Fox and John Elway for a long time.
Others who could get a look
Tom Moore: Veteran assistant was on the Steelers' staff with Fox in the late 1980s
and called plays for Manning for 13 seasons. This past season, he spent time with
the Titans as a consultant.
Pat Shurmur: Former Browns head coach and Rams offensive coordinator is an
experienced play-caller who would be a fit on Fox's staff. Has interviewed to be the
Panthers' offensive coordinator.
Broncos' Mike McCoy hired as head coach
of San Diego Chargers
Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
For the second time in two years, one of the Broncos' AFC West brethren has
swooped in to snatch a member of John Fox's coaching staff.
Last season it was the Oakland Raiders who hired Broncos defensive coordinator
Dennis Allen as their head coach. Tuesday morning Broncos offensive coordinator
Mike McCoy accepted an offer to be the San Diego Chargers next head coach.
He was then introduced Tuesday afternoon in San Diego.
McCoy cancelled a second interview with the Cardinals and informed the Broncos
Tuesday morning he had accepted the position.
McCoy, 40, had interviewed with the Cardinals, Eagles and Bears previously and
was known to be a candidate for the Jaguars as well. McCoy had interviewed with
the Jaguars and Dolphins following the 2011 season — he interviewed with the
Dolphins twice, cancelling an interview with the Raiders for the second meeting with
Miami officials — but those jobs went to Mike Mularkey and Joe Philbin respectively.
McCoy was interviewed by Chargers officials in San Diego on Monday and the two
sides quickly came to an agreement in principle.
McCoy was a prime candidate for several openings because of the success he had
with two vastly different quarterbacks in two vastly different offenses for the
Broncos. The Broncos led the league in rushing in 2011 with Tim Tebow running a
read-option based offense.
And this past season, with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning behind center, the
Broncos re-tooled the playbook and finished the regular season fourth in the league
in yards per game (397.9) and No. 2 in scoring (30.1 points per game). The
Patriots and the Broncos were the only two teams in the league to have averaged
at least 30 points per game this season.
"As I told the team ... this team came a long ways and learned a lot," said Broncos
coach John Fox Monday. "I thought it was remarkable ... what he (Manning) was
able to accomplish. A new city, a new team, new teammates."
McCoy's departure means for the first time in his NFL career, Manning will have a
change in his offensive play-caller. Veteran assistant Tom Moore was Manning's
play-caller for 13 of Manning's seasons as a starter with the Colts.
The Colts did make a change when they didn't re-new Moore's contract in 2011, but
Manning missed that season following neck surgery.
Asked this week how the Broncos would proceed if McCoy were to leave, if they
would keep the same playbook, or re-tool once again with a new play-caller, Fox
said;
"No different than when Dennis (Allen) left a year ago. I think that worked out all
right. I don't have any reasons to think any different."
The Broncos have won back-to-back AFC West titles and finished the regular season
this year at 13-3 as the AFC's top seed before losing, 38-35, in double overtime to
the Ravens Saturday.
Candidates to replace McCoy will include Moore, who worked with Fox on the
Pittsburgh Steelers staff when Fox first became an NFL assistant in the late 80s,
current Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam Gase and former Arizona Cardinals coach
Ken Whisenhunt.
Fox also has a long-time friendship with former Chargers coach Norv Turner as well
and Turner has been discussed in-house by the Broncos as a possible replacement
if McCoy left, but many in the league say Turner is poised to be named Browns
offensive coordinator this week.
Broncos' Ryan Clady forced out of NFL
Pro Bowl after injury
Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
Broncos left tackle Ryan Clady can still write "Pro Bowl 2013" in his bio if he wishes,
but the fifth-year veteran will not make the trip to Hawaii next week because of a
shoulder injury.
Clady formally withdrew from the game Tuesday and will be replaced by Bengals'
left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Clady looked limited at times in the Broncos' 38-35
double-overtime loss to the Ravens Saturday.
He had been held out of the Broncos three practices during the team's playoff bye,
but had practiced last week leading up to the Divisional Round game. Clady also
had a hamstring injury during the season that limited him some in practice, but he
has not missed a game in his career having started 80 in a row in the regilar season
to go with three career playoff games.
The Broncos' coaching staff will direct the AFC's team next week as quarterback
Peyton Manning, cornerback Champ Bailey, defensive end Elvis Dumervil and
linebacker Von Miller are still slated to play in the all-star game.
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was voted as a first alternate so he would go if
another receiver withdraws because of injury or if New England advances to the
Super Bowl. The Patriots' Wes Welker was one of four receivers chosen for the
AFC's team so Thomas would replace him if the Patriots win the AFC Championship
Game on Sunday.
Denver Broncos need to trust and stick
to their plan
Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
January 16, 2013
The Broncos' season ended Saturday in an excruciating, double-overtime loss that
dragged plenty of folks in the Mile High City into the depths of grumpiness.
The Broncos entered the offseason as the ninth No. 1 seed in the postseason since
2005 to be bounced in the divisional round.
Now they will be tested on whether they will stick to the plan and build a contender,
as John Elway has put it, "that competes for championships year after year after
year."
The pressure will be there from outside and in their own building — believing they
are close to a championship — to dive into free agency. Annual evidence shows it
doesn't work, as big spender after big spender sits out postseason after postseason
The Broncos have been derailed in the past with the dabblings of short-term fixes
from the free-agent market.
Elway is in the Hall of Fame as a player after leading Denver to back-to-back Super
Bowl titles to close out his playing career. Even with all of the free-agent additions
the 1997 and 1998 teams had in starting roles, the one player coach Mike
Shanahan has said made the difference to help push Elway and the franchise over
the top, was a sixth-round find on their draft board — Terrell Davis.
The Buccaneers were the biggest of big spenders last offseason and still sat out the
postseason. Oh, and their best player was their first-round pick — running back
Doug Martin.
The Eagles dived in for back-to-back splurges and have regressed exponentially,
having fired most everyone associated with building the current roster.
The Broncos dived into free agency lite this season with late signings of veteran
players to short-term deals that don't damage a team's salary cap. The challenge
will be to stick to that as they move forward while attempting to string together
sturdy draft classes.
Or, as Elway put it: "I think where we were is, trying to add veteran leadership
there and also add depth. We were looking for — to get through a 16-game
schedule — guys that fit in the locker room the right way. We were very fortunate
with the guys that came in. You look at (Keith) Brooking and (Jim) Leonhard and
(Jacob) Hester and (Dan) Koppen. They were all guys that came in and were huge
contributors for us on the field and also what they did in the locker room. So, I'll
evaluate all those guys, but as John (Fox) said, we're going on our third year. This
will be our third draft. The guys that we drafted two years ago and last year — I
hope there are some guys we'll get in this year's draft and we'll start filling those
slots that we envisioned for them. I know there have been a lot of things out there
that were old and this and that. To me, we had the right mix. We'll continue to
work with that. If we need help and we need depth, we'll try to find it."
But for the long-term health of the team, for a depth chart that can survive injuries
and overcome departures, the best plan is to find those players in April, not March.
Colorado Classics: Steve Russ, former Air
Force football star
Irv Moss
The Denver Post
January 16, 2013
With the Super Bowl the hot topic on the sports scene, a lot of young football
players could be excused for dreaming about winning a ring.
Steve Russ, who played football at the Air Force Academy, can hold up two Super
Bowl championship rings he earned while playing for the Denver Broncos from
1997-2000. Playing professional football was far from his mind when he checked
into the academy in 1991 as a 195-pound linebacker recruit. Over the next four
years, Russ matured and grew into a player who could make it in the NFL.
As a football talent scout might say, Russ could run. By the time he played his
senior season at Air Force in 1994, he was 6-foot-4, 245 pounds. The combination
of his speed and size made him a formidable linebacker. He could go sideline to
sideline to track down ballcarriers.
Like most Air Force football players, Russ thought his playing days were over when
he finished his senior year. He planned to continue his duty service.
But his plans changed after appearing in the Blue-Gray and East-West Shrine allstar games. His performance impressed NFL scouts, and he was invited to take part
in a couple of tryout sessions. He did well enough to get a free-agent contract with
the Broncos.
"I had never thought about playing professional football," Russ said last week from
his office at Air Force, where he's a member of coach Troy Calhoun's coaching staff.
"I never doubted my abilities, and when I was around the other players in the allstar games and tryout camps, I said, 'I could do this.' "
Russ not only played in the NFL, he now stands alongside Chad Hennings as the
only former Air Force players to win Super Bowl championship rings as a player.
Hennings, a 1988 Air Force Academy graduate, gained his Super Bowl rings while
playing for the Dallas Cowboys.
Russ moved from the tryout camps to the Broncos for the 1997 season and was on
the roster through the 2000. He played in 24 games over the span and was there
when the Broncos won the Super Bowls after the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
When Russ looks back on his Broncos days, he first talks about quarterback John
Elway.
"John was a fantastic leader," Russ said. "Steve Atwater on the defense was the
same. When your best players are your best leaders, you have something special.
The one thing that helped us win two Super Bowls was great team chemistry."
The first Super Bowl championship for the Broncos after the 1997 season on a 3124 victory over Green Bay stands out.
"When I think back, I remember how focused we were in practice," Russ said. "I
don't think there even was one incomplete pass. You remember little things, the
parades, a lot of things stick with you. It was very, very special."
Russ was on the injured list with a broken leg the next year when the Broncos beat
Atlanta 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII. He received a ring, though.
"I have fond memories of being with the Broncos, but I wish I could have done
more," he said.
Russ left the playing field after the 2000 season, but he stayed in the game. He
wanted to stay close to football and turned to coaching. He was on the staffs at
Ohio, Syracuse and Wake Forest before returning to coach at his alma mater this
past year.
"It was a hard decision to stop playing, but I didn't have any misgivings," Russ
said. "I'd still trade my coach's whistle for my helmet any day. But I was pretty
beat up and wasn't performing at the level the Broncos needed me to be successful.
I did my very best, but it was time to get on with the next phase of my life."
Russ has mixed his experiences in the NFL into his coaching routine. On occasion,
he wears one of his Super Bowl rings on a recruiting trip. It can serve as a badge of
honor, and in today's recruiting competition, anything helps.
"I get asked all the time how it was being in the NFL," Russ said. "I tell them first
things first, think about being a good player in college."
He ponders the question when asked if the Super Bowl rings are his most cherished
possessions. He considers it to be a personal honor to hold up Super Bowl rings
alongside Hennings, but he wasn't a starter or a headline performer.
Russ remembers all he did at Air Force, on the field, and at the academy in order to
graduate. His diploma outranks the Super Bowl rings.
Russ bio
Born: Sept. 16, 1972, in Forest Lake, Minn.
High school: Medford (Wis.)
College: Air Force Academy
Family: Wife Betsy, daughter Mackenzie, son Tyler
Hobby: Fishing
Still to do: See the beaches at Normandy
Residence: Colorado Springs
Rosen: I'm so done with the Broncos ...
for now
Mike Rosen
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
Still in shock and reeling from the Broncos heartbreaking loss to Baltimore on
Saturday, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend several years ago.
He told me he was done with rooting for pro sports teams, that it wasn't worth the
frustration, aggravation and depression after inevitable losses. Since he can't affect
the outcome, why should he expose himself to the pain and suffering? He'd rather
invest his efforts on things within his power to influence.
While I couldn't argue with his reasoning, I wasn't persuaded to follow his lead.
After all, "fan" is short for "fanatic"; logic doesn't come into play here. When you
think about it (so don't), the vast majority of fans are setting themselves up for
disappointment from the very beginning of the season.
In every sport with a post-season championship tournament — from football to
baseball to hockey to basketball — all but one team that makes the playoffs is
guaranteed to lose its last game of the year. In the NFL, 11 out of the 12 seeded
teams and their fans are doomed to post-season failure; 20 other teams don't even
make the playoffs. In the NBA and NHL, 16 teams make the playoffs; 15 lose.
There are 30 teams in MLB. That's a total of 750 players on the opening-day
rosters. Only 25 of those boys of summer get to pour champagne on each other
after the last game of the World Series. The losing players, of course, are well paid
for their trouble. But against these odds, the fans must be masochists.
Growing up in New York, I was a long-time fan of the Yankees; the football Giants,
who then played at Yankee Stadium, not to be confused with the baseball Giants
who played at the Polo Grounds; and the N.Y. Rangers hockey team but not the
N.Y. Knicks. (Bob Cousy was my basketball hero; the Boston Celtics were awesome
back then and the Knicks stunk.) Having now lived in Colorado for 42 years, my
allegiances have shifted to the hometown clubs. When the Broncos played the
Giants in 1987's Super Bowl XXI, my heart was clearly with the boys in orange;
ditto when the Rockies play the Yanks.
So, I'm irreversibly hooked on rooting for sports teams. (College, too: Go DU
Pioneers!) The agony of defeat is the price you pay for the joy of victory. I like the
athleticism, the drama, the suspense, the hot dogs, the beer and the fellowship
when you attend games or watch them on TV.
OK, so the Broncos, 9½-point favorites, blew Saturday's game. They squandered
two kick returns for touchdowns. Ever-reliable superstar defensive back Champ
Bailey had a rare bad day and got beaten twice by Torrey Smith in single-coverage
on touchdown passes. Peyton Manning — the comeback player of the year, MVP
candidate, brilliant tactician and future Hall of Famer — threw a terrible interception
in overtime. Place-kicker Matt Prater took a divot behind the ball and chili-dipped a
field goal attempt. In the pivotal play of the game, safety Rahim Moore made a
boneheaded play on a Hail Mary pass in what was supposed to be a prevent
defense in the last 31 seconds of regulation that turned what looked like a sure
victory into a disastrous overtime loss. Coach John Fox was too conservative. The
Broncos took too many bad penalties. The weather was too cold. The befuddled
officiating crew repeatedly screwed the Broncos on bad calls.
In a hell of a football game — a four hour and 10 minute double-overtime marathon
that kept everyone on the edge of his seat from start to finish — the bottom line
was that we lost. That trumped everything else. My friend was right. I'm done with
the Broncos — until the next training camp, or maybe the draft.
Rough week leaves Broncos fans feeling
bucked off
Ryan Parker
The Denver Post
January 16, 2013
It has just been a heck of a week for Denver, and it's only Wednesday.
The Denver Broncos broke practically every heart in town with their Saturday
playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Fans almost didn't have enough time to wash the blue and orange paint off their
faces before it was announced Tuesday that Broncos offensive coordinator Mike
McCoy would be the San Diego Chargers' new head coach next season.
Ouch. Another case of déja vu arrived as fans were reminded of last off-season
when former Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was named coach of archnemesis, the Raiders.
Then, as fans realized their hearts would go on beating and a new season is only
months away, news went viral that Denver Mayor Michael Hancock injured himself
while practicing Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis's pre-game dance to fulfill a bet with
the Baltimore mayor.
