ENGLEWOOD Khari Willis Jersey , Colo. (AP) — Mike Munchak, who had been a finalist for Denver’s head coaching job, is making a lateral move from the Pittsburgh Steelers to serve as the Broncos’ new offensive line coach.“There’s nobody better as an offensive line coach than Mike Munchak,” new coach Vic Fangio said Monday. “The combination of his ability to coach the individual with his ability to coach the group, while also being a big part of the overall offense, is very impressive. Mike’s experience and stature as a coach in the NFL make this a home run hire for us.”The Broncos also are allowing Gary Kubiak to interview elsewhere and have received permission to interview 49ers QBs coach Rich Scangarello for their offensive coordinator opening, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Monday because the Broncos haven’t publicly commented on their offensive coordinator situation.Kubiak, 57, who helped general manager John Elway hit the jackpot in the 2018 NFL draft while serving as his senior personnel adviser , was expected to run Denver’s offense in 2019.The Broncos decided not to bring back the old schemes and staff that Kubiak had in mind, however. So, the Broncos are letting Kubiak interview for OC vacancies in Jacksonville and Minnesota after initially blocking other teams from interviewing him.In Munchak, the Broncos get another seasoned coach. At 58, he’s two years younger than Fangio, a fellow native of Pennsylvania.A former head coach in Tennessee Josh Allen Jersey , Munchak was a finalist to replace Vance Joseph , but Elway chose Fangio after being won over by his “death by inches” ethos regarding accountability.Munchak instead gets the chance to fix the Broncos’ chronically leaky O-line.Last year, the Broncos lost three interior starting linemen to injuries and ended up using a guard at center and four tackles down the stretch.Munchak was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection as a guard for the Houston Oilers from 1982-93 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001, three years before Elway’s enshrinement. After his playing career, Munchak joined the Oilers’ coaching staff in 1994, beginning a two-decade career that included a stint as head coach from 2011-13.He spent the last five seasons coaching Pittsburgh’s offensive line, and the Steelers have compiled a 54-25-1 record over that span.The Broncos had split up their O-line duties last season between Sean Kugler (guards and centers) and Chris Strausser (tackles) but 2017 first-round draft pick Garett Bolles was still flagged for 11 holding penalties, one more than he had as a rookie.If he does return to the sideline in 2019, Kubiak would want to take along his longtime assistants Rick Dennison and Brian Pariani, two coaches who weren’t retained in Denver after Kubiak stepped down as head coach following the 2016 season, citing health concerns.Kubiak suffered what the Broncos called a “complex migraine condition” in 2016 and was transported via ambulance from the stadium to the hospital for the second time in three years. He also collapsed at halftime of a game in Houston in 2013 while he was coaching the Texans, and doctors diagnosed a mini-stroke.Kubiak hasn’t publicly discussed how he’d be ready to return to the grind of coaching or if he’d be limited in any way because of his health. Tennessee offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie might have been the happiest person at practice watching quarterback Marcus Mariota look like, well, Mariota.

 

The quarterback brushed aside a safety with a stiff-arm on his way to a big run.

When Mariota is running, the Titans are usually all smiles because their offense shows signs of life.

”That’s what we know he’s capable of doing Jawaan Taylor Jersey , and when he’s capable of doing that, it helps our offense again I’ll tell you probably 80 percent,” Robiskie said Wednesday. ”I hate to say that, but if he can’t do that or he’s in position that he can’t do that or that don’t happen, we’re not the offense we’re trying to be.”

Mariota ran a career-high 10 times for a season-high 60 yards to help the Titans earn their first playoff berth since 2008. Better yet, teammates saw a swagger in Mariota as he got off the ground and stared down a defender to make them confident their quarterback is feeling good, possibly even as he did before a broken right leg ended his 2016 season a game early.

”That’s old Marcus, before the injury,” Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey. ”That’s him. This is the Marcus I been waiting to see — him using them legs and making things happen. We need to see that more out of him going forward.”

Titans coach Mike Mularkey loved Mariota’s body language, and now the Titans (9-7) need their quarterback who won the 2014 Heisman Trophy to keep running Saturday when they visit Kansas City (10-6) for an AFC wild-card game.

”We’re at that point right now when every man needs to do whatever he can, whatever it takes, to make this thing go,” Mularkey said. ”It was good to see what he did the other night. Obviously, it helped us win the football game. I think it helped him gain a little confidence too that he can do more.”

An NFL quarterback needing a confidence boost sounds unusual, but Mariota’s third season with the Titans has easily been his worst statistically with a career-low 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Mariota has a career-high five TDs rushing Josh Oliver Jersey , but the quarterback who missed six quarters in October with a strained left hamstring had his lowest average per carry yet at 5.2 yards per attempt.

The Titans dropped from third in the NFL in rushing last season to 15th this season.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid has seen enough of Mariota after the quarterback led a game-winning drive late last season to know they have to be careful when he starts running.

”You don’t ever get tricked by that kind of speed that he has,” Reid said. ”When he kicks that thing into overdrive, he can go, so you have to stay very disciplined with him. That will be one of the challenges for my defense.”

Mariota, who converted four first downs with his legs in the fourth quarter of last week’s 15-10 win over the Jaguars , said he just took advantage of how Jacksonville was playing the Titans. Mariota says running came partially from feeling better and simple necessity.

”At this point in time, every guy is probably not going to feel 100 percent,” Mariota said. ”It’s just that time of the year. With the magnitude of these games, you’ve got to win these games. You’re going to find a way to make a play and hopefully help your team win.”

Mariota has heard a lot from friends and fans on how he stiff-armed Jaguars safety Barry Church. So does he think he has his ”swagger” back just in time for his NFL playoff debut?

”It was just me being me,” Mariota said. ”Again, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. This is the time in the season where you’ve just got to lay it all on the line.”

Notes: Derrick Henry said Wednesday he was not happy at all with his performance last week with 28 carries for 51 yards. He took a screen 66 yards for the Titans’ lone offensive touchdown. But Henry said he didn’t feel like a workhorse back and ”kind of felt soft.” Henry says he hasn’t stopped thinking about that game since the game ended and has been working hard to be better. … RB DeMarco Murray (right knee), CB Logan Ryan and S Da’Norris Searcy (illness) and CB Brice McCain (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday.

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