Why So Many Failed While Belichick Succeded

At 6-0 I was drinking the Josh McDaniels kool aid.

Of course 10 weeks in the NFL can often feel like an eternity and boy has a lot changed in 10 weeks.

Like everyone else who owns a sports website I couldn’t comprehend any of the Broncos off-season moves. They fired Shanahan abruptly, owing him 14 million, to hire a blue eyed baby face coach to turn things around. Three years ago no one questions this move. Three years ago Charlie Weiss isn’t a pariah in South Bend, Eric Mangini is still the “Man-genius” and Romeo Crennel hasn’t failed so famously McDaniels was suppose to be different.  After all he was the guy that developed Brady was the selling point, that was suppose to set Josh apart. So what happens? McDaniels arrives on the scene, cleans out the coaching staff, feuds with his star QB and diva WR. McDaniels put the pressure on himself. Then 6-0 happened. The Patriot game happened. The Marshall hug happened. Denver had found their new Golden Boy. I went on 4th Down and compared Josh McDaniels to Bill Walsh (gulp.).

So what went wrong?

Simply put McDaniels made every mistake that his predecessors made;

• Step 1: Alienate Players. Marshall, Scheffler and Cutler. Shaun Rogers, Cribbs, Edwards.
• Step 2: Arrogance With The Media. Check.
• Step 3: A questionable draft track record. Moreno, Smith, Ayers, Quinn. Clemens, Gholston, Schlegel.
• Step 4: Bring In Your guys. Gaffney, Leach. Barton, Coleman, Elam.

Ultimately Step 3 and 4 lead to the Broncos decline. McDaniels inherited a roster with star pieces and little depth and did his best to entirely turn it over. Only problem is he got absolutely no production from any of his draft picks and immediately cut back the playing time of the established starters. He choose “his guys” over guys that were better players. Why do you think Eddie Royal, coming of a 90 catch season, didn’t play. Why do you think Moreno, who struggled mightily played while Peyton Hillis never even got a look. Scheme and talent can make up for a lot in this league but your players have to buy in. Clearly there was a rift between the Shannahan hold overs and the McDaniels faithful. There’s no other explanation for a team failing to show up against two awful teams when it mattered the most.

Magini had the same problems in NY. He played his guys, his scheme, feuded with Farve and it got him fired. He started his Cleavland stint the same way. He exiled Rogers on Day 1, Jamal Lewis decided to retire, James Davis got hurt in “non contact practice injury” and players complained to the union about long bus rides. He painted over a mural of Jim Brown. It seemed he had learned nothing. He brought in his guys even though they failed him in NY. Then something changed. The last 4 games of the season the Browns didn’t roll over and die. They fought to save Mangini’s job and it culminated in a win streak and a Gatorade bath for the much maligned coach.

This is exactly why Cleveland hired Mangini. Remember this is the same franchise that let Belichick get away. Remember the circumstances of his firing? He exiled Kosar tried to install his guys and his system and the fans and media turned on him. It wasn’t his X’s and O’s that got him canned. He went to New England learned the error of his ways and of course the rest is history.

McDaniels undoing will never be about football knowledge it’ll be in the way they handle their football knowledge. McDaneils will know more about football then I can learn in three lifetimes but that skill alone can only take you so far.

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3. Jets Fans, Why Are You Surprised?
4. Where Are The Jets Going?
5. Cutler Throws Five Picks, But Is Still Defended?