And though the news was based on an official mayoral press release, his office then
jerked the reins. Turns out that Hancock actually hurt himself Monday night at the
National Western Stock Show — his boot got caught and the injury was bad enough
it required a trip to the doctor.
"Doc says partial tear in the right quadricep muscle. But I'm a quick healer,"
Hancock said via Twitter. "Temp. set back but I will make good on bet."
However, that news came a little too late and fans were left to look at headlines
like: "Dirty bird dance a little too dirty for Denver mayor."
Is it Friday yet?
Injured Denver mayor puts off Ray Lewis
dance to pay off Broncos bet
Ryan Parker
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
While hearts are still broken all over the state following the Denver Broncos loss to
the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is hurting for a different
reason.
When the Broncos lost Sunday in double-overtime, Hancock also lost a bet with the
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and was going to have to perform
linebacker Ray Lewis' famous pre-game dance.
Well, it ain't happening. Not because Hancock is welching on the bet, but because
he hurt himself Monday evening.
The mayor's spokeswoman Amber Miller joked that he was hurt "during pre-game
warm-ups." Hancock is "expected to be on the field in the second half, ready to
carry out the game plan and fulfill his end of the wager."
In fact, Hancock was at the Citizen of the West dinner at the National Western
Stock Show Monday night when he caught his boot and seriously strained his right
quadriceps, Miller explained later on Tuesday. "Our mayor is headed to the doctor
now to find out when he will make a recovery and be able to fulfill his bet with
Baltimore."
Had the Broncos prevailed, Rawlings-Blake said the Washington Monument would
be lit in blue and orange Broncos colors.
Food was also on the line. Hancock agreed to send a box of dry aged "cowboy cut"
rib-eye steaks from Lombardi Brothers Meats.
Rawlings-Blake would have had to send a platter of broiled crab cakes from J. W.
Faidley Seafood in Baltimore's historic Lexington Market.
Top candidates to replace Mike McCoy as
Broncos offensive coordinator
Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
The top two candidates to replace departed Broncos offensive coordinator Mike
McCoy are current Denver quarterbacks coach Adam Gase and former Cardinals
head coach Ken Whisenhunt. But other coaches could sneak into the equation.
Here’s a look:
Broncos QB coach Adam Gase
Up-and-comer who arrived in Josh McDaniels’ first year in 2009 and has drawn
praise for his work with Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning. Was wide receivers coach
when Brandon Marshall was with the Broncos. Former Rams coach Mike Martz has
called Gase “a fabulous coach.”cq
Ex-Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt
Has the experience, and coach John Fox has shown with Jack Del Rio that he is
willing to hire a former head coach as a coordinator. Whisenhunt is a respected
offensive coach who has known Manning, Fox and John Elway for a long time.cq
Others who could get a look
Tom Moore – Veteran assistant was on the Steelers’ staff with Fox in the late
1980s and called plays for Manning for 13 season with the Colts. This past season,
he spent time with the Titans as a consultant.
Pat Shurmur – Former Browns head coach and Rams offensive coordinator is an
experienced play-caller who would be a fit on Fox’s staff. Has interviewed to be the
Panthers’ offensive coordinator.
Ben Garland, former Air Force DT, signs
futures contract with Broncos
Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
January 15, 2013
Former Air Force defensive tackle Ben Garland signed a “futures” contract with the
Broncos Tuesday, a one-year deal that gives him an opportunity to participate in
the team’s offseason programs as well as gets him an invitation to training camp.
“Futures’’ players can be signed before the start of the new league year in March
because they were either unsigned players or were on a team’s practice squad.
Garland spent this past season on the Broncos’ practice squad.
Last week the Broncos signed guard Justin Boren, who spent time on the Lions’ and
Ravens’ practice squads over the past two seasons, and wide receiver Gerell
Robinson to “futures” deals.
Robinson was in training camp with the Broncos last summer and caught four
passes in the preseason. He spent most of the season on the Cardinals’ practice
squad.
The team also said it signed running back Jeremiah Johnson to a futures contract.
Broncos cut ties with secondary coach
Ron Milus
Arnie Stapleton
Associated Press
January 15, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos have promoted Cory Undlin to
secondary coach, replacing Ron Milus, who had coached defensive backs under John
Fox for the last four seasons.
However, Milus isn't being made the scapegoat for the Broncos' stunning surrender
of that 70-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left that led to their 38-35 loss to
the Baltimore Ravens in double-overtime last weekend, a person with the team told
The Associated Press on Tuesday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the club doesn't speak
publicly about coaches' contracts.
Milus' contract wasn't renewed. He was in his second stint with the Broncos, who
hadn't allowed a 300-yard passer all season before giving up 331 to Joe Flacco last
weekend. Flacco also threw TD passes of 59 and 32 yards to Torrey Smith, who
repeatedly got behind 12-time Pro Bowler Champ Bailey.
The Ravens faced a third-and-3 from their own 30 in the final minute when Jacoby
Jones raced past cornerback Tony Carter and hauled in Flacco's heave that safety
Rahim Moore badly misjudged.
After the game, Moore put the loss squarely on his shoulders, saying, "When it's all
said and done, the safeties can't let nothing get behind them and I did. ... I
misjudged it. It actually floated a little farther than I thought it was."
Fox said, "I've never believed in it's one guy, one play. It obviously was a big play."
Fox said the players were so stunned by the gaffe that he decided to play for
overtime and had Peyton Manning take a knee instead of trying to move into field
goal range with two timeouts and 31 seconds to work with.
Fox has taken a lot of heat for that decision but said this week he stands by it and
"I'd do it again 10 times." His boss, John Elway, concurred with the call to play for
overtime, where Manning's interception led to the game-deciding field goal in the
77th minute of the longest game in the NFL in 26 years.
Undlin, 41, spent last season as the quality control coach for Denver's defense,
which finished third in the league against both the run and the pass. He also
coached DBs in Jacksonville under Jack Del Rio when Denver's defensive
coordinator was the Jaguars' head coach.
"I am confident he will be a great fit and get the most out of our secondary," Fox
said, adding, "I appreciate all of Ron Milus' hard work and wish him the best."
Undlin coached linebackers in 2009 in Jacksonville and DBs there in 2010-11. He's
also worked with the secondary in both Cleveland and New England.
Earlier in the day, the Broncos lost versatile offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who
was hired as head coach of the San Diego Chargers, marking the second straight
season a top Denver assistant was hired away by an AFC West rival. The Raiders
grabbed defensive coordinator Dennis Allen a year ago.
On Monday, Fox said he was prepared for McCoy's expected departure.
"No different than when Dennis left a year ago. I think that worked out all right," he
said. "And I don't have any reasons to think any different."
Possible candidates to replace McCoy include Broncos quarterbacks coach Adam
Gase and Tom Moore, Manning's old coordinator in Indianapolis.
Clady pulls out of Pro Bowl game
Arnie Stapleton
Associated Press
January 15, 2013
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Ryan Clady has withdrawn from the Pro Bowl because
of an injury, presumably the balky shoulder that bothered him during the Denver
Broncos' first-round bye but which didn't prevent him from playing in their loss to
Baltimore.
Clady will be replaced by Cincinnati Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth.
The Broncos might still get five players to the Pro Bowl because Demaryius Thomas
is next in line at receiver.
Thomas would get his first trip to the annual all-star game if New England beats the
Ravens in the AFC championship this weekend because Patriots receiver Wes
Welker would have to skip the Jan. 27 game to prepare for the Super Bowl.
Thomas would then join teammates Peyton Manning, Von Miller, Champ Bailey and
Elvis Dumervil in Honolulu.
Bowlen: 2012 'very good' but short of
great
Eddie Pells
Associated Press
January 15, 2013
DENVER (AP) — Broncos owner Pat Bowlen knows what a great season looks like.
This season wasn't one of them.
In a letter sent to season ticket holders, Bowlen thanked Broncos fans for bringing
the passion back to the stadium in this, the first season with Peyton Manning in a
Denver uniform.
Denver finished 13-3 and had top seeding in the playoffs but lost to Baltimore on
Saturday in the divisional round.
"I said publicly last year that I wanted 2012 to be a great season, not just a good
season. We certainly had a very good season and perhaps exceeded a few
expectations," Bowlen said in the letter obtained by The Associated Press. "But
Broncos fans, you and I know what a great season looks like."
After last season, when Denver made the playoffs with Tim Tebow at quarterback
but still finished with a .500 record, Bowlen said he appreciated the turnaround
from 4-12 but he wanted more.
That helped open the door for vice president of football operations John Elway to go
after Manning and ship Tebow to the Jets.
With Manning at quarterback, Denver went on an 11-game winning streak to close
out the regular season before falling 38-35 to the Ravens.
Bowlen called it "a gut-wrenching disappointment for everyone who loves the
Denver Broncos."
"I feel terrible for our players, coaches and staff who put forth maximum effort
throughout the year," Bowlen said. "They accomplished many great things while
falling short of our ultimate goal. But most importantly, my heart aches for you."
Bowlen's most famous words — "This one's for John" — came after the Broncos won
the 1998 Super Bowl in Elway's 15th season in the league. Now 68 and largely out
of the spotlight, Bowlen said a few years ago he was having some short-term
memory loss and some of the memories of Denver's back-to-back titles were
fading. He has turned over day-to-day control of the football operation to Elway.
But he remains involved.
"That is why I'll soon stop reflecting and start working on one thing for 2013 —
bringing another Super Bowl victory back to Denver," Bowlen said. "As we move
forward, I am extremely optimistic with the future of our team."
Mayor hurt trying to pay off bet
Associated Press
January 15, 2013
DENVER -- Denver Mayor Michael Hancock insists he is not trying to renege on a
bet after he injured his leg at a stock show.
Hancock lost a bet with Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake that requires
him to perform linebacker Ray Lewis' signature pre-game dance after the Denver
Broncos lost to the Ravens.
The mayor's spokeswoman, Amber Miller, initially said Hancock suffered an
unspecified injury during "pre-game" warm-ups on Monday to pay off the wager,
but later said he pulled a muscle and will fulfill his promise after he heals.
The top-seeded Broncos were eliminated from the playoffs in a 38-35 home loss
Saturday to the Ravens.
Chargers hire Mike McCoy
Adam Schefter
ESPN.com
January 15, 2013
The team announced that he will be introduced at a 5 p.m. ET news conference at
Chargers Park.
McCoy had been scheduled to meet with the Cardinals on Tuesday for a second
time about their coaching vacancy but canceled that visit to Arizona earlier
Tuesday.
Chargers officials picked up McCoy in Denver on Monday and took him back to San
Diego for his interview.
McCoy becomes the second Broncos coordinator to take a head coaching job within
the AFC West in two seasons. Last offseason, former Broncos defensive coordinator
Dennis Allen was named coach of the Raiders.
New general manager Tom Telesco has led the search for a coach to replace Norv
Turner, who was fired along with GM A.J. Smith on Dec. 31 after the Chargers
finished 7-9.
Before his Chargers interview, McCoy already had interviewed with Arizona,
Philadelphia and Chicago. The Jaguars also were expected to talk with him.
McCoy, 40, interviewed with the Dolphins last season before being passed over in
favor of Joe Philbin, the former offensive coordinator of the Packers.
McCoy also drew praise for helping the Broncos reach the playoffs last season with
a read-option offense run by Tim Tebow. McCoy has been the Broncos' offensive
coordinator since 2009.
Denver swept the Chargers in 2012, including an epic 35-24 victory at San Diego
on Oct. 15, when Peyton Manning led the Broncos back from a 24-0 halftime deficit.
With the Chargers, McCoy will work with Philip Rivers, who struggled this season, in
large part because of a shaky offensive line. Rivers was sacked 49 times and
committed 22 turnovers, giving him 47 turnovers in two seasons.
Bad Omen for McCoy?
Replacing Norv Turner hasn't been a recipe for job security.
In Turner's two previous head coaching jobs, his replacements have lasted only one
season before being fired themselves (Art Shell with the Raiders in 2006 and Marty
Schottenheimer with the Redskins in 2001).
-- ESPN Stats & Information
Schefter: Coach fired after Moore gaffe
Bill Williamson
ESPN.com
January 15, 2013
There are usually ramifications to all-time postseason blunders and this is no
exception. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Denver Broncos have fired
secondary coach Ron Milus.
His firing comes three days after second-year safety Rahim Moore was out of place
and allowed Jacoby Jones to get behind him on a desperation 70-yard bomb from
Joe Flacco that tied the game. Baltimore would eventually win in double overtime.
UPDATE: The Broncos have acted quickly to replace Milus, whose contract was not
renewed. Cory Undlin replaces him. He was with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio
in Jacksonville. Team maintains the Milus firing was not all on Moore.
Countless former NFL players have said that they’ve never seen a safety so out of
position like Moore was on that play. Moore, a second-round pick in 2011, made
strides in 2012 and the team is not going to give up on him.
So, Milus is paying for not putting his player in position. Is Milus’ firing all about
that one play? Perhaps not, but the timing is curious. Plus, He was brought to
Denver by head coach John Fox in 2011 after coaching three years for him in
Carolina. At the very least, the Moore play was a major part of Milus’ firing.
Denver’s secondary, overall, had a good season in 2012. But the Moore play will
forever be remembered for costing Denver the Baltimore game and ramifications
were bound to concur.
In other AFC West news:

Denver left tackle Ryan Clady has withdrawn from the Pro Bowl because of a
shoulder injury. It is not expected to affect him in 2013.

New San Diego coach Mike McCoy coached both San Diego tight end Dante
Rosario and receiver/returner Eddie Royal in Denver, so he has some instant
familiarity.

As expected, New Kansas City coach Andy Reid hired former Chicago special
teams coach Dave Toub for the same job. Toub is considered one of the best
special teams in the NFL. Toub worked for Reid in Philadelphia earlier last
decade.

Also, former Kansas City defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs was retained as
linebacker coach and Emmitt Thomas has been kept as the secondary coach.
Reid has brought in Eugene Chung as the assistant offensive line coach. He
was in the same role on Reid’s Eagles’ staff last season.
Where does John Fox look now?
Bill Williamson
ESPN.com
January 15, 2013
John Fox has been in the AFC West for two years and two days.
Yet, his impact has been great. Fox -- who became the dean of AFC West coaches
after Norv Turner’s firing two weeks ago -- was won two division titles in two years
in Denver. It has been duly noted by Denver’s rivals.
For the second time in a year, Fox’s staff has been raided by another AFC West
team when Broncos’ offensive coordinator Mike McCoy became San Diego’s head
coach Tuesday. Last year, Oakland hired Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen
off of Fox’s staff.
Monday, in his season-ending news conference, Fox sounded prepared despite
losing another top assistant.
“No different than when Dennis left a year ago,” Fox said when asked if he thought
McCoy would leave his staff. “I think that worked out alright. I don’t have any
reasons to think any different."
