Bowlen interviews Super assistants for Broncos' coaching vacancy

ENGLEWOOD • Pat Bowlen wants to get back to the Super Bowl after a decade’s drought, and he thinks last year’s participants might just hold the key.

A day after interviewing Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in New York, the owner of the Broncos met Sunday with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in the Boston area.

Bowlen is searching for a replacement for Mike Shanahan, whom he fired last week.

McDaniels is a 32-year-old who worked his way up from graduate assistant to offensive coordinator. Under his tutelage, Tom Brady threw for a record 50 touchdowns last season. McDaniels’ reputation grew larger this year when Brady was lost with a knee injury in the opener and Matt Cassel, who hadn’t started a game since high school, led the Patriots to an 11-5 record.

Spagnuolo, 49, is the architect of the pass rush that stymied Brady in last season’s Super Bowl stunner.

The Broncos’ brain trust of Bowlen, chief operating officer Joe Ellis and personnel chief Jim Goodman will interview three candidates at team headquarters this week: Dallas’ Jason Garrett, Tampa Bay’s Raheem Morris and Denver’s Rick Dennison.