Broncos Part Ways with Fox

It was a boom-or-bust season for the Broncos. On Monday, the bust cost head coach John Fox his job. Executive VP of Football Operations John Elway announced the team and Fox had mutually agreed to part ways, which is really just a nice way of saying, “Thanks for all the AFC West titles, now go choke in the playoffs somewhere else.”

Fox certainly deserves his share of the blame for Denver’s second one-and-done playoff run in the last three years. He is too conservative as a game manager; his teams struggle to overcome adversity; and the Broncos looked flat-out unprepared for their Divisional Round match-up with the Colts. That being said, Fox was not exactly set up for playoff success.

The Broncos are built around the greatest playoff choker of all-time, Peyton Manning. That may sound like hater talk, but the facts are what they are. Manning has gone one-and-done in the playoffs nine times, including eight times as a home favorite. No other quarterback has done that even half as many times during the Super Bowl era.

Manning, who will be 39 next season if the decides to come back, no longer has the arm strength to carry his team late into the season. Playing playoff games in Denver’s winter conditions does not help matters.

“While we have made significant progress under Coach Fox, there is still work to be done,” Elway said. “I believe this change at the head coaching position will be in the best interest of our long-term goal, which from day one has been to win World Championships.”

It reminds me of the new Geico commercials, with the catchphrase, “It’s what you do.” If you build a team around Peyton Manning, you bow out of the postseason in devastating fashion. It’s what you do.

The change at head coach is the first of many changes that will take place in Denver this offseason. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is considered the front-runner for the head coaching job in Oakland, which would mark the second time in the last three years the Raiders have hired away Denver’s defensive coordinator (further proof you can’t teach a dumb dog new tricks).

Elway also has to deal with some significant players headed for free agency, especially Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. Their desire to return to Denver might hinge on Manning’s future, as No. 18 has indicated he needs some time to think before committing to return in 2015.

Manning’s decision will also impact the quality of head coaching candidates the Broncos are able to attract, assuming the team does not simply promote offensive coordinator Adam Gase. There will be competition for Gase, too, as the 49ers have requested a second interview with the well-regarded play caller.

Schwartz Will Not Return to Buffalo

It seemed like an impossible fit from the jump: Rex Ryan, a defensive wizard who prefers 3-4 schemes and exotic blitzes, paired with incumbent defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and his Wide 9 defense. Both men have been incredibly successful with their defensive schemes, so it was tough to imagine either compromising too much to accommodate the other.

The end result is Schwartz will look for a new defense to direct in 2015. He will be a man in demand after the masterful job he did with Buffalo’s defense. The Bills ranked fourth this season in total defense, first in sacks and third in forced turnovers. Several Bills defenders went to bat for Schwartz after the season, clamoring for his return.

The decision to part ways with Schwartz only puts more pressure on Ryan. Buffalo’s defense was so good in 2014, there is little room for improvement. If the defense regresses, even slightly, the critics will question Ryan’s decision to move away from a coordinator and scheme proven to be successful.

Ryan will reportedly replace Schwartz with Dennis Thurman, who was his defensive coordinator the last two seasons with the Jets.

It will be interesting to see if this switch, which means the Bills will change to a 3-4 defense, affects the team’s ability to bring back free-agent pass rusher Jerry Hughes. A former first-round pick coming off back-to-back 10-sack seasons, Hughes lined up at defensive end in 2014 after spending the previous season at outside linebacker. Ryan would use Hughes primarily as a pass rusher from the linebacker position, but Hughes may prefer to stick with the 4-3 system in which he thrived over the last couple of years.

Be sure that as soon as Schwartz finds a new team, he will implore his new bosses to go after Hughes in free agency.

Reunion in the Desert? 

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has spoken with former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau about a possible reunion in Arizona, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. LeBeau could replace Todd Bowles should he land one of the several head coaching positions for which he has interviewed (Falcons, Bears, Raiders, Jets and 49ers).

LeBeau would feel right at home with the Cardinals. Not only is his preferred 3-4 scheme already in place, but he would be reunited with one of his favorite former players, ILB Larry Foote (a pending free agent expected to return).

Adding LeBeau to a coaching staff that already includes offensive consultant Tom Moore would give the Cardinals two of the most respected assistant coaches in the game. LeBeau and Moore have forgotten more about football than most assistant coaches will ever know. Part of that is due to their intelligence and work ethic, and part of that is because both men were born in the 30’s. But Arians is in win-now mode with the Cardinals, as he has made it clear this is the last stop on his coaching journey.

If LeBeau lands in Arizona, he will likely try to persuade free agents Jason Worilds and Ike Taylor to come along for the ride.

Bowles is scheduled for second interviews with the Falcons and Jets. He is considered a frontrunner in Atlanta, especially now that Ryan is off the market, as the Falcons look to fix a defense that finished this season ranked dead last in the league.

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