Fox was referring to Denver’s defensive success under Allen’s replacement, Jack Del
Rio. Denver was 20th in the NFL in total defense in 2011 and No. 2 in 2012.
So that brings us to the natural question: Who will replace McCoy?
Denver shouldn’t have a problem finding candidates. The prospects of working with
Peyton Manning make this a top job.
Among the expected candidates are former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt (if he
doesn’t get a head coaching job), former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore,
Colts quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen and Denver quarterback coach Adam
Gase. Moore is the wild card here. He has reportedly said he wants to become a
full-time coach again. If so, Moore, 74, becomes the favorite.
He and Manning were in Indianapolis together for 13 years. They remain close and
Moore helped Manning train last year when he was returning from his neck injury
that kept him out for all of last season. If Moore is not in the mix, Christensen and
Manning are close. Manning also has a good relationship with Whisenhunt, although
they never worked together.
The person Fox hires for this job will be someone who Manning feels comfortable
with. We all know Manning is essentially a coach on the field, so the person who
replaces McCoy will be someone who Manning can work well with.
Poll: Was Denver's season a success?
Bill Williamson
ESPN.com
January 15, 2013
The Denver Broncos had a tremendous season -- until Saturday.
In Peyton Manning's first season with the team, he played at an MVP level and the
team went 13-3, winning their final 11 games of the regular season and earning the
No.1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Yet, Denver lost a classic AFC divisional playoff game
to Baltimore, 38-35, in double overtime on Saturday.
Do you think the season was a success or a disappointment, considering Denver’s
regular-season success and playoff disappointment?
Please take over poll and explain your thoughts in the comments section below. We
will review the poll results Wednesday.
Health is key to Peyton Manning's future
Adena Andrews
CBSSports.com
January 15, 2013
Although Peyton Manning had an early exit this postseason at the hands of the
Baltimore Ravens, the NFL Monday QB crew was impressed by the quarterback's
performance under pressure all season. After a year off due to a nerve problem that
weakened his throwing arm, Manning left his 13-year comfort zone in Indiana for a
town that once belonged to Tim Tebow, and he stayed healthy enough to take the
team to the divisional round. Yet the NFL Monday QB gang wonders how long his
health will hold up. Will he get better under center or will he begin to deteriorate?
“I want to see if the health of Peyton Manning goes up another step from where he
was this year,” Phil Simms said. “Will his arm show a little more pop so he can
challenge defenses?”
"He'll throw the underneath routes, but he has one thing in his mind: ‘How can I go
deep and get the quick score?' That's what he lives on.”
Regardless of his injury and early exit, Manning is still one of the best quarterbacks
in the league. In terms of passing, Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford and Tony Romo
all ranked ahead of him in the regular season, but none of them made it to the
postseason. The only quarterbacks ahead of him who made the postseason were
Atlanta's Matt Ryan and New England's Tom Brady.
“If he can stay healthy, I think he can put another run together for sure,” Steve
Beuerlein said. “They won 11 straight games. They were hot, and they had all their
guns going.”
Denver Broncos executive vice president John Elway says the team will pick up
Manning's option for the next two years, according to the Associated Press. If
Manning passes a winter physical, he will be paid $40 million for two seasons.
Denver mayor injured warming up for
Ray Lewis dance
Larry Hartstein
CBSSports.com
January 15, 2013
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock was supposed to perform Ray Lewis' pre-game
dance to pay off one of those wacky playoff bets with his Baltimore counterpart.
Fortunately for the 99.9 percent of us who don't want to see a politician imitating
an NFL player's dance moves, Hancock hurt himself “during pre-game warm-ups”
and could not deliver, the mayor's spokesman told the Denver Post.
Spokeswoman Amber Miller promised, or warned, that in time, Hancock would
“carry out the game plan and fulfill his end of the wager.”
Had the Ravens' 38-35 double-overtime thriller over the Broncos gone the other
way, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake would have arranged for
Baltimore's Washington Monument to glow blue and orange.
No word on whether Hancock has sent the box of “cowboy cut” rib-eye steaks he
also wagered.
Report: Broncos fire DB coach Ron Milus
Mark Rybaltowski
CBSSports.com
January 15, 2013
Three days after surrendering a game-tying 70-yard touchdown in the waning
seconds of regulation in a 38-35 double overtime defeat to the Baltimore Ravens,
the Broncos fired DB coach Ron Milus on Tuesday according to the Denver Post.
Broncos S Rahim Moore was beaten by Ravens WR Jacoby Jones on a fly route
down the right sideline with 0:31 left in the fourth quarter. Moore was unable to bat
down the high, deep pass. Afterward, a disconsolate Moore took responsibility for
the loss.
"The loss, it was my fault," Moore said. “It was pathetic, my fault. Next time, I'll
make that play."
Ravens QB Joe Flacco went 4 of 7 with three touchdowns on throws of 20 yards or
longer, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Entering the game, the Broncos allowed
only three such touchdowns the entire season. Denver allowed 39 receptions of 20
yards or more in the regular season, fifth-least of any team in the NFL.
The Broncos finished third against the pass (199.6 yards per game) in 2012, after
they ranked 18th in the category a year earlier. Milus, who spent two seasons with
Denver coach John Fox in Carolina, joined the Broncos' coaching staff in 2011.
Milus just completed his 13th season as an assistant coach in the NFL. He served in
a similar capacity with the Broncos (2000-02), before he coached the secondaries
with the Cardinals (2003), Giants (2004-05) and Rams (2006-08).
Mike McCoy named head coach of the
San Diego Chargers
Brian McIntyre
Shutdown Corner
January 15, 2013
The San Diego Chargers are "nearing a deal" to make Denver Broncos offensive
coordinator Mike McCoy their next head coach, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com
reported early on Tuesday.
Early Tuesday afternoon, the Chargers announced that a deal has been reached and
that McCoy will be introduced at a 2 p.m. PST press conference.
McCoy, 40, has been with the Broncos since the 2009 season, coaching
quarterbacks and serving as the team's offensive coordinator. McCoy has received
interest as a head coach primarily for the outstanding job he's done the last two
seasons, adding the read-option to the Broncos offense in the middle of the 2011
season in order to suit quarterback Tim Tebow's unique skill-set. The Broncos led
the NFL in rushing in 2011, winning the AFC West and advancing the divisional
round of the playoffs. McCoy made more adjustments to the offense when the team
signed Peyton Manning last offseason. Denver ranked fourth in total offense,
including fifth in passing, and had the NFL's No. 2 scoring offense.
Prior to working with the Broncos, McCoy spent nine seasons as a position coach
with the Carolina Panthers, spending his last two seasons (2007-08) as the team's
passing game coordinator. The Panthers ranked fifth in "passing yards per play" in
the 2008 season.
McCoy has also been interviewed by the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears and
Philadelphia Eagles and was scheduled to meet again with the Cardinals on
Tuesday. McCoy's interview with the Chargers took place on Monday.
"The Chargers have great tradition and great people," McCoy told the team's official
website. "The great thing is it’s a family run business. I’m big into family. There’s
an open door policy for everyone to feel welcome and open to come enjoy the
environment that we’re all in this together."
Other candidates in San Diego include Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay
Gruden, former Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, former Bears head coach
Lovie Smith, Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and Indianapolis
Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
Denver Broncos part ways with DBs
coach Ron Milus
Dan Hanzus
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
Three days after one of the most egregious secondary breakdowns in NFL playoff
history, the Denver Broncos have a new defensive backs coach.
The Denver Post reported Tuesday that the Broncos opted not to renew Ron Milus'
contract and hired Cory Undlin as his replacement.
The move comes on the heels of Jacoby Jones' 70-yard touchdown in the final
minute of regulation of the Broncos' double-overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens
on Saturday. The play featured huge breakdowns by both Broncos cornerback Tony
Carter and safety Rahim Moore, who allowed Jones to get behind him for the tying
score.
"This wasn't about one play or one game," Fox said Tuesday of the coaching
change. "It was about the best fit for our secondary and defense as we moved
forward."
The Post reported the decision to move on from Milus was in the works well before
Saturday's events. Milus had clashed with Broncos defensive backs over the past
two seasons, according to The Post.
Undlin spent last season as the Broncos' quality control defensive assistant and was
the Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive backs coach under Jack Del Rio from 2010 to
2011.
Pat Bowlen writes letter to Denver
Broncos fans
Marc Sessler
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
Still mired in a state of agitation he says will last at least a month, Denver Broncos
owner and CEO Pat Bowlen penned a heartfelt letter to fans on Tuesday about the
team's crushing end to the season.
"Saturday's playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens was a gut-wrenching
disappointment for everyone who loves the Denver Broncos," Bowlen wrote. "It
marked a bitter end to an otherwise successful season. I feel terrible for our
players, coaches and staff who put forth maximum effort throughout the year. They
accomplished many great things while falling short of our ultimate goal."
Bowlen then told fans, "my heart aches for you. ... I said publicly last year that I
wanted 2012 to be a great season, not just a good season. We certainly had a very
good season and perhaps exceeded a few expectations. But Broncos fans, you and I
know what a great season looks like."
The man is fired up. Who can blame him? Bowlen is still walking around in a daze
like the rest of the Broncos faithful, so certain this Peyton Manning-led team was
setting the table for more than a divisional-round horror show giving way to the
long winter ahead.
Mike McCoy selected as San Diego
Chargers' coach
Marc Sessler
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
The San Diego Chargers have their guy.
The Chargers announced Tuesday they have selected Denver Broncos offensive
coordinator Mike McCoy as their new head coach. The team will formally introduce
McCoy as their coach during a news conference scheduled for 5 p.m. EST.
NFL.com's Albert Breer reported earlier Tuesday that the Chargers had agreed on a
deal to make McCoy their coach and the successor to Norv Turner. A Broncos team
source told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport that it appears McCoy will not take any Broncos
assistants with him to the Chargers.
The Chargers were in the market for an offensive-minded leader, and McCoy fits
the bill. San Diego knows him well, having faced Denver eight times during McCoy's
four-year tenure with the Broncos.
McCoy -- who initially came in under Josh McDaniels and stuck around to work for
John Fox -- was lauded for turning Tim Tebow into a playoff starter last season and
orchestrated a Peyton Manning-led offense in 2012 that went 13-3 before falling to
the Baltimore Ravens in Saturday's stunning divisional playoff.
The Arizona Cardinals also pursued McCoy, but the presence of veteran quarterback
Philip Rivers in San Diego likely was an attractive piece of bait in the decisionmaking process. Rivers isn't the quarterback of yesterday, but he's arguably the
second-best starter in the AFC West (granted, not exactly a résumé builder).
San Diego in the process has pulled an innovative mind away from a bitter rival,
making this a doubly attractive move for an organization that floated without
direction under Turner in 2012. The Chargers for years have been tagged as a
talent-rich team that just needed a push to get them over the hump. Much of that
talent is gone. There are positional weaknesses on both sides of the ball, and
McCoy won't inherit a sleeping giant here. If he can turn Rivers around, however,
the Chargers might do some damage.
Chargers owner Dean Spanos has used the early stages of the offseason to reorganize his franchise. A.J. Smith no longer walks the hallways as general manager,
replaced last week by Tom Telesco. Now the Chargers turn to McCoy to reshape a
team desperately in need of new life in the AFC West.
Mike McCoy a San Diego Charger: Who
won, who lost?
Gregg Rosenthal
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
The San Diego Chargers are borrowing heavily from the Indianapolis Colts'
approach a season ago. With Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy
accepting the head-coaching job in San Diego, the Chargers are starting completely
fresh with a young GM/coach tandem that can grow up together.
Borrowing the Colts model included hiring a Colts front-office member. New
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco was with the Colts from 1998 to 2011, his
final six years as director of player personnel. Those Colts teams were built on
offense, and we suspect the Chargers will lean that way as well.
The Chargers didn't take any half measures by keeping GM A.J. Smith or hiring a
familiar head coach. There was no promotion from within the front office. It was
time for a complete reboot. Let's look at some winners and losers from the move.
Winners
Philip Rivers: He had a great relationship with Norv Turner, but it was time for a
fresh start. McCoy has worked with quarterbacks as varied as Jake Delhomme, Kyle
Orton, Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning. He has worked under John Fox, Josh
McDaniels and Peyton Manning. (Yes, Manning brings his own system with him.)
McCoy's best selling point is adaptability.
Mike McCoy: This sounds obvious enough, but the Chargers job was perhaps the
best available because of the presence of Rivers and some young quality talent on
the defensive side of the ball. This is a roster that should compete right away in a
bad division.
Chargers fans: They wanted a fresh start. They got it. The Broncos lost a stunner
Saturday, and then the Chargers stole their coach. If Denver made the Super Bowl,
would San Diego have been patient to get him? Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego says
no. The team likely would have hired its coach this week and moved on without
McCoy if the Broncos won.
Josh McDaniels: He now has a coaching tree! (Yes, we're kidding. It would be
more like a bonsai.)
Losers
John Fox: He has to replace a coordinator for the second consecutive year. The
Denver Post wonders if Manning's old buddy Tom Moore from his Colts days could
wind up with the Broncos.
Arizona Cardinals: McCoy reportedly was high on their list, if not on top of it.
The team now could turn to defensive coordinator Ray Horton or Pittsburgh
Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Bruce Arians: Telesco and Bruce Arians worked together in Indianapolis. Arians
sure seemed to prefer this Chargers job based on multiple reports. He still has a
shot to get the Chicago Bears job but isn't seen as the favorite there.
Lovie Smith: It's hard to imagine him getting a head-coaching job now. San Diego
looked like his best chance.
The coaching search tracker: With McCoy in place, we suspect the Philadelphia
Eagles and the Bears should follow suit shortly. The Jacksonville Jaguars started
their process later and might keep the tracker alive into next week.
Wager-losing Denver mayor hurt doing
'squirrel dance'
Marc Sessler
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
Denver mayor Michael Hancock has paid dearly for the Denver Broncos' playoff loss
to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Broncos' 38-35 defeat in double overtime Saturday dropped Hancock into the
loss column of a bet he made with Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
Along with shipping a crate of dry-aged "cowboy cut" rib-eye steaks to Baltimore's
political leader, Hancock was tasked with performing a public rendition of the
"squirrel dance," the pregame routine made famous by Ravens linebacker Ray
Lewis.
Those plans are on hold after Hancock hurt himself Monday night preparing for the
jig.
Amber Miller, the mayor's spokeswoman, told The Denver Post he was injured
"during pregame warm-ups," but is "expected to be on the field in the second half,
ready to carry out the game plan and fulfill his end of the wager."
Overly ripe attempts at football jargon aside, the spin is on -- and the squirrel is on
hold.
Had Peyton Manning and friends endured, Baltimore's Washington Monument would
have been lit in Broncos colors and Hancock would be dining tonight on fresh,
broiled crab cakes.
Chalk it up to yet another high-stakes mayoral diversion gone very, very wrong.
