AFC West Updates

[Velo]

He is crazy. I'd rather have Herbert than ANY OTHER QBs for the next 5 years. (Even Mahomme, I believe we have seen his peak, but we haven't yet for Herbert!)

He is as crazy as some guy (I forgot the name), who said last year that he'd rather have Lawrence (who haven't played a down in NFL!) than Herbert!!!

Go Bolts!!!

100 percent agreed!

[dmac_bolt]

The Chargers' pass defense was actually decent, in terms of yards allowed - 12th best in the league. A lone slightly bright spot on an otherwise miserable defensive unit.

I don’t believe them lying stats. I saw the ends of our games against good teams - if they needed to score, they threw it down the field with rapid dispatch. OT - forget it. Mack is step one of the improvement, step 2 is a CB1 so Davis can be #2 where God intended him to be.

[ghost]

Defensive Primer on the 2022 Denver Broncos Defense

Vic Fangio leaving Denver and the impact is going to have on Denver's defense and are they gonna fall, and if so, how far?

Alot to cover, but let's do a quick history, I think the two best defensive minds in the game are Bill Belichick and Vic Fangio. Been a fan since his defense in New Orleans
and Vic's Dome Patrol.


E27a9MbXEAUO64j.jpeg


https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/...ight-look-like

At the top of the Denver Broncos coaching staff none of the coaches have had that position before. This is definitely a youth (and inexperience) movement for the coaching staff.

Nathaniel Hackett has never been a head coach at any level, but he does have thirteen years as an NFL coach.

Justin Outten has never been an offensive coordinator (above the HS level). Outten only has five years of experience as an NFL coach.

Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero has never been a defensive coordinator. Evero does have thirteen seasons as an NFL coach.

Dwayne Stukes is the only “top” Bronco coach who has held that position at the NFL level. He had one season as the special teams coordinator for the Buccaneers (2011). Mike Mallory who will be Stukes assistant ST coach had the top ST coach job for the Jaguars 2013 to 2016. Mallory was demoted to asst ST coach for the 2017 to 2020 seasons with the Jags.

One big reason why the Broncos have hired Dom Capers and retained the services of Bill Kollar (as a consultant) is the relative inexperience of the rest of the coaching staff. This includes Evero.

Here’s a list of the coaches with years of NFL coaching experience shown (some I could not even find data on):

Offense

• Offensive Coordinator: Justin Outten (5)
• Passing Game Coordinator / Quarterbacks: Klint Kubiak (8)
• Offensive Line: Butch Barry (?)
• Wide Receivers: Zach Azzani (5)
• Tight Ends: Jake Moreland (1)
• Running Backs: Tyrone Wheatley (4)
• Assistant OL: Ben Steele (9)
• Quality Control: Justin Rascati (?)
• Quality Control: Ramon Chinyoung (?)

Defense

• Defensive Coordinator: Ejiro Evero (13)
• Senior Defensive Assistant: Dom Capers (lots and lots)
• Defensive Line: Marcus Dixon (1)
• Inside Linebackers: Peter Hansen (3)
• Outside Linebackers: Bert Watts (?)
• Defensive Backs: Christian Parker (2)
• Assistant DB: Ola Adams
• Consultant: Bill Kollar (lots and lots)

Special Teams

• ST Coordinator: Dwayne Stukes (14)
• ST asst: Mike Mallory (12)

So what can we expect Evero do do as the defensive coordinator? His first NFL gig was with the Bucs in 2007. Jon Gruden was HC and Monte Kiffin was the DC. Kiffin runs a 4-3. In 2009 DB coach, Raheem Morris, was hired as the Bucs HC (and DC). Morris also runs a 4-3 (most of the time). After spending one season out of the NFL, Evero landed a job with the 49ers in 2011 as the “quality control coach.” The DC for the 2011 49ers was Vic Fangio. Fangio also runs a 4-3. Evero would stay with the 49ers in 2012 and 2013 as “offensive assistant” before he was switched to defensive assistant for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. In 2014 the 49ers DC was still Fangio, but the DC for the 2015 season was Eric Mangini. 2015 was a disastrous season for the 49ers and would result in the firing of Tim Tomsula as the head coach after only one season. Mangini is the first DC that Evero worked under who runs a 3-4.

The 2015 49ers defense was decent (18th in point allowed), but was hampered by worst scoring offense in the league. Much like the 2021 Bronco defense was hampered by a poor scoring offense.

In 2016 Evero would move to the Packers staff as defensive QC. The Packers DC in 2016 was Dom Capers. Capers runs a 3-4, but has been known to use a 4-3 if it fit his players better. Capers had some elite defenses in Pittsburgh and Carolina that ran a 3-4, but has Jags defenses ran a 4-3. The 1999 Jaguars finished first in points allowed. His Packers defenses (where he was DC from 2009 to 2017) ran a 3-4.

In 2017 Evero would move to the Rams staff as the DB coach under DC Wade Phillips. Phillips has always run a 3-4 and is a huge proponent of the “dominant nose tackle” theory of 3-4 defenses. In 2020 Brandon Staley would take over as the Rams’ DC. Staley runs a 3-4, but Staley would be hired away by the Chargers as their HC which brought Evero back under former mentor Raheem Morris who decided to keep the Rams as a 3-4 for 2021.

So we can’t really tell from this whether Evero will run a 4-3 or a 3-4, based solely on the coaches under whom he has worked. He has essentially learned from proponents of both and it may come down to which defense he feels more comfortable calling and which better fits the players he will have on the 2022 Broncos.

Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero learned under Wade Phillips and Dom Capers, that I respect. Anyone from Bum Phillips' tree is good coaching in my book. Also, we can officially say that Ejiro Evero is also a member of Coach Brandon Staley's coaching tree.


https://theramswire.usatoday.com/202...ro-assistants/

It's of note that Nathaniel Hackett, son of Marty Schotteheimer's favorite Paul Hackett, like Staley, chose a former team mate to coach a main position unit (along with Dom Capers) in E. Evero. Broncos have already replaced DT Shelby Harris' production in free agency, and that defensive roster is very solid.

Summation: The defensive roster has no holes. The defensive coaching remains to be seen been but it is my opinion that the Evero/Capers system should look like the Rams and Packers 4-3 in alignment in an amalgam, with the emphasis on the level of NT Zero technique over center. The secondary is only behind the Chargers in talent base in the AFC West. Not to short change their talent which are all familiar to AFC West watchers, but CB Patrick Surtain II will likely improve over his rookie season.

In closing, I'll mention that Vic Fangio's defense is a high-water mark for the Broncos, and will be a difficult task to repeat. But, Ejiro Evero got a SB ring last month, and Vic did not.



technique.png

Why is the number over the TE like that? For you fellow football nerds, Coach Bear Bryant did that number system and everyone just copied it,
but no one ever had the wherewithal or the courage to ask the Bear, why.

[Xenos]

Oakland joining the arms race finally.

[Bolt-O]

[Bolt-O]

[Formula 21]

Raiders to sign pass rusher Chandler Jones, trade Yannick Ngakoue to Colts for Rock Ya-Sin

[Bolt-O]

[Eurobolt]

I am really worried majority of Chargers games will be flexed to Sunday and Monday night that will be a problem for me to watch....

[Bolt-O]

[21&500]

Interesting....

[Bolt4Knob]

I am really worried majority of Chargers games will be flexed to Sunday and Monday night that will be a problem for me to watch....

The first Sunday night game of the year - with the Rams playing Thursday - I think will be Chiefs and Broncos. I would think Chargers and Raiders might be a MNF in Week 2-4