The Denver Broncos surprised more than a few fans on Wednesday, when they announced that they were hiring Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Joseph will be the 16th head coach in franchise history.
Many Broncos fans understandably assumed that with the recent struggles of the offense, an offensive mind might get the job. Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan visited with the Broncos over the weekend, and seemed like he might be a good fit to bring some offense to a team that desperately needs it.
On Tuesday, Joseph came to town, with plans of going on to San Diego for an interview with the Chargers the following day. That never happened. John Elway didn’t let Joseph leave.
The Broncos instead inked the 44-year-old coach to a four-year contract. A contract that reveals quite a bit about the mindset of John Elway.
Elway has what he believes is a blueprint for success, and he plans on following it.
While high-powered offenses might be exciting, it is those tenacious defenses that bring home the rings. Last season, the Broncos hoisted the Lombardi Trophy behind one of the greatest defenses in NFL history.
It isn’t the only time in recent history that a defense has carried their team to a championship.
The New England Patriots had the 8th ranked defense when they won it all in 2014. The Baltimore Ravens(10th), the Green Bay Packers (2nd), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (1st) have all leaned heavily on their defense to win titles in the past decade. And don’t forget that 2013 Seattle Seahawks defense that pounded the Broncos high scoring offense into submission in Super Bowl XLVIII.
John Elway sure hasn’t forgotten them.
The Broncos rolled into that Super Bowl with Peyton Manning, and the highest scoring offense in the history of the league. They limped home after a 43-8 beating, and Elway set about changing the Broncos makeup completely.
He transformed a finesse, offensive scoring machine, into a physical, defensive juggernaut. In 2015, the Broncos offense averaged just 22 points per game, but the defense allowed only 199 yards per game.
It really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, especially when we think back to Elway’s playing career.
He had played on teams without much of a supporting cast, and despite being one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, he came up short in the biggest game three different times. Elway posted the greatest passing numbers of his illustrious career in 1993, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. However, the Broncos defense couldn’t get stops when they needed them, and Denver was eliminated in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
No, it wasn’t until Elway got a supporting cast around him, that he finally reached the ultimate prize. The addition of Terrell Davis, an incredible offensive line, and an opportunistic defense allowed Elway to finish his career with back-to-back Super Bowl victories.
Fans may have wanted the hot young offensive genius to lead the Broncos, and jumpstart a unit that has been struggling for the past two seasons. John Elway however, knows that if the Denver Broncos can get back to being the top defensive unit in the NFL, they will get back into the hunt for another championship.