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Gary Kubiak gets awful spot in NFL.com head coach power rankings

DENVER, CO - AUGUST 29: Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak wasn't happy when the team had to call a timeout on defense in the second quarter of the preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Thursday, September 3, 2015. (Photo by Steve Nehf/The Denver Post)
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 29: Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak wasn't happy when the team had to call a timeout on defense in the second quarter of the preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on Thursday, September 3, 2015. (Photo by Steve Nehf/The Denver Post)

Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak is one of the best in the game. People will debate whether or not his tenure in Houston was successful. It wasn’t easy running a team that came into the NFL in 2002, but after a long period of time, he got them to the playoffs in 2011 and 2012.


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But what he did with the 2015 Denver Broncos is remarkable. A team that was built on record-breaking offenses became the best defense since the 1985 Chicago Bears, though we’ll give Wade Phillips most of the credit for that.

Kubiak managed to help Denver’s offense get through with the broken arm of Peyton Manning and an inexperienced backup in Brock Osweiler. His zone-blocking scheme and heavy rushing offense carried the Broncos all the way. A great head coach is able to make significant adjustments that work.

That being said, NFL.com’s Elliot Harrison wasn’t too fair to him on his NFL head coach power rankings list, placing him 10th:

“Kubiak deserve to be in the top 10 because his team won the Super Bowl last year, or are we overreacting to one season? Kubiak took Fox’s players and — despite not having a healthy or effective Peyton Manning — was able to do what his predecessor could not: give John Elway a ring as an executive…Kubiak proved his boss right, and gets this spot by virtue of winning at least 10 games three of his past four seasons as a head coach.”

I just think Gubiak deserves a higher spot; not just because of their Super Bowl, but how he transformed the team in such succession.

For example, shouldn’t he be higher than Sean Payton (nine,) who was almost out of New Orleans? Possibly Ron Rivera, for getting the better of him in the Super Bowl? Most Super Bowl champion head coaches will always be inside the top nine.

But Harrison is one of the most well-respected NFL writers out there, so we shouldn’t be too harsh on his rankings. If Kubiak can lead Denver far in the next several seasons, he’ll surely be in the top-three.

 

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