However, the biggest casualty of Black Monday did not come until that Tuesday when the Denver Broncos fired long-time head coach Mike Shanahan. He recorded a 146-98 record in Denver and won two Super Bowls with a little bit of help from Terrell Davis and a lot of help from John Elway.
Yet, after failing to make the playoffs this season after a monumental collapse the New York Mets would certainly be proud of, Shanahan was axed. Now when a firing of this takes place, management usually has an idea of a candidate currently (or soon to be) on the open market.
It is only a matter of time before that coach is put in front of a podium in front of an ESPNEWS crew to talk about how different his regime will be.
That man is Josh McDaniels, former New England Patriots offensive coordinator. Note, I said offensive coordinator.
First, McDaniels does not fit the bill as the big-name head coach expected to take that kind of job. And to spice things up a little bit, McDaniels' forte is offense, which is something the Broncos didn't have any trouble with at all this season. But when the defense nose-dives and allows points as if it were doing its best Detroit Lions impersonation, I am not quite sure McDaniels is the right hire at all.
To be fair, Tony Sparano, John Harbaugh and Mike Smith were not name hires that came under fire when they were hired by Miami, Baltimore and Atlanta, respectively. And all those teams made the playoffs and B-More is only a win away from the Super Bowl.
I won't count McDaniels out yet, but he will start at the bottom of the totem pole. Besides, I'm still waiting for a coach from the Bill Belichick Tree to win a big game.
Sure, Denver will probably score 60 points per game next season with Jay Cutler slinging the pigskin around to Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal in a system that made Matt Cassel a player worthy of the franchise tag. But they might give up 65 if Dre Bly and Champ Bailey don't get their act together.
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