The Denver Broncos move fast, but apparently, they may move even faster.
When Mike McCoy left Tuesday to head coach the division rival San Diego Chargers, they waited only one day to replace him.
It was announced early Thursday morning that Quarterbacks coach Adam Gase has been promoted to the team's Offensive coordinator position.
Gase is a 35-year old with history in the NFL dating back to 2005 with the Detroit Lions as an offensive assistant. He was in Detroit from 2005-2007, then changed teams an offensive assistant with San Francisco in 2008 before coming to Denver.
He's been with the Broncos since 2009, where he was the wide receivers coach for two seasons under Josh McDaniels. When John Fox arrived in 2011, he was moved to QBs coach, working with Kyle Orton, being instrumental in the development of Tim Tebow and working with Peyton Manning this season.
Denver's offense hit a level that hadn't been seen in years, scoring a second-best 30.1 points per game while utilizing Manning's innate ability to read defenses and pick the right play at the right time to exploit them. They were at their best when Manning went into the hurry-up, getting the defense in a certain set and attacking them at break-neck speed.
Still, in his press conference Thursday, Gase admitted, “We're going to try to play faster.”
"We're looking to go pedal to the metal, play as fast as possible, be aggressive & score as many points as possible every game," he continued.
It's a great idea, because that's what the best offensive team in the NFL has done. The New England Patriots' offense moves so fast it results in “free plays,” where players are uncovered and are allowed first downs and even touchdowns because defenses simply don't have the time to line up.
“Philosophy-wise, I'd say putting our players in the best position to succeed,” he continued.
Undoubtedly, Manning excels in that no-huddle offense, and he brought younger players along this season.
Early in the year, the Broncos ran no-huddle rarely, but as the season went on, young receivers Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker caught on as Denver's offense methodically marched downfield for scores.
And as it turns out, the Broncos were planning on McCoy likely leaving and Gase taking over because the new OC said he was allowed to play-call some series down the stretch of the regular season. When pressed on if the team scored on those drives, Gase wouldn't say, but it's good to know he and Manning have already worked together, even if only for short periods of time.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was rumored to be the next OC in Denver, but the organization went with the inside promotion in order to keep more continuity.
After all, the Broncos did finish 13-3 in 2012, and many believe they will only improve next year.
Rich Kurtzman is a freelance journalist. You can follow Rich on twitter or facebook for all your Denver Broncos news and opinion.
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