For 13 seasons as head coach, Mike Shanahan always had his offensive coordinator upstairs in a box on game day, helping him with the play calls.
It was Gary Kubiak from 1995-2005 and Mike Heimerdinger the past two years. The offensive coordinator would discuss the play calls with Shanahan, who would then relay the final decision to his quarterback.
The Broncos are shaking up the logistics of their play-calling this year. First-year receivers coach Jedd Fisch will be up in the coaches’ box, discussing plays with both Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who will be on the sideline.
Bates then will relay the call to quarterback Jay Cutler.
“I’ll be communicating, not play-calling,” said Fisch, an offensive assistant the previous four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. “We’ll be discussing play sequences, what coverage they’re in, what are we getting with personnel. I’d like to think it’s a team effort. It’s a great offensive staff that really works hard putting the plan together. It’s very hard to put a whole plan together without divvying up to all the coaches.”
Offensive coordinator Rick Dennison formulates the running game plan during the week, while Bates is in charge of the passing attack.
The in-game defensive signals will also come from the sideline. Defensive coordinator Bob Slowik has done it both ways, calling plays from upstairs and from the sideline.
“I prefer to be down in the middle of it,” Slowik said.
Stopping Marion.
A primary reason the Broncos are confident they will have a better record this year is they ranked 30th in defending the run last season and still finished 7-9. Even if they rank, say, 15th against the run this season, how many more wins will that mean?
And the Broncos do believe they will be better against the run because they have shucked last year’s seven-man box system in favor of the run-prioritized eight-man box.
“Our inside scheme, I think, is a lot better than what we had last year,” said linebacker D.J. Williams, who has moved from the middle to weakside linebacker position.
The Broncos’ run defense will be tested Saturday by Cowboys running back Marion Barber III, who rushed for 57 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns in last year’s preseason meeting in Texas Stadium.
340 pounds of angry.
Flozell Adams, the Cowboys’ 6-foot-7, 340- pound left tackle, on ripping off the helmet of Broncos defensive tackle Marcus Thomas and swinging it in the morning session: “He just pushed on me, and I let it ride like I always do, and he pushed again and it was over. I went after him.”
Footnotes.
Broncos veteran receiver Darrell Jackson didn’t practice Thursday because of a sprained ankle. Shanahan said the injury isn’t serious, although Jackson probably won’t play in Saturday’s game. . . . Two Broncos stalwarts, cornerback Champ Bailey (hamstring) and center Tom Nalen (knee), are expected to return Monday.
Mike Klis, The Denver Post
