Chargers Hand McDaniels and Broncos a Reality Check

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     The San Diego Chargers gave the Broncos much more than they could handle, a reality check for twenty-nine points. the Chargers started the game by giving up a nice drive on the legs of the Denver running backs including Knowshon Moreno, who finished with ten rushes for eighty yards and a fumble that led to a jaw flapping episode with Brandon Marshall. Marshall was probably saying something along the lines of "Hey why did you fumble the ball man? Huh? Don't you know that sucks man." Followed by Knowshon saying "I was just trying to score." Marshall said "Well don't do that." Then Knowshon pushed him and that is the real story how the drama filled episode went.

      The problem was not Moreno's fumble or Chris Simms inability to glance at his blind side and not hold the ball out twenty feet from his body or Kyle Orton playing on a shredded ankle, I will go out on a limb and say it is Josh McDaniels lack of patience. He has gone to an ineffective passing game in the second halves of these games, which is understandable considering they have been losing all these games with the exception of the Redskins game which was a very winnable game even with Chris Simms playing.

     The thing I see is Knowshon Moreno is getting better and I think he is a big key to winning the remaining games, this is just my stupid opinion. He has done very well in the last two games but his fumbling hurts the confidence that McDaniels has in him but as I watched Moreno run, it was easy for me to see that he is trying, on the thirty-six yard run he had you could see that protecting the football was on his mind. He averaged ten yards a carry, now I understand that running the ball takes time off the clock but that is also time that the defense isn't out there getting stomped on, keeping the score closer than the three and outs that didn't keep Denvers offense on the field very long. Giving the defense ample time to be humiliated for the third or fourth time this season.

     McDaniels impatience showed with the onside kick, I don't think it was a horrible call but it does show that you have no faith in your defense. Matt Prater could not have executed that kick any better, seriously that was a beautiful kick but the special teams players were so concerned about selling the long kick, they outran the kick. All of this points to a young coach who I think is going to be a very good coach if he doesn't let his arrogance get in the way of learning from his mistakes but I don't think that will happen. I will say it now Josh McDaniels will be successful as coach of the Denver Broncos. Hopefully for us "Donkey" fans.    

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