Broncos Interim HC Addresses Concerning Player Rumor

Interim head coach Jerry Rosburg has endeavored to shore up the punctured hull of the Denver Broncos' listing ship in just one week. The more Rosburg speaks, the more Broncos Country gets to understand the extent to which former head coach Nathaniel Hackett had seemingly lost control over the entire operation.

Rosburg’s candid approach is already winning him many friends, and doing what he feels is best for the team also saw him take a harder line with the players last week ahead of the team's road tilt with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Pads were back on at practice, and with them, a long overdue air of intensity returned to UCHealth Training Center once again. The former Baltimore Ravens assistant was convinced that fostering a more physical approach in practice would correspond to a more intense performance on gameday.

Based on how the Broncos performed, albeit in a losing effort, in Kansas City, Rosburg's hunch was right. On Monday, the veteran coach stuck by his decision to practice with pads again, despite rumors of players in the locker room grumbling.

“I don't know the veracity of those reports, so I’m not going to comment on that,” Rosburg said on Monday. “I didn't hear anything from the players. They went out there and I thought we had a really good practice on Wednesday. It's a really tough practice to have. Then Thursday, we went out there in pads. I didn't hear a word about it and I thought we did well with it. We got everything we wanted to get out of that practice. I wanted to see this team in pads, and we got that done.”

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Re-establishing a modicum of team unity after the ugly sights of Bronco-on-Bronco infighting on Christmas Day was a Rosburg priority, but the torch was carried by the likes of wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, especially as he and other teammates vehemently defended quarterback Russell Wilson from national criticism.

Restoring team morale proved to be pivotal in a much-improved performance, but so was Rosburg’s decision to strip play-calling duty away from Klint Kubiak and pass it on to offensive coordinator Justin Outten. With a more conventional chain of command back in place, the emphasis was on getting the Broncos' offense to work in unison.

“I liked the way it was set up by our offensive coordinator Justin Outten and also our quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak," Rosburg said. "We've been taking into consideration a lot of things when we are making our offensive game plans—the opponent and where we have players at certain positions. Russell Wilson is at the apex of that. What does Russell do well, and how can we assist him?”

Putting Kubiak back on the sideline as Wilson's in-game coaching support also looks like a smart move by Rosburg. It provided further proof that Rosburg isn't afraid to make the changes he deems necessary. Rest assured that given another week on the job, he can gather more intel, and at the same time, still do things in his own indomitable style.

“I did change some things and do some things differently," Rosburg said. "There's always going to be opinions on that. Change is tough on everybody. I didn’t come here to please everyone. There is no way to do that, and I don't mind contending with someone who—if they have a good point, I am going to listen to it, but in the end, I’ll make the decision that’s best for the team, in that regard.”

Those not inclined to jump on board with Rosburg’s moves will likely find their own character deficiencies exposed to the Broncos' next head coach ahead of time. All of this reveals how important it was for the Broncos' front office to make the move to sack Hackett when it did and not simply wait until 'Black Monday.'

If recent reports are true, it's a given that Broncos CEO Greg Penner and GM George Paton plan to pursue Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Landing Harbaugh would be a classic win-win scenario.

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