The Broncos went to the playoffs last season with a read-option offense. They’ve since traded Tim Tebow and acquired Peyton Manning, and their offense will look completely different this year.
Coordinator Mike McCoy explained to NFL.com’s Albert Breer that he and quarterbacks coach Adam Gase studied tape of Manning’s offenses in Indianapolis before making the $96 million move to sign him.
“That goes back to when we first talked about going and getting Peyton,” McCoy said. “From when we first talked to him, Adam and I watched a ton of film, studied what they did [in Indianapolis], the way he played.
“We didn’t always know exactly where they were coming from, but we took notes, and when we signed him I said, ‘Here’s some things we have for you, and we’d like to add to it.’ It’s gonna grow as we figure it out, and it’s getting back to some of those core fundamentals.”
In constructing Denver’s 2012 offense, McCoy and Manning will share notes. It will be a collaborative effort, so neither Manning nor McCoy is individually dictating the design.
“The great thing is from day one, his first time out here, he said to us, ‘Hey, I wanna learn your system,’” McCoy explained of Manning. “He said that he knew we’d had success, our receivers had success, in that system before we changed some things around last year, and he wanted us to teach it to him.”
The “system” is a work in progress, but there are a few things about which we can be confident. The Broncos won’t be leading the NFL in rushing attempts anymore, and their trademark offensive play won’t involve the threat of a quarterback keeper.