NFL: John Fox done in Denver
- Thread starter ISUFan22
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You don't think it was a coincidence that the Broncos didn't play well when Manning had two injured legs? Fox, Manning, and the Broncos were an elite team with Manning healthy. When Manning gets injured, it's the coaches fault now?
Seems like neither Fox nor Elway had been thrilled with the relationship for quite some time now. So I guess that unless Denver won the title, there was no way Fox would remain in Denver - because a coach/team can't part ways after winning the big one, unless you are Dallas/Jerry/Jimmy that is.
Joe Fan will almost always blame coach and/or QB when season is bad, it's a given and fact of life. Fox is the latest Joe Fan casualty.
Elway's always going to get a free pass in Denver, but not sure it's completely justified. His drafts have been mediocre, and he gave Talib $26mm guaranteed and Ware $20mm. Neither performed when it mattered.
- Mar 27, 2006
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If Manning comes back, I think Denver's in for another double digit win season followed by a quick playoff exit in store for next year.
If he retires, you're looking at 8-8 at best. So much of what Denver does is predicated on Manning. It affects the run game. It affects the defenses they see. It affects Denver's own defense. Taking away that big of a piece of the puzzle and replacing it with Brock Osweiler? And with a new coach? Yeah, that's not a recipe for immediate success.
If he retires, you're looking at 8-8 at best. So much of what Denver does is predicated on Manning. It affects the run game. It affects the defenses they see. It affects Denver's own defense. Taking away that big of a piece of the puzzle and replacing it with Brock Osweiler? And with a new coach? Yeah, that's not a recipe for immediate success.
Keep Manning for 1-2 more years, draft C.Jones from OSU and keep the train moving forward.
The biggest item that may impact Manning's decision are these free agents Denver has on offense. I'm not sure Manning wants to play with another "who?" type of receiver cast.
I truly hope he comes back and can get another title. I don't agree with an early playoff exit. Who knows what would've happened this season with a healthy Manning. I don't think they would've beat the Patriots tho, but most would expect a loss there with as good as New England is right now.
If Peyton retires, Denver has a lot of free cap space to resign guys and put a good team around Osweiler and then you give the kid a year to see what he's got. Bring in a free agent QB with starting experience to compete for the job. Nobody knows what Brock Osweiler has because he has never played because Peyton never misses games. Hopefully he's learned some stuff being around Peyton for a few years.
Going to be quite an interesting offseason in Denver. Will Peyton retire? Who's going to be new coach? With so many expiring contracts, who stays and who goes?
Going to be quite an interesting offseason in Denver. Will Peyton retire? Who's going to be new coach? With so many expiring contracts, who stays and who goes?
If Manning is done I think everyone was clear that this was an all or nothing effort to win a Super Bowl with a Hall of Fame quarterback in a very short time frame. They put together a heck of a team that pooped the bed against a terrific Seahawks defense and then Manning picked up a pretty significant injury at the absolute worst time this season, but those are the breaks.
Simply put, Pete Carroll and his staff are far better than John Fox and his staff. IMO, that game proved it. Denver could do no right and once the snowball started, Seattle just never let up.
I'm not sure which defense I'd take - 2000 Ravens or that Seattle defense. Part of me leans toward that Seattle defense because of what they did to some of the best offenses that season and arguably one of the best offenses in NFL history (Denver).
- Mar 27, 2006
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Who? Who is the competent free agent QB that will be out there this off-season to pick up? Brian Hoyer? Jason Campbell? Maybe Orton comes out of retirement to come back to Denver? QB is the most important position on the team, and if Manning retires, Denver goes from having one of the best QB situations in the league to one of the ones with the biggest question marks. That's a recipe for 8-8 if I ever heard one. I don't care who they re-sign.
If Denver has a feared defense, a "bus driver" QB with that offensive talent would be just fine. I mean, other teams have done it and won titles.
But, Denver's defense is anything but feared and that is really one of the biggest question marks going into the next season for them. Everyone is focused solely on P.Manning right now as the thing that will make/break their season - but that defense needs serious work. Buying a defense for a title run didn't work. It wasn't the disaster that Washington had years back when they bought a cast of old veterans - but that defense still stunk it up in key moments.
- Mar 27, 2006
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That defense is built to play with the leads that a Peyton Manning directed offense gives you, against teams that are forced to pass to keep up. I have no idea how that defense will perform with a Brock Osweiler offense leading the way. It stands to reason that it won't be as good.
If Manning doesn't come back, Denver gets about 19 million in cap space to play with. They could ink Demaryius Thomas to a long term deal, franchise Julius Thomas, and part ways with players like Ware, Welker, and Knighton. All that would give them some flexibility to improve the roster, but without a long term answer at QB that would basically make them the 2015 -16 version of the this season's Texans team. Good talent up and down the roster but without a solid answer at QB they were fundamentally flawed.
Osweiler might be good but he'll be raw if they go that direction. Manning is famous for not only never missing games but also for taking almost all the practice reps. Indy could never bring in a competent backup for him because free agents knew they'd never see the practice field, let alone game situations.
It's going to be a really interesting offseason in Denver. The good news for Broncos fans is that I don't see any world beaters in the AFC West. A mediocre team could conceivably win that division unless KC or SD get a lot better between now and August.
Osweiler might be good but he'll be raw if they go that direction. Manning is famous for not only never missing games but also for taking almost all the practice reps. Indy could never bring in a competent backup for him because free agents knew they'd never see the practice field, let alone game situations.
It's going to be a really interesting offseason in Denver. The good news for Broncos fans is that I don't see any world beaters in the AFC West. A mediocre team could conceivably win that division unless KC or SD get a lot better between now and August.
Which is also why I don't see why Adam Gase is such a hot commodity? Manning makes that offense look great...especially this year with essentially no steady running back. Take Manning away and the Broncos are average offensively. It's also no secret that Manning calls a lot of his own audibles and plays at the line.
I'd take the 2012 Niners defense over both of them.
I'm with Janny. If Peyton's back, they make the playoffs but exit early. Peyton, and I know he was injured, just doesn't have the arm strength anymore. It's not the pure arm strength. It's the fact that he needs perfect protection so he can get everything into longer throws. The book is out right now on how to defend that offense. Pack the middle, stop the run, and make him throw down the field and to the outside. He can make some of the throws but some are just awful.
- Mar 27, 2006
- 42,745
- 33,768
- 113