John Fox, Peyton Manning top divisional
round's biggest losers
Adam Schein
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
We will always remember the divisional round of these NFL playoffs as epic. But
part of the drama included some losing efforts, questionable decisions and overall
head-scratchers.
So in this edition of The Schein Nine, I present the nine biggest losers (if you will)
from the weekend:
1) John Fox
The Denver Broncos coach had a terrible day at the office on Saturday.
The decision to take a knee at the end of regulation after Baltimore Ravens
quarterback Joe Flacco shocked the world with his throw to Jacoby Jones for the
game-tying touchdown was mind-blowing. Fox employs Peyton Manning. He had
two timeouts at his disposal.
I don't want to hear spin about losing momentum. Fox should've changed the
momentum. This was my easy first guess while watching this divisional-round
matchup. It was absurd that Fox sat on the ball.
As if the point needed to be proven any other way, look at the two throws Atlanta
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan made at the end of regulation to beat the Seattle
Seahawks in their divisional-round game on Sunday. How about what the Houston
Texans did at the end of the first half against the New England Patriots, scoring 10
points in less than four minutes?
Fox's conservative play cost him dearly. Denver was the hottest and most complete
team entering the playoffs, and the Broncos blew it. I know Fox is a defensive guy,
but you can't coach that way with Manning.
The table was set for Denver to make the Super Bowl. Fox will have to live with
that. Next time, he must play to win the game.
2) Peyton Manning / Mike McCoy
Manning said he was the one who called the run play on third-and-7 after the twominute warning. Whoever called it, that can't happen. In no universe is running
with Ronnie Hillman the right call -- and Hillman proved that by failing to gain a
yard.
In overtime, however, McCoy seemed to be way too comfortable going to Hillman -his third-string rookie running back! This nonsense came one year after McCoy
threw the ball -- with Tim Tebow, of all people -- to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in
last season's playoffs.
I think the world of Mike McCoy. I'm not at all shocked that McCoy has reached a
deal to become the next head coach of the San Diego Chargers. But you have to
think about putting the ball in the hands of your best players. That's the lesson,
learned the hard way.
3) Rahim Moore
Credit Flacco. He stepped up in the pocket and threw the aforementioned
touchdown to tie the game. But the angle taken by the Broncos defender was awful
and unacceptable. Moore must be more disciplined.
Moore was the face of failure for Denver's defense. But cornerback Champ Bailey
was brutal, too. Defensive linemen Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil were non-factors.
Denver's defense was better than Baltimore's during the regular season, but
winners only get recognized for what they do in January.
4) Dom Capers
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick put on a performance for the
ages Saturday against the Green Bay Packers. I credit Kaepernick more than I
blame the Packers' defense. But as the Packers' defensive coordinator, Capers
didn't make any adjustments. Clay Matthews never got going. A potential Super
Bowl season was wasted by faulty defense.
5) Darrell Bevell
As the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator, you hand the ball off to Robert
Turbin on third-and-1 and Michael Robinson on fourth-and-1? Do you remember
that you employ Marshawn Lynch? Trying to get cute? That's totally unacceptable
when your team is in a big first-half hole and desperate for points.
Don't try to outthink yourself, Darrell. Do what you did to get to that point.
But it could've been worse...
6) Pete Carroll
I would've put the points on the board at fourth-and-1 near the end of the first half,
instead of running it. There was plenty of game left, as proven by the majestic
Russell Wilson-led comeback. I thought that call was botched by Carroll.
I also couldn't believe the Seahawks' head coach called a timeout to ice Matt
Bryant's 49-yard field-goal attempt in the game's closing seconds. This is not a
second guess. After Seattle finally took the lead, the Georgia Dome crowd was
aghast. In the series of Falcons playoff failures, collapsing after being up by 20
would've been the worst. This was a miscalculation.
I also would've played the same defense I was playing all game on Ryan's final
drive.
The lesson for Carroll is not to get too cute. The Seahawks are in great shape for
the future, but football is a funny game. And Seattle is in a tough division with the
Niners, a rising St. Louis Rams team and the Arizona Cardinals, who are a
quarterback away from being strong.
7) Rob Gronkowski
Gronk is done for the playoffs. The Patriots tight end needs surgery on that
troublesome elbow again. Shane Vereen stepped up for New England, big time,
with two touchdown catches and 83 yards via the passing attack on Sunday. But
this is kind of a big deal.
The Patriots are facing a super-confident Ravens team in the AFC Championship
Game, a team that has outplayed New England the last two times they've met: in
Week 3 this season and in last season's AFC title matchup.
This is a blow.
8) Matt Schaub
Ryan took the step. Flacco was a monster, and now has seven playoff wins to his
name.
I'm a Schaub fan, but he isn't in the same class as Ryan and Flacco, let alone elite.
He's on the next level down, and that's a problem when you need a quarterback to
step up in the playoffs. Schaub is the "franchise" quarterback for the Texans, but
can they win with him?
I think Houston needs to be active in finding Schaub another veteran receiver who
can play opposite Andre Johnson.
9) Adam Schein
So, how were your last few days?
I went 1-3 picking games in the divisional round. I picked a Twitter fight with
Snooki. I am reminded -- with regularity -- that I wrote (all based on fact, by the
way) that I couldn't trust Flacco. For effect, I said on SiriusXM that veteran
linebacker Ray Lewis was a "glorified mascot" in his return for the Ravens -meaning he was there for energy, but couldn't play at a high level anymore -- and
he went on to lead the team with 17 tackles Saturday. I have no regrets about
writing that I trust Russell Wilson more than Matt Ryan, though Ryan did come
through when it mattered the most.
Wow.
Bag it, Schein.
John Fox preferred Denver Broncos going
for overtime
Dan Hanzus
NFL.com
January 15, 2013
John Fox's decision to play for overtime in the Denver Broncos' double-overtime
loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday was hard to make sense of when it
happened. The decision isn't looking any better as time passes.
Following Jacoby Jones' stunning 70-yard touchdown reception that tied the score
late in regulation, Fox called for Peyton Manning to kneel on the football with 31
seconds to play.
As the Atlanta Falcons proved one day later, getting into field-goal range isn't
always so much about time as it is execution. In theory, the Broncos hired Manning
for just such a moment, and the quarterback had the weapons to quickly move
downfield.
Instead, Fox chose to put his legendary quarterback on ice. Fox explained his
thought process Monday.
"(The Jones touchdown) was pretty devastating," Fox explained, via the Broncos'
official Twitter. "It just didn't seem the right time ... to go for the jugular."
Fox added in his news comference that he would call for a kneel-down 10 times out
of 10 in the same situation, via Lindsay Jones of USA TODAY Sports. Broncos CEO
John Elway backed his coach, saying he thought it was a "good move" to regroup
and move to overtime. Jones reported that Elway avoided the question if he would
have wanted to take a shot if he was the quarterback.
The "jugular" reference sticks with us the most. If there is ever a time to get
aggressive, to go for the jugular, isn't it in the playoffs with everything on the line?
Fox coached scared and might have ended up on the wrong side of an instant
classic because of it.
Peyton's arm and conservative Broncos;
catching up with Reid; mail
Peter King
Sports Illustrated
January 15, 2013
Five items, a sort of mini-MMQB, for a Championship Week Tuesday ...
What's up, exactly, with Peyton Manning?
Let's start with all the chatter about Peyton Manning, the conservative Denver
playcalls, etc., coming out of the Broncos' 38-35 loss. Reader Jeff Keith of Charlotte
asks: "You mentioned that Manning should have loosened up Baltimore's defense in
the second half with some deep throws. I have watched Manning throughout the
season, and I have little doubt that he cannot throw the deep ball anymore post
injury. I wonder what the stats point to regarding the distance the ball covers in the
air on Manning throws this year versus his career numbers?''
According to ProFootballFocus.com, here are the percentages of Manning's throws
20 yards or farther past the line of scrimmage (attempts, not completions) since
2008:
2012: 12.3 percent.
2011: injured.
2010: 13.5 percent.
2009: 12.8 percent.
2008: 13.2 percent.
So, not that different. But with the CBS report Saturday -- which I didn't hear about
until Monday -- about Manning having some trouble with numbness in his
fingertips, the question makes sense. I had a minute alone with Manning postgame
and would have asked him about it had I known. But it's something to keep in mind
as Manning continues to recover from his four neck surgeries. You can see the
number of throws downfield is down slightly -- very slightly -- so I don't believe it's
a significant difference there.
Bottom line: With 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter in a tied playoff game, one
of the best quarterbacks in history had the ball with two timeouts, needing about
47 yards to be in field goal range. You've got, what? Five plays to make 47 yards to
get in position for a field goal? I know the conditions were lousy: frigid day, a
Ravens defense playing well, Manning having had a good but not great day to that
point. If Manning went to John Fox and said, "I'm really struggling, so let's sit on it
here,'' that's fine. If not, I don't understand the decision, and never will.
***
On the CTE discovery in the brain of Junior Seau.
With the ABC/ESPN report last week that Junior Seau's brain contained evidence of
brain disease caused by multiple hits to the head, it is now imperative, obviously,
that the league do as much as possible for the mental health of ex-players -- and
that efforts continue to remove helmet-to-helmet hits from the game.
I also think, other than chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), there are other
causes to be considered -- namely, depression and post-career transition, both of
which could have been major points of emphasis in the decline and death of Seau.
This morning, I spoke with former Lions quarterback Eric Hipple, now an outreach
specialist with the University of Michigan's Depression Center. He's a victim of
depression himself, and his 15-year-old son killed himself in 2000 after suffering
from depression. He was between sessions, he said, with a former NFL player who
is depressed. That shouldn't be a surprise, he said, given the results of a NFL
Players Association poll of former players, in which 15 percent of 1,600 players
polled said they have felt moderately to severely depressed since the end of their
careers; the national average for men is about nine to 12 percent.
"There is no doubt in my mind that CTE creates problems with some former
players, and it's a contributor to depression for sure,'' said Hipple. "CTE certainly
can exacerbate depression. But CTE has become a catch-bag for every problem
now, and I don't think it should be. Jovan Belcher happens [the murder of his
girlfriend, and Belcher's suicide], and everybody wonders if CTE did it. There is
simply no data to confirm that CTE is the dominant reason for suicide.''
Hipple believes the transition from a football life to a civilian one is the most difficult
one to handle.
"When players leave football, I've found almost every one goes through a process
of thinking, 'What do I do now? What's my identity now?' Their support system was
taken away. All of a sudden, the support system, the friends, the money, the
identity, is gone. If I want to see a doctor, I've got to make an appointment; I don't
have a doctor available to me at all times. It's pretty devastating when you get cut.
Or you get injured, and you're released. But nobody ever talks about it. It's a
traumatic event. Look at research on ostracism. Psychologically, it's tough. That in
itself can lead to depression.
"Then you get out in the world, and, let's say you've been in the NFL for eight
years. You find yourself competing for a job against people who have been in the
line of work for eight years. You've been working hard on football, and now you're
way behind everyone when you go out in the field. Then you add the chronic pain,
which some players have. And people saying to you, 'You played the greatest game
in the world? I would have done anything to be able to do that. What can be wrong
with you?' ''
Hipple's advice to the NFL (and he has spoken to commissioner Roger Goodell
about this): The day a player gets cut, debrief him -- tell him about the post-career
resources available to him, and emphasize mental health care; connect him to a
post-career support system.
"I'm as mentally healthy as I've ever been, and it's because of education,'' he said.
He wishes he could have had a chance to speak with Seau before his suicide last
May -- but he says he wishes he could talk to every former player to tell them
there's hope, even if a player has a brain injury, to deal with the depression that
might be plaguing them.
CTE, Hipple believes, should be part of a mosaic of the post-career player issues.
But it shouldn't be the only thing experts study when lives go so tragically wrong.
***
Four questions with Andy Reid ...
Not long before the end of the season, I wanted to ask Andy Reid whether he'd be
interested in writing something around the time of the Super Bowl for Sports
Illustrated. He said no -- even though in his youth he wanted to be a sportswriter.
He thought he might be otherwise occupied. I'd felt he wouldn't take a year off
from coaching up to that point, but then I knew if there was a job out there, he'd
want it.
Q: So, since you've been named the Chiefs' coach, many people wonder: 'With
everything you've been through -- your son Garrett's death by overdose, the
turbulent year on and off the field you just went through -- why not take a year off
to recharge and get your life back in order?
Reid: "Because I love what I do. Garrett loved what I did. It doesn't feel like work. I
didn't want to sit home and not coach. What was I going to do? There was nothing I
wanted to do as much as coach football. The thing with Garrett ... it was not very
sudden; this was a long, long process. Unfortunately, [drug addiction] is so
rampant in America, and people who have gone through it realize that you don't
just -- as in my case -- lose a son; you lose a great friend. Now I'm able to bring
my other son here. [Reid hired Britt Reid, who also had drug-addiction issues, to be
a Chiefs quality-control coach.] Remember, he lost his best friend. But I am so
proud of how far he's come. And it says something about him that the three
coaches he worked for at Temple wanted him to come with them. The other side of
this is working to move on like a man and handle what life throws at you. We're
doing that.''
Q: Why the Chiefs? Why not, say, Arizona, or the other places you were linked to?
Reid: "The Hunt family is one of four or five bedrock families in the NFL that I
always thought, 'If I'm ever released [by the Eagles], if one of those families calls,
I'd listen.' The history here is so rich, the tradition is so rich, the fan base is so
strong.''
Q: What's the one overriding thing you take from Philadelphia into this job?
Reid: "I learned to embrace a city in Philadelphia. They'll take you from boyhood to
manhood, which they did with me, and that's okay. It's a results business. I got
that. As far as the team goes, it's imperative that everybody's pulling in the same
direction. That's the only way you can succeed."
Q: What's your take on the talent you inherit?
Reid: "Before I interviewed with the Chiefs, I looked at every snap from every
[Kansas City] game this year. Special teams were average. The talent overall, it
looked to me like they were transitioning from an older team to a younger one. And
I thought, 'With a couple, three drafts, very good things can happen here."
***
I don't know precisely what this means, but I like it.
Rob Chudzinski, named Friday as the seventh head coach in 14 new Cleveland
Browns years, was an offensive coordinator for four years in the NFL -- two with
Cleveland (2007-'08), two with Carolina (2011-'12). And I would bet his greatest
win as a coordinator came in October 2008, when the struggling Browns welcomed
the unbeaten Giants to Cleveland Browns Stadium for a Monday night game -- and
Chudzinski's offense piled up 454 yards and routed the Giants 35-14.
I bring this up because I tried to reach Chudzinski after the game by phone to
speak about it, failed, then went to bed around 1, figuring I'd catch him sometime
during the week. Well, at 1:45 a.m., my cell phone rang. It was Chudzinski. He was
in his office, at the Browns training facility in suburban Berea, starting to work on
that week's foe, Washington, and we arranged to talk later in the week. I thought
this said something either about Chudzinski the worker bee or coaches in general:
The Browns have their biggest win in the Crennel Era, beating the unbeaten Super
Bowl champs at home on a Monday night before a national audience, and the
offensive coordinator's mode of celebration was to go watch tape of the next foe.
