taken by Bill Lazor. As the offensive coordinator, Kubiak installed his version of the West Coast offense passing game combined with a zone-blocking scheme that gave way to play-action passes. Under his guidance, the Ravens had their most successful offense in 19 years, with quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Justin Forsett achieving career single-season highs in yards and touchdowns. Thanks in part to Kubiak's re-tooling of the offense, the Ravens returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence. Due to his success in Baltimore, Kubiak became a highly sought-after head coaching candidate, receiving interest from the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and the San Francisco 49ers, whom Kubiak previously coached in 1994 as the quarterbacks' coach and won Super Bowl XXIX that year. The Ravens made a big push to retain Kubiak as the offensive coordinator for the next season, and Kubiak at first seemed committed to staying in Baltimore. It was not until his friend and former teammate John Elway offered him what he called his "dream job" – a chance to coach his former team, the Denver Broncos – that Kubiak expressed interest in a new head coaching position. Denver Broncos (2015–2016) On January 18, 2015, Kubiak signed a four-year deal to become the head coach of the Denver Broncos, after Broncos general manager John Elway dismissed head coach John Fox for two poor playoff eliminations. Wade Phillips, a former Broncos head coach, returned to the team to serve his second stint as defensive coordinator. Under Kubiak, the Broncos installed a run-oriented offense with zone blocking to blend in with quarterback Peyton Manning's shotgun passing style, but struggled with numerous changes and injuries to the offensive line. In addition, the 39-year-old Manning had his worst statistical season since his rookie year due to plantar fasciitis in his heel that he had suffered since the summer. Despite the offensive struggles, the Broncos succeeded with defense, led by defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who replaced his predecessor's complicated read-and-react 4–3 scheme with a simple aggressive 3–4 approach of attacking the ball. The Broncos' defense ranked No. 1 in total yards allowed, passing yards allowed and sacks, and like the previous three seasons, the team continued to set numerous individual, league and franchise records. Though the team had a 7–0 start, Manning led the NFL in interceptions. In Week 10, Manning suffered a partial tear of the plantar fascia in his