For whom the notes toll …
Granted, the hiring of a special-teams coach isn’t exactly cause for a LoDo pub crawl, much less a 17th Street parade. But if you’ve followed the Broncos’ fortunes in recent years – and since you’re reading this column, you have – you know their special teams were in desperate need of an experienced hand on the sideline.
Enter new special-teams coordinator Scott O’Brien, whose job is to turn a major weakness into a significant strength. O’Brien has spent 14 seasons coaching NFL special teams, and he has done it well enough to earn a title during his days in Carolina that you don’t see every day: assistant head coach/special teams.
O’Brien says his No. 1 goal is simple enough: Improve the Broncos’ field position. In recent years, they’ve allowed opponents to start way too many drives near midfield. That can’t happen, he said, not in the high altitude, which should be friendly to the kicking game.
“We’ve got to be able to deal with that,” O’Brien said. “If our offense can’t move the ball, we’ve got to exchange that field position with the punter. If you can do that, then you get the edge playing in a place like this. Because the advantage you get, your opponents get, too. So you’ve got to be able to keep up.”
O’Brien’s special teams have done more than keep up through the years. Are you ready for the numbers? Well I’m going to give them to you anyway.
In his 14 seasons working with special teams in Cleveland, Baltimore and Carolina, O’Brien’s special-teamers have accounted for an astounding 31 scores – 28 touchdowns and three fake PATs. Not that those numbers got Mike Shanahan’s attention, but Broncos special-teamers during Shanahan’s 12 seasons in Our Town have accounted for 10 scores, all touchdowns – seven punt returns, two kickoff returns and one blocked punt. …
Yes, O’Brien checked out former CU place-kicker Mason Crosby at the NFL scouting combine. Yes, he loves Crosby’s potential. No, the Broncos don’t figure to draft him.
“When you’re strong, you’re strong. You can’t coach that,” O’Brien said. “He’s very explosive, very strong, but like with all young specialists there’s a consistency they’re going to have to have. Just because they’ve had some success doesn’t mean they’re going to have success up here.” …
The Broncos’ P.R. staff made the team’s new assistants available to the media Tuesday. So Jim Bates, care to tell us who’s going to start on the D line? Inquiring minds want to know.
“I couldn’t even address that right now,” Bates said. “We don’t know who’s going to be here, if we’re going to have some acquisitions in free agency, if we’re going to draft some or if we’re going to trade. So it would be hard to sit here right now and say, ‘Here’s the starting four.”‘ …
Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson, acquired from the Dolphins for a sixth-rounder, has talked about retiring, but Bates expects him to be in uniform at training camp. Said Bates, “He’s a big guy and he played as well as he’s ever played the last couple of years.” …
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle on Randy Moss’ promise to give the Raiders 110 percent next season: “Sounds about right. Divide 110 by 16 games, and you get 6.9 percent per game.” …
By now, you’ve probably heard about Moises Alou and his go-with-the- flow system of toughening up his hands. Said Mets third baseman David Wright, when asked by Fox Sports Net about his new teammate: “We give the pound or the fist pump. No handshaking going on.” …
The Washington Times’ Dan Daly, on new Portland State coach Jerry Glanville: “How long do you figure it will be before Jerry leaves two tickets at will call for Bigfoot?” …
And finally, since none of his Dodgers teammates figures to do it, here’s wishing Jeff Kent a happy 39th birthday.
Jim Armstrong can be reached at 303-954-1269 or jmarmstrong@denverpost.com.