When we spoke, he did say he watched three Washington defensive game tapes
between about 12:15 and 4 that night before getting some sleep. Some coaches
who have a Monday night game will spend a good part of Monday during the day
getting a head video start on the next team, but Chudzinski won't do that because
he feels it clouds his thinking if he looks ahead to the next foe before finishing with
one opponent.
"It's just the job,'' he said then. "It's what the job is in the most competitive league
in the world. I just like to watch two or three games and get a feel of the team
we're going to play. See how we match up, see how they call the game. Just
getting a feel for them. For me, I think, and I've always thought, this is just what I
have to do. I just feel I need every waking hour to do this job right. You better not
spend too much time licking your wounds or patting yourself on the back.''
That's your new football coach, Cleveland.
***
A Polian tree grows in the NFL.
In the span of 25 hours last week, three teams hired new general managers:
Jacksonville named David Caldwell late Tuesday afternoon, San Diego picked Tom
Telesco at midday Wednesday, and Carolina announced David Gettleman. All got
their start in the NFL when hired by Bill Polian -- Gettleman in Buffalo, and Caldwell
and Telesco out of John Carroll University (along with son Chris Polian) with the
Carolina Panthers. "Bill's the linchpin for me and Tom,'' Caldwell said. "I would
venture to say no, I wouldn't be here right now if not for Bill."
Said Polian: "All three are the epitome of football men. Football teams need to be
led by football men who know how coaches think, how players think. You can't
learn that in business school or law school.''
So much for capologists rising to GM jobs ...
Perloff: Expect nothing to change in Ravens vs. Patriots
Source: SI
SI.com's Andrew Perloff gives an early look at the AFC Championship
matchup between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens.
Now for your email:
I AM BLUSHING. "Thank you for the peek into the locker room meeting
between Peyton Manning and Ray Lewis. This is why you are appreciated
by fans of the game. These are the types of revealing moments that fans
long to see, but unfortunately they always occur behind the scenes where
we cannot share in them. Reading how Mr. Lewis called Mr. Manning a
great warrior was touching and revealing of the respect they have for one
another, and I think this should not be lost on the players of today's
generation. Mr. Manning displayed a lot of class to seek out and
congratulate the victorious Mr. Lewis.''
-- From Kenneth Garrett, Covington, Ky.
I have covered the NFL for 29 seasons, and this is one of the coolest things I've
seen in a post-game setting. These men will go down as two of the top -- whatever
-- 20, 25, 30 players in history when they're finished, and the respect that they had
for one another was a lesson for future generations of players. Thank you for
writing.
ON RAHIM MOORE. "While I think it is correct to criticize the Denver safety
Rahim Moore for allowing the 70 yard TD pass at the end of the BroncosRavens game I think it is completely unfair and unprofessional to suggest
it was "laziness" as a possible culprit. You don't think that kid is heart
broken over what happened? He screwed up big time but don't pour salt in
his wound by suggesting he was lazy.''
-- From Rudy Dyck, of Kingsville, Ontario.
I said he was either lazy or had a lapse in concentration. It was one of the two,
probably the latter. I understand your outrage, but how do you or I know which it
was?
OUTRAGE OVER PETE CARROLL. "How do you write an entire column about
the four games last weekend and not mention Pete Carroll's inexcusable
icing of the kicker? First, statistics show it doesn't work. Second, he looked
to be asking who called the timeout when it is pretty clear on replay that
he is the one who called the timeout. Do you have any insight on this issue
that cost them the game.''
-- From Chris Reagan, of Middletown, N.J.
No, I don't. I'm not a big icing fan. To me, as much damage can be done to a kicker
by making him kick when he's a little bit rushed -- as Matt Bryant would have been
before the timeout -- as by giving him 45 seconds to get his bearings and prepare.
But I don't know who called it. If I were a coach, that would not be in my
repertoire.
PEYTON'S PLACE. "It's unfortunate that we live in an era where an all-time
great quarterback like Manning is routinely criticized for not being able to
win the 'big one.' Despite the fact that he has won a Super Bowl, he seems
destined to be treated as Marino, to Brady's Montana (another unfair
comparison). Marino never had a defense or a running game. Saturday,
Manning brought his team within a minute of victory, only to have it taken
away by a poor defense. Montana played on teams so great on both sides
of the ball that the backup (albeit another Hall of Famer) was able to step
in and win. Likewise, all of Brady's Super Bowl victories came when he
played on a team with a great defense, something the Pats have not had in
their recent Super Bowl failures.''
-- From Dan, of New York City.
I'd agree, although Manning made a gigantic gaffe to help Denver lose this game.
You can't overlook the terrible overtime interception. I blame Rahim Moore more
than Manning, but the quarterback has to take his share of the blame when he
throws an interception in overtime on a ball he knows he should never have
thrown.
PEYTON AND THE PLAYOFFS. "For Peyton Manning, what I think is the
most glaring statistic isn't the total number of playoff loses, it's the
number of one-and-done games, most of which are at home as a top three
seed. He's been knocked out of the playoffs eight times in the first game.
Compared to the likes of Elway, Favre, Brady, that number is incredible.''
-- From Sean McCarthy, Boston.
Agreed. You can't hide that.
Broncos owner Pat Bowlen e-mails ticket
holders after 'gut-wrenching' loss
Lindsay H. Jones
USA TODAY Sports
January 15, 2013
DENVER — Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen is hurting just as much as his team's
fans are following Saturday's 38-35 double overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
He told ticket holders as much Tuesday in a letter.
Bowlen, in a letter sent via e-mail, described the loss as "gut-wrenching."
"I feel terrible for our players, coaches and staff who put forth maximum effort
throughout the year. They accomplished many great things while falling short of
our ultimate goal," Bowlen wrote. "But most importantly, my heart aches for you."
Bowlen, who has moved out of a public role in recent years after naming Joe Ellis as
team president, told season-ticket holders he would soon be looking forward to the
2013 season and with it the goal of playing in Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford,
N.J.
"As we move forward, I am extremely optimistic with the future of our team,"
Bowlen wrote.
Mike McCoy embarks on 'opportunity of a
lifetime' with Chargers
Lindsay H. Jones
USA TODAY Sports
January 15, 2013
Mike McCoy knew he was only taking a short trip to San Diego, but he went ahead
and packed a large bag for the flight from Denver to southern California anyway.
Everything in it was crucial for McCoy, the former Denver Broncos offensive
coordinator, to make his pitch for to be the new head coach of the San Diego
Chargers.
"They all laughed at me when I walked in yesterday with this big old bag with
books and binders and everything," McCoy said. "Well, that's my life's work."
Those binders full of detailed plans — covering everything from offseason workout
schedules to meal plans — won over Chargers president Dean Spanos and new
general manager Tom Telesco.
McCoy, 40, was the last of five candidates to interview for the Chargers' head
coaching job. Both parties knew Monday night McCoy was the right person to
succeed Norv Turner, but McCoy hopped a plane back to Denver anyway. He knew
that if he didn't return home to talk it through with his wife, Kellie, he would "be in
big trouble."
It ended up being an easy sell. The McCoy family spent the Broncos' bye week in
2011 in San Diego and took their son and daughter to Sea World. McCoy has kept a
picture of his kids posing with dolphins in his office at Broncos headquarters since.
"I mentioned to her last night, 'Remember this great day we had? That's where
we're going,'" McCoy said." She had no hesitation, and the kids, too. Once they saw
that, remembered that great weekend we spent here last year, it's going to be an
easy transition."
With his family's blessing, McCoy went to the Broncos training facility to pack up
some belongings and tell head coach John Fox he was leaving. A short time later,
the whole family was on a plane back to San Diego, where McCoy was formally
introduced Tuesday afternoon.
"This is the opportunity of a lifetime," McCoy said.
McCoy also interviewed last weekend with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles
and Arizona Cardinals. He didn't have any contact with the Chargers until after the
Broncos' loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, but both sides moved quickly.
McCoy didn't know Telesco before the job interview began Monday, but he was
quite familiar with the Chargers after coaching against them eight times in the past
four years.
"The foundation is in place here to build a winner for a long time," McCoy said.
That nucleus starts with quarterback Philip Rivers.
McCoy emerged as a hot head coaching candidate in 2011 after the work he did in
retooling Denver's offense midseason to fit the unorthodox skills of Tim Tebow. In
2012, McCoy showed flexibility as he once again tailored the offense to Peyton
Manning.
McCoy said Rivers will have input in the Chargers' new offensive system, just don't
expect it to include much of the read-option plays designed for Tebow.
"I thought you were going to ask me if Philip wanted to run the option. He did ask
me about that," McCoy said, laughing.
McCoy said he will hire an offensive coordinator who will call plays, a change from
Turner, who handled those duties in addition to his head coaching responsibilities.
McCoy and Telesco will meet with other Chargers assistant coaches who remain
under contract, including defensive coordinator John Pagano, to determine who will
stay.
"There's reason for change, and change is good sometimes in organizations,"
McCoy said.
Broncos part with DBs coach Ron Milus
after playoff loss
Lindsay H. Jones
USA TODAY Sports
January 15, 2013
The Denver Broncos have decided not to renew the contract of defensive backs
coach Ron Milus.
The team announced the move Tuesday, three days after safety Rahim Moore and
cornerback Tony Carter allowed a 70-yard, game-tying touchdown in the final
minute of regulation in Denver's 38-35 double overtime loss to Baltimore.
Broncos coach John Fox promoted quality-control coach Cory Undlin to fill Milus'
spot.
Undlin was a defensive assistant on defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio's staff in
Jacksonville from 2009 to 2011.
The Broncos had a strong pass defense until their divisional playoff game, when Joe
Flacco and receiver Torrey Smith beat Champ Bailey for two deep touchdowns, and
Moore erred on the game-changing final touchdown.
Denver mayor injured, unable to do Ray
Lewis dance
Chris Strauss
USA TODAY Sports
January 15, 2013
UPDATE: Denver mayor Michael Hancock may be a more flexible dancer than we
were originally led to believe. After an initial Denver Post report that he injured
himself practicing Ray Lewis' famed warmup dance, the mayor's office informs USA
TODAY Sports that he caught his boot and seriously strained his right quad at a
National Western Stock Show event Monday night. Apparently this means his injury
is indeed more Bronco than Ravens related after all.
Regardless of its origins, the injury will likely force him to temporarily pull out of
part of a bet he made with Baltimore's mayor over last Saturday's Broncos-Ravens
game.
Hancock was apparently scheduled to do Lewis' dance prior to the Ravens' game
against the New England Patriots on Sunday, although it isn't clear now when that
will happen.
"Our Mayor is headed to the doctor now to find out when he will make a recovery
and be able to fulfill his bet with Baltimore," spokeswoman Amber Miller said via email.
As this Westword story points out, Hancock used to serve as Huddles, the Broncos'
team mascot, back in the 1980s. We wish Mayor Hancock a quick recovery from his
injury, although as Friday Night Lights fans know, Luke Cafferty managed to gut
through a similar livestock related mishap in Season 4 to take the field for East
Dillon.
Fox’s lack of courage will haunt him
David Ramsey
Colorado Springs Gazette
January 15, 2013
John Fox did what you expected John Fox to do on Monday. He said he had no
doubt he made the right decision when he refused to take a chance with 31
seconds left in regulation.
Fox is not the type to question himself. And he’s not the type to ever change. He’s
not a gambler, not a swashbuckler. Don’t like his style? He doesn’t care.
His decision is not going to be forgotten anytime soon.
I spent several hours talking with Lou Saban in 1997. He’s the former Broncos
coach who in 1971 decided to sit on the ball at the end of a 10-10 tie with the
Miami Dolphins. Half a loaf, Saban famously said, is better than none. Broncos fans
failed to agree. They tossed several dozen half loafs on the field at the next home
game. Saban soon resigned. He is, by the way, the last Broncos coach to depart
voluntarily. Everyone who has followed him has been fired.
Saban laughed about the decision, but it was clear his lack of nerve haunted him.
No one watches a football game hoping to see extreme caution. We all want to see
boldness.
Saban wasn’t bold. Fox wasn’t bold. Both men were cowards, if only for a moment.
Fox said he doesn’t regret his decision.
But he will regret it, largely because it was reckless to be so cautious.
Chargers introduce Mike McCoy as new
head coach
Michael David Smith
Pro Football Talk
January 15, 2013
The San Diego Chargers have made it official: Their new head coach is Mike McCoy.
McCoy, who has spent the last four seasons as offensive coordinator of the Broncos,
officially becomes the 15th head coach in the history of the Chargers franchise
today.
In San Diego, McCoy will be asked to turn around a team that had a disappointing
7-9 record in 2012. Of particular importance for the Chargers is that McCoy gets
quarterback Philip Rivers on track. One of the reasons the Chargers liked McCoy is
that he has found success with a wide variety of quarterbacks, and he was able to
change the Broncos’ offense accordingly as they switched from Kyle Orton to Tim
Tebow to Peyton Manning over the last two years.
This marks the second consecutive offseason that the Broncos have lost a
coordinator to an AFC West rival. Last year the Raiders hired former Broncos
defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their head coach.
McCoy replaces Norv Turner, who was fired after six years at the end of the 2012
season.
Broncos promote Cory Undlin to
secondary coach
Curtis Crabtree
Pro Football Talk
January 15, 2013
The Denver Broncos made the decision Tuesday to not renew the contract of
secondary coach Ron Milus in the wake of the Broncos double overtime loss to the
Baltimore Ravens last Saturday.
It didn’t take long for the Broncos to fill the role as they have elected to promote
from within in moving Cory Undlin from defensive quality control coach to
secondary coach.
The move was made following a staggering failure to hold onto a lead at the end of
regulation as Jacoby Jones got behind safety Rahim Moore and the Broncos defense
for a 70-yard game-tying touchdown to send the game to overtime. Justin Tucker
would win the game for Baltimore with a 47-yard field goal early in the second
overtime.
“This wasn’t about one play or one game. It was about the best fit for our
secondary and defense as we moved forward,” head coach John Fox said, via Mike
Klis of the Denver Post. “Cory’s a bright, experienced coach who has learned from
some great defensive minds. He’s worked with Jack in the past as his defensive
backs coach, and he knows our players very well.”
Undlin served with Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio for three years in
Jacksonville. Undlin served as a defensive assistant in 2008 before coaching the
secondary for his final two years with the Jaguars.
Broncos give defensive backs coach Ron
Milus the boot
Mike Florio
Pro Football Talk
January 15, 2013
It was the most stunning late-game touchdown pass in the divisional round since
Drew Pearson pushed Nate Wright to the ground more than 37 years ago.
