Broncos not the same without Gary Kubiak

October 21, 9:38 PMDenver Sports ExaminerJames Merilatt

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Throw stones at the Broncos defense if you'd like, but the Broncos recent slide -- losing three out of four, including Monday night's 41-7 debacle at New England -- should fall squarely on the offense. After all, that's the side of the ball that Denver counts on to carry the load each week; that's where the stars of the team reside.

Since starting the season with 114 points in their first three games, a staggering average of 38 points per game, the Broncos offense has gone in the tank. In the four games since, they've scored a measly 59, a paltry 14.75 average. And this dramatic downturn should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the team in recent years.

In 2006, the Broncos averaged less than 20 points per game for the first time since 1999 -- the year after John Elway retired. A year ago, they scored only one more point, good enough for exactly 20 points every time they took the field. Discounting that first season after back-to-back Super Bowls -- when the Broncos were breaking in an inexperienced quarterback and lost Terrell Davis after four games- - these are the two worst scoring seasons in the post-Elway era.

First, this was pinned on quarterback Jake Plummer.  So Jay Cutler was inserted into the starting lineup. Then, it was blamed on coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, paving the way for Jeremy Bates to take the reins of the offense. New players and new coaches have come and gone, but the results have remained the same.

Which begs one important question: What's the cause of this dramatic downturn?

After the 2005 season, Gary Kubiak left his post as the Broncos offensive coordinator to become the head coach of the Houston Texans. While most were sad to see the longtime Bronco go, few worried. In the end, everyone knew it was really Mike Shanahan's offense. Or so we thought.

In the six seasons prior to his departure, Denver's offense was never lower than 10th in the NFL in scoring. They've been 17th and 21st, respectively, in the two years since. Despite having a hodgepodge of quarterbacks to build the offense around -- Brian Griese, Chris Miller, Gus Frerotte, Jarious Jackson, Steve Beuerlein, Jake Plummer, Danny Kanell and Bradlee Van Pelt -- the Broncos averaged 24.7 points per outing during Kubiak's final 96 games in Denver. They've averaged 20.8 in the 39 games since he left for Houston.

The Broncos have posted a mediocre 20-19 record in the past two-plus seasons, a period in which they have struggled to find offensive consistency. This despite an influx of young talent -- Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, Tony Scheffler, et al -- that puts the talent Kubiak had to work with to shame.

Maybe "the Mastermind" is in Houston.

BRONCOS WITH KUBIAK

BRONCOS WITHOUT KUBIAK