Clough: Broncos play calling duties a ‘3-headed monster,’ confusing
Nov 9, 2016, 6:52 AM
The Denver Broncos play calling has come under scrutiny in recent weeks due following several pass-happy first drives and a lack of returning to balance on the offensive side of the ball.
And following four 3-and-outs Sunday night against the Raiders in Oakland to start out the game, 104.3 The Fan’s Sandy Clough asked for a break down of exactly who makes the play calls for Denver’s office.
And during his Monday press conference, head coach Gary Kubiak lent some insight into that question, saying the play-calling effort it a collaboration between himself, quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp, and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison.
“Me and Rick and ‘Knapper’ work together. We’ve been together for a long time. We work together,” Kubiak said. “In everything we’re doing, our preparation, calling plays and working together, so it’s between all of us. I may call 90 percent of the game one time, I may call 70 percent another time, but we’re always working together.”
But Clough said Tuesday that he believes such a system has “built-in confusion,” creating what he called a “three-headed monster.”
There are questions about the tight ends coach. There are questions about the offensive line coach. And you’ve got a three-headed monster calling the plays. No wonder there’s confusions,” Clough said.
“And it’s confusion being expressed more privately than publicly now by players and people who are intimately familiar with the organization, either from a day-to-day perspective from being inside that building or from more of a more distant perspective but are very familiar with the major decision-making characters.”
Through nine first quarters this year, Denver has scored just 16 points — a touchdown and three field goals.
Kubiak called the team’s slow starts on offense “concerning” on Monday.
“It’s a big concern. Trying to be consistent through the course of the game. Get your snaps so that you can go out there and have a chance to make plays to win games.
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