By Don Banks, SI.com
I guess even Teflon has an expiration date. As recently as Monday I had marveled how nothing ever seems to stick to Denver head coach Mike Shanahan, despite his team’s glaring failures in recent seasons.
But even Shanahan, the second longest tenured head coach in the NFL, couldn’t avoid accountability for the Broncos’ latest collapse. His back-to-back Super Bowl wins in Denver now 10 years old and providing him cover no longer, the Broncos made the surprise move of the NFL firing season so far by dismissing Shanahan on Tuesday afternoon.
It was not without cause. There was this year’s historic squandering of a three-game AFC West lead with three games to play, and much more. The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs the past three seasons, and own just one postseason win in the 10 years since quarterback John Elway retired (a 2005 AFC Divisional round defeat of New England).
In the past four seasons alone, Denver wasted a shot at the Super Bowl by losing at home in the AFC Championship Game to the underdog and sixth-seeded Steelers in 2005, lost in Week 17 at home against a sub-.500 49ers team to blow a trip to the 2006 playoffs, and this year somehow managed to avoid the playoffs despite holding a three-game lead over second-place San Diego with three weeks to go.
Nine winning seasons, seven playoff berths and three conference championships in 14 years certainly sounds impressive, but the reality is that Shanahan never remotely approached the same level of success with any of the other quarterbacks who followed Elway after their four-year stint together.
Not Brian Griese, who the Broncos lavished with a huge contract and then parted ways with shortly thereafter. Not the erratic Jake Plummer, who Shanahan acquired from Arizona and then gave up on following his AFC title game loss to Pittsburgh. And not Jay Cutler, the current Denver quarterback and 2006 first-round pick who has both tantalized and tormented the longtime Broncos coach with his own inconsistent ways.
For most of the past 10 years, the Broncos have been NFL enigmas, capable of playing great for short spurts of almost every season, but never again finding the personnel combination and chemistry that served to bring them their only two NFL championships in 1997-98. And the blame for that has finally landed on the shoulders of Shanahan, who has always been pretty much a one-man show in Denver, calling almost every shot.
This time, the defeats finally caught up to him. In the NFL, no one is Teflon forever.
Maria Kirilenko
Daniella Sarahyba
Men's Grand Slam All-Time Leaders
Roger Federer's Grand Slam Titles
Comments (140) Add A Comment
The jets hire shanahan, what, thursday then?
The Voice of Reason
Goose Creek , SC
Total Comments (15)
Shanahan had a great run in Denver- but his time had come. The Broncos had become permanent residents in the 9-7, 7-9, 8-8 neighborhood under his tenure. Decent- but not good enough for an organization with EXTREMELY HIGH standards. Best for the team- best for the coach to move on.
Moving forward... the Broncos should absolutely focus on a DEFENSED ORIENTED coach like NY Giants Defensive Coordinator Mike Spagnuolo. Cutler/Marshall/Royal/Sheffler/etc. with a decent Offensive Coordinator are dangerous enough to keep the offense rolling on their own. The pride and intensity on defense and special teams has been lacking for years...
Smithtown31
Philadelphia, PA
Total Comments (47)
I'm not sure Shanahan would be a good fit for the Jets. I wonder whether he's a "west coast" type guy. One thing I know is that the 49'ers are pulling their hair out now!!! They would have killed for Shanahan.
Finally.... how about this crazy scenario? Norv Turner loses early and BIG to the Colts this weekend. Mike Shanahan to the Chargers?!?! Imagine Shanahan with all those toys to play with... kind of like the late 90's Broncos... good way to stick it back to Bowlen too.
Smithtown31
Philadelphia, PA
Total Comments (47)
STEVE
actionpact
Total Comments (15)
I'd like to see Shanahan come back to college football again. The Broncos should at least interview the Titans' defensive coordinator, Jim Schwartz. He's a brilliant defensive mind and would be a great fit to help Denver find some kind of consistency.
GatorsMatt
Madison, TN
Total Comments (7)
C'mon Don- Cutler has been outstanding is his 2+ years- how does he have anything to do with this? Tell me another 3rd year QB who could throw for 4500 yards with no run support and a horrendous D.
I would think an 'expert' like you would realize that offense has never been a problem in Denver- it was Shanahan's inability to draft quailty talent on the defensive side of the ball that probably led to his firing. Names like Deltha O'Neal, Willie Middlebrooks, and Jarvis Moss (All 1st-Round defensive busts) is why the Broncos have struggled on D for years, even with Champ Bailey.
chevron303
Scottsdale , AZ
Total Comments (7)
Shanahan is a good coach. But sometimes a change is needed. Sometimes the message just isn't getting through any longer. The players have heard it all too often and it begins to sound trite...too rehearsed. It happens...even to the good coaches. He'll do fine with a change of scenery, and the Broncos will do better if they pick the right guy. Denver should be a good job...a job that many will want.
DAinTX
San Antonio , TX
Total Comments (33)
Sorry, but I just had to add that Griese, Plummer, and Cutler all went to the Pro Bowl at one point as Broncos (even though Jake was an alternate).
Get the facts straight Don- The lack of D in Denver is what cost Shanahan his job.
chevron303
Scottsdale , AZ
Total Comments (7)
It's about tiime.
cre from Denver
Total Comments (1)
Shanahan needs to get hooked up in Dallas. Once you're in, you're in! Provided of course that you're good at massaging Jerry's ego... or... whatever.
DubYaSee
Total Comments (136)
Bill Cowher went three consecutive years, 1998 through 2000, without a playoff appearance in the midst of his commendable coaching run with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then led the Steelers to the playoffs in four of the next five seasons, winning the Super Bowl in the 2005 season.
Tennessee's Jeff Fisher had a three-year postseason skid from 2004-06, then went to the playoffs last year and has the AFC's No. 1 seed.
The real question is what who will Bowlen hire first? A gm or a coach?
Daniel Crespo
Paterson , NJ
Total Comments (91)
Never happen. West Coast offense is not what your Cowboys run.
Daniel Crespo
Paterson , NJ
Total Comments (91)
Lack of D cost him his job
BobC15239
Pittsburgh , PA
Total Comments (2)
Bring Shan to Pittsburgh
BobC15239
Pittsburgh , PA
Total Comments (2)
tp from denver
long overdue!
tall paul
Total Comments (1)
Even though i still think shanahan is a great coach, he just doesn't fit denver. the owner of the team was way too friendly with him I hope denver can get someone like cowher for head coach now.
BroncoFan#1
Commerce City , CO
Total Comments (15)
You're completely right-on, chevron303. Jay Cutler has been tremendous. On a team with even a marginal defense, he would have shone like a star.
I really believe Bob Slowik is the one who should have gone first. The defense was just ridiculous this year. Clearly the head coach has some responsibility to get his coaches to do the right thing as well as encourage his GM to draft the right players to do that, but this year, the weak point was no doubt the defense. I just don't understand how they could have led the AFC West nearly all season and just barely miss the playoffs and lose his job. It's just amazing to me.
While I'd love for Shanahan to come back to college, I really hope he ends up somewhere he can show Denver what they lost.
GatorsMatt
Madison, TN
Total Comments (7)
I think if Bowlen had hired a GM, and shanahan was JUST a coach, then he might of done better.
BroncoFan#1
Commerce City , CO
Total Comments (15)
Hey Lovie - how 'bout dumping Turner and bringing in Shanahan?! If he'd take the job, there'll
be a SB banner in Soldier Field in no more than two seasons.
whitesoxmark
Total Comments (63)
It's about time.
SJU
Total Comments (4)
Comment
Remember to keep your posts clean. Profanity will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.