Notwithstanding Pearson’s offensive pass interference in the game that coined the
phrase “Hail Mary,” the Vikings failed to put safety Paul Krause in position to
prevent a long touchdown pass. On Saturday, the Broncos committed a similar
gaffe by not having safety Rahim Moore deep enough to keep Ravens receiver
Jacoby Jones from running past the secondary and catching a game-tying
touchdown pass.
It didn’t help that Moore grossly misplayed an underthrown ball, jumping too soon
and flailing like a blindfolded kid trying to implode a piñata hanging three feet
higher than his stick can reach.
Though Moore may eventually take the fall for the failure of the defense, defensive
backs coach Ron Milus is the first one to go. Per multiple reports, Milus has been
fired.
Milus re-joined the Broncos in 2011 with head coach John Fox, who had hired Milus
in 2009 with the Panthers. Though it’s unclear whether Milus already was on thin
ice, the unprecedented manner in which the Broncos squandered a late lead
undoubtedly sealed his fate.
Pat Bowlen will be “ticked off for a
month” after loss
Josh Alper
Pro Football Talk
January 15, 2013
The Broncos season came to a disappointing end on Saturday night and owner Pat
Bowlen said Monday that the loss to the Ravens is going to linger for a while.
Bowlen, making his first public comments since before the season, had plenty of
praise for the work done by his team this season and said he got more than he
expected out of quarterback Peyton Manning in his return to football after several
neck surgeries. All of that is still tinged with frustration that won’t immediately
wash away, however.
“I’m still ticked off. I’ll be ticked off for a month,” Bowlen said, via the Denver Post.
“They’re tough to get over. Especially when you’re in that position and you have
that opportunity.”
Barring any unforeseen developments this offseason, the Broncos will bring back
the nucleus of this year’s team for the 2013 season. With the rest of the AFC West
in varying stages of disarray, that should make them a strong contender to get
back to the playoffs again next season. That won’t make any pain from Saturday
easier to deal with in the short term, but it should allow the Broncos to smile again
before too long.
Divisional games rack up the ratings
Mike Florio
Pro Football Talk
January 15, 2013
The NFL’s best non-Super Bowl weekend of the year didn’t generate big TV
numbers only in Seattle.
Nationally, the four divisional playoff games became the four most-watched shows
of the week, with an average audience of 34 million for each contest.
And while it appeared going in that CBS had the short end of the matchup straw,
CBS cleaned up in the ratings department, with 37.7 million watching the TexansPatriots game on Sunday and 35.3 million tuning in for Ravens-Broncos on
Saturday.
For FOX, only (only?) 32.1 million watched Seahawks-Falcons on Sunday. The
Saturday night prime-time contest between the 49ers and Packers had an average
crowd of 30.9 million.
All four games outperformed the BCS national title game between Alabama and
Notre Dame, which drew an audience of 26.4 million.
Canepa: McCoy may be for real
Nick Canepa
U-T San Diego
January 15, 2013
The powder blue jersey has been turned inside-out. And we have no idea how it’s
going to look in Sunday light or how it will wear on San Diego’s skin.
The Chargers have decided to go with two young captains to run their football
team, and we have no choice but to come aboard knowing by this compass reading
that the direction has been set toward Parts Unknown.
A week ago, club President Dean Spanos hired 40-year-old Tom Telesco as his new
general manager. Tuesday, Spanos hired 40-year-old Mike McCoy as his latest head
coach. Neither has held similar jobs, Telesco coming here as Colts director of pro
personnel and McCoy from Denver, where he served as offensive coordinator.
Risky? You bet. A disaster? We can’t know. Telesco may be the next Tex Schramm.
He may be the next Steve Ortmayer. McCoy may be the next Tom Landry. He may
be the next Kevin Gilbride. What we do know is they are bright and devoted to their
sport.
Again, I’ll quote my father, a lifelong commercial fisherman: “You never know what
a captain’s like until you get on the water with him.”
“So true,” says Ted Tollner, who has served as a head coach at USC and San Diego
State and spent many years as an NFL offensive assistant. “Position coaches want
to be coordinators and when they get the jobs find it different than what they
thought. Same with coordinators wanting to be head coaches. I don’t know either
of them personally, but I do know that, until the guy’s there doing the job, you just
don’t know.”
It appears to me Spanos and his search party of son John, Telesco, capologist Ed
McGuire and venerable consultant Ron Wolf did due diligence in a week’s time
(although Spanos, knowing for weeks he was canning Turner, very well may have
had Wolf sniffing around long before season’s end). The two choices are very highly
regarded in NFL drawing rooms.
It’s easy to say McCoy spent last season in Denver with quarterback Peyton
Manning, who often is considered his own offensive coordinator. But McCoy the
season before coached different-than-everybody Tim Tebow to a playoff win _ no
chance Tebow called his own plays _ and the year before that McCoy coaxed a
decent year out of Kyle Orton, who reminded nobody of Joe Montana.
“No question, Peyton Manning can make you look good,” Tollner said. “But on the
other side of it, there’s the argument that McCoy was able to adjust and bring the
best out of his people. He was able to figure out that (Tebow) fiasco last year and
this year he found himself in a totally different situation with a leader (Manning)
and made it work. He has to have some real people skills.”
McCoy, who admits he’s “not a yeller and screamer,” has the right approach.
“It’s our job as football coaches to take advantage of what players do best,” he said
Tuesday at his christening. “I have no problem running the same play 10 times a
game.”
Watch Manning and you get the feeling he’s calling every play, that he’s the window
and the offensive coordinator is dressing. McCoy disagrees.
“Not as much as people think,” he said. “I’d call every play and there would be a
few changes. It varied from week to week.”
Unlike his predecessor, Norv Turner, McCoy will not be calling his own plays. He’ll
hire an offensive coordinator to do that. Smart. Norv could call plays, but I always
thought it took away from his other duties on game days. Telesco said McCoy didn’t
want play-calling duty.
So there you have it. In one week, the Chargers have gone to a youth movement.
Soon enough, Spanos will turn the franchise over to sons John and A.G., who are
younger than the men just hired.
Interesting time and hires. McCoy obviously blew up the search party’s kilts. The
Colts’ Bruce Arians, very familiar to Telesco, was due for an interview Wednesday.
It was called off. The posse denied the NFL Coach of the Year. But who knew Arians
better than Telesco?
“Mike is just a guy who can adapt to anything,” Telesco said. “He was the most
polished head coaching candidate I’ve ever seen. I thought he’d be good, but he
had a plan and a process for everything.
“Some people come into an interview prepared for an interview. He came in
prepared to interview for a job.”
All I can say is Mike McCoy last year coached the quarterbacking mess that is Tim
Tebow to a playoff win. Maybe it’s time for somebody other than Tebow to believe
in miracles.
Acee: For Chargers, change seems good
Kevin Acee
U-T San Diego
January 15, 2013
Dean Spanos didn’t know what he wanted until he was close enough to grasp it.
The Chargers President liked Norv Turner and A.J. Smith. Still does.
But the old man — and that’s what Spanos feels like after hiring two relative
youngsters — definitely fell in love with a couple guys who are the polar opposites
of the men they’re replacing.
“We needed change,” Spanos said Tuesday afternoon, following the press
conference to announce Mike McCoy as the Chargers’ head coach. “The dynamic of
the two individuals we got is perfect for the change I want.”
McCoy, who will turn 41 on April 1, was hired six days after Tom Telesco, who
turned 40 just more than a month ago, was named Chargers general manager.
Neither of these guys have held a top job before. We don’t know how they’ll do.
Spanos, who seems energized by the process of change, acknowledged he doesn’t
know.
Most everyone reading this knows of my affinity for Turner, but I was on record
long ago that if he didn’t win this season, it was time for change.
Folks, this is change. And it does seem right.
What has happened at Chargers Park over the course of a week is unmistakable.
“There’s an energy in the building,” quarterback Philip Rivers said.
Rivers’ fondness for Turner has not faded. But Rivers has his future and the future
of the Chargers to consider.
“If we’re changing,” he said, “let’s change.”
About 10 seconds into each of their introductions to San Diego, it was obvious this
is without a doubt a different duo.
The GM is engaging. The head coach seizes a room.
Spanos fired Turner and Smith because he knew something was wrong, but he
didn’t know exactly what right looked like.
He found out quickly that while he still believes in “continuity” and “stability,” new
can be good, too.
You know what got Spanos about McCoy? The guy brought to his interview not only
a thorough and vividly articulated plan, but that plan was presented in a way that
made Spanos believe that the things he’d been fretting over for months regarding
Turner would be fixed by McCoy.
McCoy having had at least some level of success coaching three very different
starting quarterbacks over the past four years as the Denver Broncos’ offensive
coordinator — including Tim Tebow, who is just barely a quarterback — made
Spanos believe McCoy would adeptly adjust to the talent supplied.
McCoy’s presentation — and I tell you, he demands your attention without actually
demanding it — made Spanos realize something he hadn’t wanted to admit for
some time — that such a presence had been missing at the front of the room.
McCoy also demonstrated a passion for organization and structure, something
Spanos had previously determined was lacking to some extent.
McCoy, as did Telesco, also outlined a plan to develop young players, something
that two guys trying to hold onto their jobs had been somewhat reluctant to do.
One more thing Spanos was touting on Tuesday was “family.” His is essentially a
family-run business, and he has always valued that. But the Chargers had lost
touch with that in some sense.
By every account, Turner was a good man and related well to people all over the
building. Smith, while not as much of a jerk as he’s painted, is also not a people
person.
Telesco and McCoy have staffers practically giddy with the inclusive vibe they’ve
already portrayed.
Said former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme when I spoke to him Tuesday night:
“Mike truly believes in that. Under him, you won’t just play for the Chargers, you’re
family. You’re proud of that.”
Wow.
In a two-week span, this franchise’s top two football positions have undergone a
facelift simply by virtue of getting almost a half-century younger and a lot more
charismatic.
Personality won’t make up for left tackle Jared Gaither’s lack of a spine. A
commanding presence won’t sign right guard Louis Vasquez on its own. Friendliness
won’t make wide receiver Robert Meachem a better fit for this offense.
McCoy and Telesco are signed to four-year contracts. They may or may not survive,
may or may not thrive.
Turner’s .578 winning percentage as Chargers head coach is second-best among
the 14 coaches in franchise history. The team averaged more than 9½ victories in
10 years under Smith’s direction.
Change is no guarantee of success. But the Chargers were just 24-24 over the
previous three seasons, and change was necessary. This is certainly change.
Mike McCoy new Chargers' head coach
Michael Gehlken
U-T San Diego
January 15, 2013
Mike McCoy kept a photograph inside his Denver office.
It shows him, his wife Kellie, their daughter Olivia and son Luke on vacation,
hanging out with the dolphins at SeaWorld in San Diego.
“Remember that great vacation we had?” McCoy said to his family Monday night,
pitching a permanent move. “That’s where we’re going.”
A head coach must motivate, and by the early look of things, McCoy can. The
former Broncos offensive coordinator became the 15th head coach in Chargers
history Tuesday, his wife and kids sitting in the front row of his introductory media
conference.
McCoy signed a four-year contract to succeed Norv Turner.
This is his third NFL home and first as a head coach.
A former quarterback at Long Beach State and Utah, he began coaching in 2000,
serving as the Carolina Panthers’ offensive assistant, wide receivers coach,
quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at different times over a nineyear tenure.
He joined the Broncos in 2009 as their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks
coach. In the past three seasons, McCoy worked as a coordinator and play-caller.
Unlike what Turner did for six years, McCoy won’t call plays here.
While still shaping the offensive system, he said he’ll hire an offensive coordinator
who will handle those duties. He is in the process of determining his coaching staff,
but there is known interest in retaining defensive coordinator John Pagano.
These are new times at Chargers Park.
Much younger, too.
Tom Telesco, hired Jan. 9, is the youngest general manager in Chargers history.
McCoy is the second-youngest head coach only to Al Saunders, who was 39 when
hired in 1986.
Former GM A.J. Smith is 63. Turner is 60.
For McCoy, this opportunity almost didn’t come.
The NFL regulates when coaches on playoff teams can be interviewed. The Chargers
were required to wait until Denver was eliminated from the postseason before
beginning the process with McCoy, and they could only wait so long.
If the Broncos won last weekend, San Diego was expected to have waited a week to
see if Denver advanced to the Super Bowl. If it did, the Chargers wouldn’t have
waited two more weeks for the Super Bowl to end, hiring someone else instead.
Telesco suggested the Broncos’ double-overtime loss to the Ravens on Saturday
may have been a “little bit of fate.”
“He kind of hit all the factors that we were looking for,” Telesco said. “He’s a leader
of men. He was a quarterback in college. You could kind of see the toughness in his
eyes when he talked to us. He’s a teacher who can communicate with all different
backgrounds of players and all different levels of experience. He’s a motivator as a
coach who can get guys to play their best at critical times.”
Quarterback Philip Rivers said he was rooting for McCoy to be hired.
McCoy received Jacob Hester’s seal of approval when speaking with Rivers on
Monday. Hester, the Broncos fullback, spent the first four seasons of his NFL career
with the Chargers.
Hester said it was a “good hire” to choose McCoy, someone who, in the past two
years, has adapted his offense to three different Denver quarterbacks between Kyle
Orton, Tim Tebow and Peyton Manning.
McCoy’s sideline demeanor is considered to be fairly even keeled.
“He’s not fiery as far on the field,” Hester said. “He’s not going to show you up, but
definitely, he’s going to get on you, in a good way, behind closed doors and make
you accountable. As a player, you don’t want a guy who’s going to yell his head off
the whole time. But he gets on you in a way that’s good for the team.”
What to expect from a rookie coach
Jay Paris
U-T San Diego
January 15, 2013
If at first you succeed, you're probably not a first-time NFL head coach.
The Chargers hired Mike McCoy, the Broncos' former offensive coordinator on
Tuesday, but do they know what they're getting? Of course not.
But that didn't stop them from giving McCoy his initial chance, something that has
happened 44 times in the NFL since 2003. Over those 10 seasons, coaches
compiled a 299-396 record in their first year at the helm.
Patient owners have sometimes been rewarded by fresh faces:

Mike Tomlin went from Vikings defensive coordinator to leading the Steelers
to a 10-6 record, then to a Super Bowl title in his second season.

Mike McCarthy, a longtime assistant, took over the Packers and went 8-8 as
a rookie coach; four years later he was a Super Bowl winner.

The 49ers' Jim Harbaugh, in his second season, has his team one triumph
shy of the Super Bowl for the second straight year.
But most first-year coaches struggle. It's not always their fault. Many were hired to
fix others' mistakes and need a few seasons to make an impact.
Who knows how McCoy will fare? After he was fired, Norv Turner said Chargers fans
shouldn't expect an immediate turnaround.
"I would hope it (the playoffs) would not be the expectation starting in August
because I think you need to give whoever the guy who comes in here and the
group he brings in some time to get back this thing back to where it was," Turner
told U-T San Diego when his firing was announced on Dec. 31.
