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NFL Coach Power Rankings: Where Jay Gruden fits in among the 32 coaches

By Jacob Camenker

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 29: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 31: Head coach Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after a 27-24 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – DECEMBER 31: Head coach Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after a 27-24 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /

Head Coach. Denver Broncos. Vance Joseph. 30. player. 45.

It’s pretty amazing what Vance Joseph was able to accomplish in his first season with the Denver Broncos. And I don’t mean that in a positive way.

Despite the Broncos returning much of the core cast of characters that had notched the team a 9-7 season in 2016 under Gary Kubiak, the team regressed badly. They finished with a 5-11 mark in Joseph’s first season, and there were even some rumblings that the team could part ways with him after his poor performance. That never materialized, but it’s still clear that Joseph isn’t a great coach.

Despite having solid personnel at virtually every position save for quarterback, the Broncos were constantly out of sync in 2017. Granted, quarterback is the most important position on the field, but the Broncos were able to win the Super Bowl using their elite defense and a noodle-armed version of Peyton Manning. So, it’s reasonable to expect that they should have been close to a .500 team even with Trevor Siemian at the helm.

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The more concern part about the Broncos regression is the fact that Joseph is a defensive minded coach, but the unit didn’t particularly respond well to having him join the team. Perhaps that was because the offense often put them in compromising situations. That would explain why they ranked third in yards allowed and 22nd in points allowed.

Of course, it could also be that the Broncos defenders missed their previous defensive coordinator.  Upon his arrival in Denver, Joseph elected to bring in Joe Woods to run his defense. While Woods did a fine job, he was replacing Wade Phillips who is arguably the best defensive coordinator in the NFL. That looks like it might have been a mistake.

Another mistake that Joseph made was scapegoating Mike McCoy. The Broncos elected to part with McCoy after a six-game losing streak and while the offense wasn’t performing too well, that can’t entirely be blamed on McCoy. The inconsistent quarterback play should have bought him at least another offseason to work with the squad. After all, he has a solid pedigree as an offensive coordinator. Parting with him and tapping Bill Musgrave to replace him was an uninspiring decision to say the least.

I don’t have a lot of faith that Joseph is the answer in Denver. Perhaps with Case Keenum coming into the fold, the Broncos will improve all-around and the defense will become elite once again. But pencil me in as a doubter of Joseph at this point in the 2018 offseason.

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