Timing of McDaniels' Patriots return calls into question fairness

Josh McDaniels, fresh off one season as the Rams' offensive coordinator, is returning to New England just in time to lend a helping hand as the Patriots prepare to face the Broncosin Saturday's AFC Divisional Playoff.

That would be the same Broncos who fired McDaniels as their coach in 2010. To which former NFL coach Dennis Green can only scratch his head and wonder how this is allowed to happen.

"I can't understand the league not picking up the phone," Green said Monday on "The Coaches Podcast", "and calling and saying, 'I just read in the paper that you say Josh McDaniels is going to be in your stadium that day working with your staff?' No. Simple no. For the simple reason of how can a guy work for one team during the season and, just because the season's over, go work for another team during the same season?

Simple: It's within the rules. With offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien set to leave for Penn State (but remain through the playoffs) and McDaniels accepting the Patriots' offer to fill the position, McDaniels can start working for the team immediately.

"He obviously has some inside information on that team and those players, as he coached them," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said, according to the Associated Press. "I think Coach (Bill) Belichick has a pretty good idea of what he's going to want Josh to do."

But Broncos coach John Fox isn't about to get all worked up over the seemingly unfair advantage given to the Patriots.

"When you do this for a living, you've got a pretty good idea of most of the players. You may have coached them before. Guys just move cities," Broncos coach John Fox said, according to The AP. "I just stay in my lane. Other people make those rules."

He's right. All the Broncos can do is play by them.