A learning curve awaits McCoy, and the Chargers will discover how steep it is.
McCoy is a keen steward of offenses. But anyone predicting his success, or failure,
as a head coach is diving into a pool of speculation.
“It will be interesting to see if Mike wants to call his own plays,'' said James Lofton,
the Hall of Fame wide receiver. “It's hard to do that during the game when you are
trying to split your time doing so many other things.
“As an offensive coordinator, you can huddle up with your quarterback and be
going over what you want to do on the next series. But when you are the head
coach, you got to focus on taking a penalty, throwing the red flag, the defense ...
there is a lot to focus on during the game.''
The Chargers zeroed in on a first-timer, a departure from recent hires. Norv Turner
had experience at Washington and Oakland; Marty Schottenheimer in Kansas City
and Washington.
“You try to get their philosophies on offense and defense, but what you don't know
is their leadership qualities,'' said former Chargers General Manger Bobby Beathard.
“That and you hope they don't change after they get the job.''
Beathard felt both sides of the first-time coaching sword.
With the Redskins, he took a chance on Joe Gibbs, a Chargers offensive
coordinator. Gibbs pointed the Redskins to four Super Bowls, winning three.
Beathard also hit pay dirt in San Diego with Bobby Ross, who delivered a Super
Bowl appearance in his third year.
But Beathard picked San Diego stinkers in Kevin Gilbride (6-16) and Mike Riley (1434).
“It’s obviously a huge challenge,” said Dennis Allen, in the run-up to a 4-12 record
as a rookie head coach with the Raiders this season. “When you’re a position coach,
you’re just in charge of your little group. When you’re a coordinator, you’re in
charge of your side of the ball – offense, defense, special teams. When you’re the
head coach, you’re in charge of it all and have your hand in all of it.”
A show of hands might reveal the Chargers being bold in selecting McCoy. But for
every Tomlin and McCarthy, there are many more like the Rams' Steve Spagnuolo,
who won three games in three seasons before getting the boot.
Chargers name McCoy head coach
Chargers.com
January 15, 2013
San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos announced today that former Denver
Broncos Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy will be the 15th head coach in team
history.
“We set out to find the right man to lead the San Diego Chargers on the field and
that man is Mike McCoy,” Spanos said. “The interview process was an excellent
experience. We were very thorough during the process and made sure we did our
due diligence. We interviewed five extremely-qualified, highly-sought-after
coaches. It was a tough decision, but in the end, all signs pointed to Mike. After
spending time with Mike, I could see why so many teams wanted to talk to him.
“Mike has all of the qualities we were looking for in a head coach and a leader. He
has a very structured vision about how to build and run a football team. Mike and
Tom think very much alike and share very similar beliefs. Mike has shown he has
one of the most innovative minds in football. He has a track record of building
offenses and maximizing the abilities of his players. He’s a devout family man and
understands the value of building and maintaining a family environment here. Mike
is energetic, enthusiastic, forward-thinking, and a team builder. Bottom line, he’s a
leader. And he’s charismatic. I know our fans will enjoy getting to know Mike and
watching what he does with the Chargers.
“Change is good. It’s no longer business as usual for the San Diego Chargers. With
(new General Manager) Tom Telesco leading our player personnel department and
Mike McCoy leading our team on the field, I think we have the right men in place to
lead the Chargers back to where we belong … in the playoffs and to the Super
Bowl.”
Telesco echoed Spanos’ sentiments.
“A week ago, I talked about what we’re looking for in a head coach,” Telesco said.
“We’re looking for a leader of men, a teacher who can communicate with players
from all different ages and backgrounds, and a coach who can motivate his players
to play their best at the most critical times. Mike McCoy can accomplish those
goals. He’s going to build a team culture and do it with passion on and off the field.
It was very clear he was the one we wanted to lead the San Diego Chargers in a
new era.”
McCoy, 40, comes to the Chargers from Denver, where he helped the Broncos to
their second-highest win total in franchise history as they went 13-3 and entered
the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Broncos won 11 straight games to
end the regular season, the second-longest streak in team history, and became
only the seventh Super Bowl-era team to win their final 11 contests.
“It’s an honor and privilege to have an opportunity to work for a great organization
like the San Diego Chargers,” said McCoy. “It’s exciting for me to come to an
organization like the Chargers and the beautiful city of San Diego at the start of a
new era and the beginning of a new culture. Change is good in this business and,
to me, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
With McCoy at the helm of the Broncos’ offense, quarterback Peyton Manning threw
a team-record 37 touchdown passes, while posting the second-best season of his
career in yards (4,659) and completion percentage (68.6%). The Broncos ranked
fourth in the NFL in total offense and their passing game featured a pair of standout
receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, who combined to become the
youngest receiving duo in NFL history to each top 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Thomas led the way with 1,434 yards and 10 scores on 94 catches, while Decker
scored 13 times while hauling in 85 passes for 1,064 yards. Injuries hampered
Denver’s running backs corps during the season but the group was resilient and
combined to rush for 1,832 yards and 12 touchdowns.
McCoy coached under Head Coach John Fox in both Denver and Carolina.
“I’ve known Mike for many years and believe he is a tremendous coach,” said Fox.
“We’ve spent nearly a decade coaching together, beginning in Carolina when he
was an assistant working with the quarterbacks. He’s going to make an excellent
head coach and is certainly qualified for the position. Mike understands offenses in
this league. Beyond that, he’s got a great football mind. His preparation and
detail—his level of organization—is very strong. As a play-caller, I had a lot of
confidence in him and watched him have great success with that responsibility. I’m
happy for Mike, his wife Kellie and their family.”
The 2011 season was a storybook one in Denver as McCoy helped the Broncos
reach the AFC Divisional Playoffs after winning their first AFC West title since 2005.
The Broncos upset the heavily-favored Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Playoffs
at Sports Authority Field with quarterback Tim Tebow throwing an 80-yard
touchdown pass to Thomas on the first play of overtime. The success of the ’11
season was particularly satisfying for McCoy, who had completely revamped
Denver’s offense into a read-option attack that meshed with Tebow’s playing style
and the Broncos went on to lead the NFL with a franchise-record 2,632 yards on the
ground.
A couple of other Broncos’ players who starred while playing under McCoy included
wide receiver Brandon Lloyd and running back Willis McGahee. Lloyd led the NFL in
receiving yards (1,448) in 2010 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection, while also
becoming just the fourth wide receiver in team history to receive Associated Press
All-Pro honors and McGahee rushed for 1,199 yards in 2011 to earn his secondcareer Pro Bowl selection.
McCoy came to Denver after the ’08 season, becoming Denver’s offensive
coordinator and quarterbacks coach on Jan. 20, 2009. In his first season with the
Broncos, quarterback Kyle Orton set career highs in every major passing category
and two Broncos offensive players, wide receiver Brandon Marshall and left tackle
Ryan Clady, earned Pro Bowl honors. Marshall caught 101 passes that season, tied
for third in the NFL, and set an NFL record with 21 catches in a game against
Indianapolis, while Clady added first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors to his
Pro Bowl selection. Running back Knowshon Moreno also shined under McCoy,
earning All-Rookie honors after leading the league’s rookies in rushing yards, total
yards from scrimmage and total touchdowns.
McCoy played quarterback at Long Beach State and the University of Utah before
signing with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 1995. He ended up spending
his rookie season on the practice squad in Green Bay and then had stops with NFL
Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals, his hometown San Francisco 49ers and the
Philadelphia Eagles before concluding his playing career with the Canadian Football
League’s Calgary Stampeders in 1999.
McCoy transitioned into coaching a year later, joining the Carolina Panthers as an
offensive assistant in 2000. Four weeks into his first season with the Panthers
however, he was elevated to quarterbacks coach and helped Steve Beuerlein to a
3,730-yard season that ranked seventh in the NFL. McCoy would end up spending
nine seasons in Carolina, serving as wide receivers coach (2001), quarterbacks
coach (2002-08) and passing game coordinator (2007-08). The Panthers totaled
three playoff appearances, two division titles, two NFC Championship Game
appearances and a berth in Super Bowl XXXVIII (2003) during McCoy’s nine years
on the staff.
McCoy’s main student in Carolina was quarterback Jake Delhomme, a Pro Bowl pick
in 2005 who passed for more than 3,000 yards four times under his watch.
Delhomme enjoyed his best season for the Panthers in 2004, registering personal
bests in passing yards (3,886) and touchdown passes (29), totals that both ranked
second in Panthers’ history. A year later, the Panthers went 11-5 and advanced to
the NFC Championship Game behind Delhomme, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod
after ranking fourth in the NFL with 24 touchdown passes. McCoy did some of his
best coaching with the Panthers in 2007 when the team went a franchise-best 12-4
in the regular season and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. Injuries forced
the Panthers to start four different quarterbacks (none for more than three games
in a row) during that ’07 season and Carolina became the first NFL team in 10 years
to win at least one game with four different starters at quarterback (Delhomme,
David Carr, Matt Moore and Vinny Testaverde).
McCoy is the second-youngest head coach in team history. Al Saunders was 39
years old when he became head coach in 1986.
A native of San Francisco, McCoy and his wife, Kellie, have a daughter, Olivia, and a
son, Luke.
Philip Rivers Excited About Future Under
Mike McCoy and Tom Telesco
Ricky Henne
Chargers.com
January 15, 2013
New head coach Mike McCoy has many outstanding qualities. But perhaps chief
amongst them has been his uncanny ability to get the most out of his quarterback.
From Jake Delhomme to Kyle Orton to Tim Tebow to Peyton Manning, each player
posted some of the best numbers of their career under his tutelage. Most recently
was Manning, who threw for a team-record 37 touchdowns and posted the second
best season of his career in terms of yards (4,659) and completion percentage
(68.85%).
Thus, it’s easy to see why Philip Rivers is thrilled with the hiring of McCoy and can’t
wait to get to work with him.
“I met with him today and we got started,” he said. “I’m excited about
that. Certainly there’s going to be a lot of changes offensively from what we’ve
done. It’s going to be new and different and I’m sure he has a ton of great ideas
and schemes, so I’m looking forward to getting going with him.”
McCoy is also looking forward to the chance to work with Rivers.
“I’m very excited,” said the new head coach. “When he was at North Carolina State
I was at Carolina. We went up there and worked him out. We saw all of his games
on TV being there. It is a great opportunity. He is a fierce competitor. He is a great
guy to have as the face of your franchise the way he plays, game in and game out.
Regardless of the score he is going to compete. I just talked to him a little while
ago and there are a lot of guys on this football team that are like that.”
In addition to McCoy, Rivers spoke highly of the team’s decision to bring in Tom
Telesco as general manager as well.
“I’ve had the chance to have a few conversations with Tom, and again, it’s just
really exciting,” he said. “He made it clear the direction we’re headed in, so I’m
excited about it.”
Overall, Rivers is ready to move on from a disappointed 2012 season and looks
forward to the future under McCoy and Telesco.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “I think it’s a natural progression from the end of the
season. You’re disappointed because of the year you had, and you’re always
disappointed to lose your coach. And then as time passes, you hire a new coach
and a new GM. Well, I’m fired up and excited about what’s to come. I’ve been here
nine years and we’ve done a lot of good things. Obviously last year was
disappointing, but we’re ready to get back into the post season and I’m excited
about Coach McCoy and Telesco leading us back there.”
Denver Broncos' owner thanks die-hard
fans
Blair Shiff
9News.com
January 15, 2013
DENVER - Denver Broncos coach John Fox said that his team was too shocked
following the Baltimore Ravens' 70-yard touchdown in the final of minute of
regulation Saturday to be able to try to mount their own quick comeback, even
though their divisional playoff game eventually went into double overtime.
In light of this, Broncos owner and CEO Pat Bowlen, released a personal letter to all
of the season-ticket holders on Tuesday. The letter said the following:
Dear Season Ticket Holder:
I write this letter to summarize my thoughts on the 2012 season and to thank you
for your tremendous support this year.
Saturday's playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens was a gut-wrenching
disappointment for everyone who loves the Denver Broncos. It marked a bitter end
to an otherwise successful season.
I feel terrible for our players, coaches and staff who put forth maximum effort
throughout the year. They accomplished many great things while falling short of
our ultimate goal.
But most importantly, my heart aches for you.
The energy and enthusiasm you provided us this past year were infectious and
carried us to great accomplishments. Your passionate backing allowed us to ascend
as the season progressed. To have it end so suddenly is certainly most painful for
you.
As the owner of a football team that belongs to this region, city and the greatest
fans in professional sports, I share and understand the deep disappointment that
you still must feel today.
In the early stages of reflection, one thing stands clear-Your support is unwavering.
Since the day I bought this team through the moment you finished cheering your
hearts out in the freezing cold of Saturday's game, that has always been the case.
Please know that I am humbled by this support and I am forever grateful for it.
I said publicly last year that I wanted 2012 to be a great season, not just a good
season. We certainly had a very good season and perhaps exceeded a few
expectations.
But Broncos fans, you and I know what a great season looks like.
That is why I'll soon stop reflecting and start working on one thing for 2013bringing another Super Bowl victory back to Denver. As we move forward, I am
extremely optimistic with the future of our team.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for the passion, enthusiasm and
overwhelming support you gave us this past season.
Sincerely,
Pat Bowlen
The Broncos had two timeouts and 31 seconds on the clock after Baltimore tied the
game at 35 at the end of the fourth quarter, but Fox instructed quarterback Peyton
Manning to take a knee and play for overtime. Denver lost 38-35 when Baltimore
kicker Justin Tucker made a 47-yard field goal in the second overtime.
"It was like a prize fighter who gets a right cross on the chin at the end of a round.
You're looking to get out the round. That might not be the ideal time to go for a
knockout punch," Fox said Monday in his season-ending press conference. "One of
the things that when you coach players and you are around them, and we had 20
games prior including preseason, you get a better feel for where they're at. A look
in their eye, a feeling. It was pretty devastating."
Broncos executive vice president John Elway defended the coach's decision, even
when asked specifically if he, as a former quarterback, would have been OK taking
a knee in that situation.
"To me, that was a good move to be able to regroup, get ourselves back together
and start the overtime period," Elway said. "I thought we did the right thing."
Fox and Elway said Manning was also in agreement with the coaching staff's
decision.
Fox and Elway faced many questions in a 35-minute session largely focused on
Denver's conservative play calling over the final three minutes of regulation. The
Broncos called five straight running plays, including one on a third-and-7, and
punted with 1:15 left.
Repeatedly, both went back to the math and cited percentages in Denver's favor
given the Broncos' seven-point lead and the Ravens needing to go 77 yards in 1:09
to tie the game.
Fox said the chances of the Broncos winning at that point were 97%, and that went
up to 99% when Denver forced Baltimore into a third down at their own 30-yard
line with 41 seconds remaining.
