Vic Fangio was a defensive-minded coach, so the team’s offensive plan fell on former offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur from 2020-2021.
Few would argue that Shurmur got the most out of Denver’s offensive players during his tenure. Shurmur didn’t adjust his scheme to best fit the strengths of Broncos players like wide receiver Jerry Jeudy or tight end Noah Fant — at least it didn’t appear that he did.
New head coach Nathaniel Hackett, a former offensive coordinator, shouldn’t have that same problem.
“Whatever we can do to take advantage of the players — what they do the best and being able to execute and win the game as a team, [we’ll do],” Hackett said during his introductory press conference last month.
“From a standpoint of how the offense is — first and foremost, any offense that you have has to be maneuverable and adjustable for whoever you have on your team,” Hackett continued. “It’s about finding out what your guys do the best and being able to do that over and over again and taking advantage of their skillsets.”
Fans in Denver would have been thrilled to hear just that. But there’s more!
“You want to make the defense cover the entire field,” Hackett said. “You want to take shots down the field. Let’s all face it, that’s what the people in the stands love — they love those bombs down the field. I remember watching John Elway throw the ball down the field to [Ed] McCaffrey on all of those boot fakes. That was unbelievable.
“This is really where this system evolved from and was created. You’re always looking for that, and mixing in that ‘West Coast’ principle of the drop-back game …. So many fun things to talk about with the offense.”
Of course, many new coaches preach about an exciting offense upon their arrival, but even if Hackett didn’t mention deep bombs down the field, hearing about his philosophy of adapting his scheme to best fit his players is a welcomed change for the Broncos’ offense.
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