That was the scenario when Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco heaved basically a
floater of a Hail Mary to receiver Jacoby Jones. Two Broncos defensive backs erred
on the play - cornerback Tony Carter, who didn't jam Jones at the line of
scrimmage and allowed him a free release on a go pattern, and safety Rahim
Moore, who let Jones get behind him and mistimed his jump while trying to break
up the pass.
The analytic-based reasoning for the conservative running plays and kneeldown
won't make a devastated fan base feel any better, especially not after watching
Atlanta quickly move into field goal range and win their divisional game in the final
seconds Sunday.
"That's understandable. That's a choice we made, and honestly, I'll do it again," Fox
said. "That's what we do, we try to play the percentages, and I mean this in all
sincerity, if I felt like we were going to give up a 70-yard touchdown pass with 41
seconds to go, I might have re-evaluated that."
While the majority of the final press conference focused on Denver's loss, Elway
tried to reflect on a 13-3 regular season in which Denver earned the No. 1 seed in
the AFC thanks to an 11-game winning streak.
Though the season ended in the divisional round just as it did a year ago, the
Broncos' bosses have little doubt this was a more successful year.
"There's no question it was a very good season for us," Elway sad. "We won a lot of
football games, the excitement was back. Now it's important for us to make the
next step."
Elway was the quarterback on a Denver team that lost at home in the second round
of the playoffs in 1996 to the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars. That loss was widely
considered the most painful in team history before Saturday. Elway sees
similarities, though he said that at the time, he felt his window to win a title was
shorter than the current window is for Manning.
The Broncos ended up as a wild-card team in 1997 and went on to win the first of
two consecutive Super Bowls.
"How do we learn from this situation? If we get defensive, and we don't look at
everything we did in this game and try to learn from it, then we could experience it
again," Elway said. "If we really dissect it and look at what happened, not only what
happened in the game, but we'll learn from what happened in practice, with the
bye. We'll look at everything, learn from it."
Broncos hire Cory Undlin as secondary
coach, replaces Ron Milus
David Mitchell
KDVR.com
January 15, 2013
DENVER — The Denver Broncos announced Tuesday night the contract of secondary
coach Ron Milus was not renewed.
Milus coached the team’s defensive secondary for the last two seasons.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw a 70 yard bomb over the Broncos’
secondary Saturday to score the game-tying touchdown with 31 seconds left in the
AFC Divisional playoff.
Flacco also threw touchdown passes of 59 yards and 32 yards against the Broncos
Saturday.
The Ravens eventually won the game 38-35 in double overtime, eliminating the No.
1 seed Denver Broncos from the playoffs on their home field.
The Broncos announced Tuesday the team promoted Cory Undlin to secondary
coach.
Undlin, 41, spent the 2012 season as Denver’s defensive quality control coach and
help the team post the largest defensive scoring improvement in the NFL.
“Cory Undlin is an experienced defensive backs coach who has great familiarity with
that role as well as our players and concepts,” head coach John Fox said.
“He has coached the position with multiple NFL teams, including under Jack Del Rio
with the Jaguars. I am confident he will be a great fit and get the most out of our
secondary.”
“This wasn’t about one play or one game,” Fox said.
Undlin has worked with defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio as his defensive backs
coach in the past. His quick hiring indicates the coaching change would’ve taken
place regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s game.
“I appreciate all of Ron Milus’ hard work and wish him the best,” Fox said.
Art's Revenge
Denver pays past dues for the magic of yesteryear
Doug Ottewill
Mile High Sports
January 15, 2013
Last night, after finally getting a moment of relief from the public grieving over the
Broncos' playoff loss, I sat down on the couch and began clicking through the TV
channels. Being in the sports business, the day had been filled with questioning,
venting and, for lack of a better term, counseling.
I needed a break - a movie, a good basketball game, something - anything that
wasn't a continuation of the day's discussion. As I clicked through the menu of my
favorite stations, I scrolled to the NFL Network.
"NFL Classic Games."
Why not? Perhaps the best way to take a break from the agony of relieving the
Broncos was to watch an old Super Bowl, a classic gridiron battle. Heck, maybe
they were showing "The Drive," an NFL Network favorite.
Click.
Ouch.
Lo and behold, the "classic" game the NFL Network had opted for was BroncosRavens, Jan. 12, 2013.
A classic? Really? That's not exactly how I was classifying it as I plodded up the
frozen, steel steps of Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Saturday night, shaking
my head in disbelief. It wasn't a classic; it was a fluke. It was a squandered
opportunity, featuring one of the biggest blunders in Broncos - perhaps NFL history. It was a "classic" example of the better team not winning, and the lesser
team playing better for just enough plays. It would be unfair to say the Broncos
didn't show up on Saturday, but the team that had run roughshod over the
competition for 11 straight weeks certainly wasn't there.
A classic this was not.
The Helicopter. The Drive. Now, those were classics. The Fumble, same thing. When
I tune in during the wee hours of the morning, those are the games I expect to
find. Baltimore 38, Denver 35? I didn't need to watch that again.
But after clicking past the NFL Network, it dawned on me: What if I followed the
Bills and someone else's version of a classic was watching Scott Norwood go "wide
right" for the thousandth time? What if I was from Cleveland? What if my heart had
been broken time and time again, in the most improbable of fashions, by the same
damn team?
In four postseasons - from Jan. 11, 1987 to Jan. 14, 1990 - the Denver Broncos
bounced the Cleveland Browns from the AFC playoffs on three separate occasions.
Making matter worse (for Browns fans) was the fact that the Super Bowl was the
reward for winning each of the three games.
In two of the contests, the 1986 and 1987 AFC Championship Games, Cleveland
lost in improbable fashion. In the '86 title game, in the frigid air of Cleveland (-5
degree wind chill), John Elway and the Broncos marched 98 yards in five minutes
and two seconds, tying the game with just :37 remaining on the game clock. Elway
proceeded to engineer a game-winning drive in overtime, beating the Browns 2320. The very next year, it appeared as if Cleveland would get its revenge. The
Broncos, then considered to be the better team, looked doomed when Earnest
Byner appeared to be crossing the goal line for a touchdown that would have tied
the game with just over a minute remaining. Unfathomably, a relatively unknown
defensive back named Jeremiah Castille stripped the ball and Denver recovered,
preserving a miraculous win.
I consider those games classics. But if I was from Cleveland, I'd probably view
those two games much like I do Saturday's loss. In '86, I'd say the Browns folded that they played tight and let Elway do what should have never happened. In '87,
I'd have said that Byner crosses the goal line 99 out of 100 times. I'd probably say
the Browns were the better team, but failed to be better on that day, or even just
on a few plays.
I wouldn't say either of those games were classic.
I clicked back to the NFL Network where, in some odd way, I wished the score was
different - that none of it really happened the way it did on Saturday. But the score
was the same. And I couldn't help but notice a tiny patch on the chest of the
Ravens jersey. Inside a black oval, there were three letters: A-R-T.
It dawned on me that Art Modell, the former owner of the Ravens - and the Browns
- had died on Sept. 6 this past year, and the patch worn by the Ravens was
honoring him.
After all these years, was Modell - from the grave, no less - finally finding revenge
against the Broncos? Could it be that Denver was finally paying the piper for two of
the NFL's most storied, and improbable, moments?
Though farfetched, perhaps it is an explanation for the inexplicable. But only if you
believe in that kind of stuff.
Mr. Bowlen's Letter to Broncos Fans
DenverBroncos.com
January 15, 2013
Broncos Owner and CEO Pat Bowlen penned a letter to fans on the 2012
season and the future.
Dear Broncos Country:
I write this letter to summarize my thoughts on the 2012 season and to thank you
for your tremendous support this year.
Saturday's playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens was a gut-wrenching
disappointment for everyone who loves the Denver Broncos. It marked a bitter end
to an otherwise successful season.
I feel terrible for our players, coaches and staff who put forth maximum effort
throughout the year. They accomplished many great things while falling short of
our ultimate goal.
But most importantly, my heart aches for you.
The energy and enthusiasm you provided us this past year were infectious and
carried us to great accomplishments. Your passionate backing allowed us to ascend
as the season progressed. To have it end so suddenly is certainly most painful for
you.
As the owner of a football team that belongs to this region, city and the greatest
fans in professional sports, I share and understand the deep disappointment that
you still must feel today.
In the early stages of reflection, one thing stands clear—Your support is
unwavering.
Since the day I bought this team through the moment you finished cheering your
hearts out in the freezing cold of Saturday's game, that has always been the case.
Please know that I am humbled by this support and I am forever grateful for it.
I said publicly last year that I wanted 2012 to be a great season, not just a good
season. We certainly had a very good season and perhaps exceeded a few
expectations.
But Broncos fans, you and I know what a great season looks like.
That is why I'll soon stop reflecting and start working on one thing for 2013—
bringing another Super Bowl victory back to Denver. As we move forward, I am
extremely optimistic with the future of our team.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for the passion, enthusiasm and
overwhelming support you gave us this past season.
Sincerely,
Pat Bowlen
Undlin Named Secondary Coach
Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
January 15, 2013
Cory Undlin has been named the team's secondary coach after Ron Milus'
contract was not renewed.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Cory Undlin has been named the Broncos' new secondary
coach.
Former Secondary Coach Ron Milus' contract was not renewed by the club.
“Cory Undlin is an experienced defensive backs coach who has great familiarity with
that role as well as our players and concepts,” Head Coach John Fox said. “He has
coached the position with multiple NFL teams, including under Jack Del Rio with the
Jaguars. I am confident he will be a great fit and get the most out of our secondary.
“I appreciate all of Ron Milus’ hard work and wish him the best.”
The 2012 season was Undlin's first with the Broncos, and he spent the campaign as
the club's defensive quality control coach. He helped the defense post the largest
defensive scoring improvement in the NFL (6.3 points per game) while finishing
with a No. 2 overall ranking (No. 3 against the rush and No. 3 against the pass).
Undlin is a coaching veteran of nine NFL seasons and has previously served as a
defensive backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars -- under current Broncos
Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio -- and the Cleveland Browns.
In addition, Unlin has been a defensive assistant with the Jaguars and New England
Patriots. His other titles have included secondary/assistant special teams coach and
quality control-defense with the Browns.
In his last season as a secondary coach -- 2011 -- Unlin's defensive backs allowed
just two individual 300-yard passers to tie for the fourth fewest in the NFL in
addition to surrendering only 43 pass plays of 20-plus yards, which tied for second
in the league.
Undlin began his coaching career at his alma mater, California Lutheran University,
where he coached linebackers from 1998-99 before being promoted to defensive
coordinator in 2000. From 2002-03 he served as a graduate assistant at Fresno
State University working with the school's secondary.
McCoy to Coach Division Rival
Stuart Zaas
DenverBroncos.com
January 15, 2013
Mike McCoy has been hired as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – There will be another familiar face on a division rival’s
sideline next season as former Broncos Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy has been
hired as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.
McCoy becomes the second Broncos coordinator in the past two seasons to be hired
as the head coach of an AFC West team. He joins Dennis Allen, who went from
Denver’s defensive coordinator to the Oakland Raiders’ head coach in the 2012
offseason.
“I’ve known Mike McCoy for many years and believe he is a tremendous coach,"
Head Coach John Fox said in a statment. "We’ve spent nearly a decade coaching
together, beginning in Carolina when he was an assistant working with the
quarterbacks. He’s going to make an excellent head coach and is certainly qualified
for the position.”
McCoy finished his fourth season as Denver’s offensive coordinator in 2012, which
tied him as the second-longest tenured coach on the team’s staff.
Under McCoy’s guidance, Denver’s offense helped the team to consecutive AFC
West titles in 2011 and ’12. A year ago, the offense rode the strength of the
league’s top rushing attack to the divisional title and a Wild Card playoff victory.
This season, McCoy adapted the offense to the strengths of free agent quarterback
Peyton Manning, resulting in the league’s fifth-ranked passing offense and No. 2
scoring offense.
“I think he’s ready,” Manning said of McCoy’s head coaching prospects. “I think he’s
paid his dues. Mike’s a good leader. He’s had some good coaches that have been
mentors to him, different coaches that he’s worked with in his years in the NFL that
I think he’s incorporated some of their leadership philosophies and his own
philosophy. Like I said, he’s a strong leader. In my opinion, he deserves a shot at
one of these head coaching jobs.”
After interviewing with various teams, McCoy and the Chargers found a fit and
Broncos fans will have plenty of familiarity with another one of the AFC’s head
coaches.
Broncos Head Coach John Fox is now the longest-tenured AFC West head coach. He
will enter his third season with the Broncos in 2013, putting him one season ahead
of Allen, who will begin his second year in Oakland, and two ahead of McCoy and
newly hired Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid.
"Mike understands offenses in this league," Fox said. "Beyond that, he’s got a great
football mind. His preparation and detail—his level of organization—is very
strong. As a play caller, I had a lot of confidence in him and watched him have
great success with that responsibility. I’m happy for Mike, his wife Kellie and their
family."
Manning Honored as AFC Offensive
Player of the Year
Gray Caldwell
DenverBroncos.com
January 15, 2013
Quarterback Peyton Manning’s remarkable comeback season has earned him the
honor of AFC Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL 101 Awards.
The 43rd Annual NFL 101 Awards — the nation’s premier football awards event
dedicated exclusively to the NFL — will be held in Kansas City, Mo., on Saturday,
March 2.
It marks the seventh time Manning has won an NFL 101 Award, the most of any
player.
Manning finished the regular season with 4,659 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and
a passer rating of 105.8, which led the AFC. His 68.6 completion rate was tied for
first in the entire league.
The 12-time Pro Bowler was voted the recipient of the award by 101 members of
the national media.
Clady Withdraws from Pro Bowl
Stuart Zaas
DenverBroncos.com
January 15, 2013
Tackle Ryan Clady has withdrawn from the 2013 Pro Bowl due to injury, it was
announced on Tuesday.
He will be replaced by Bengals tackle Andrew Whitworth.
Denver could still have five Pro Bowl players this year, however, as wide receiver
Demaryius Thomas is next in line for a berth at wideout. Should another receiver
withdraw due to injury, Thomas would earn his first career selection. If New
England defeats Baltimore, Thomas would also earn his first trip to the league’s All
Star game since Wes Welker would be headed to the Super Bowl and would be
unable to play in the Pro Bowl.
Denver’s other Pro Bowlers include quarterback Peyton Manning, linebacker Von
Miller, cornerback Champ Bailey and defensive end Elvis Dumervil.
Thank You
Eric Decker
DenverBroncos.com
January 15, 2013
Just wanted to check in with one last blog this year just to say thank you.
I really appreciate all the fan support and dedication. Whether it was reading the
blog or cheering on this team, it’s you all that makes it fun. You guys are what
make game day experiences so great. Through the thick and thin, you’re always
with us, and it’s a blessing to have such great people support you.
So thank you. And we’ll be back.