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Through the magic of the Internet, I was able to watch a few minutes of the press conference Monday in Denver in which Josh McDaniels was introduced as the new head coach of the Denver Broncos.

Yes, he looked young - even younger with his dark hair cropped close to his scalp as if to make it easier to pull a helmet over his head.

The former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Patriots also looked a little nervous and fidgety as the Denver-area media corps grilled him about his new responsibilities. That's not surprising; anyone from the New England Patriots' organization is held at arm's length from the media, although McDaniels was given the opportunity to conduct one press conference a week last year to get the NFL off Bill Belichick's back.

There was one thing I noticed, however.

Throughout it all, McDaniels was smiling. Not the Nixonian smile that his former boss would occasionally plaster on his face while the Spygate storm swirled about him, but a genuine grin that illustrated his enthusiasm and excitement over having one of the 32 best jobs in his profession. And it's genuine, too. Josh McDaniels may be a child of football, but he doesn't appear to be a slave to it. He appears to have the ability to be his own man and express himself in his own way, both because of and despite men like Belichick and Nick Saban, who helped shape his career to this point.

"I try to focus on all the positive things that those people have given me," he said during the press conference. "I think you'll certainly see me bring a little bit of a different vibe. I can smile."

Everyone's a winner on the day he's announced as a head coach, however. Just ask Mike Shanahan if he felt like smiling on the day he was fired. Or Eric Mangini. Romeo Crennel. Rod Marinelli. And Scott Linehan, Mike Nolan and Lane Kiffen before them.

There doesn't seem to be much doubt that McDaniels has the chops to be a head coach. Born into a coaching family, his father being one of the more successful high school coaches in Ohio (Canton, no less, home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame), the younger McDaniels was breaking down game films while other kids his age were breaking down snow forts.

That's probably the trait that Belichick found most endearing, the parallels to his own development as a football prodigy under his father, Steve. It certainly would explain the positively glowing farewell statement that Belichick penned upon McDaniels' departure.

"Josh McDaniels is one of the finest people and brightest, most talented coaches I have ever worked with," Belichick wrote. "Since joining us eight years ago, Josh performed a variety of roles and excelled in every one of them. Between his work on defense, in scouting, player evaluation and coordinating the offense, Josh is a very well-rounded coach whose outstanding body of work speaks for itself.

"He is the product of a pure football environment which is evident in his approach to the game," he continued. "On behalf of the entire Patriots organization, we thank Josh for tremendous success in New England and congratulate him and the McDaniels family for this most deserving opportunity for advancement."

McDaniels obviously has enough confidence in his abilities to take bold stands right from the start - such as his announcement that there would be no need for an offensive coordinator on his staff because he would call the plays for the Broncos next season. In other areas, however, he's seeking good help. He's expected to add Nolan, the former 49ers' coach, as his defensive coordinator and is likely to pluck Patriots' secondary coach Dom Capers off their staff as well.

Above all, however, McDaniels appeared determined to convince the Denver faithful that he would be up to the task of being the "face" of the Broncos - no easy task, considering the stature of the man he follows.

He said he would accomplish that by being what he believes himself to be. "I like to believe I'm a teacher," McDaniels said. "I like to believe I can communicate. That's a very important word for me. I think that goes from the top down."

Seeing this infusion of enthusiasm and youth into the Broncos unfold before me, it made me a little sad - and not because another AFC team is renewing itself while the Patriots seem to be decomposing.

You look at the Patriots' situation right now - coaches leaving left and right, Scott Pioli heading for Kansas City, key players nearing retirement and Tom Brady's knee still a question mark - and you wonder if, at 57 years of age in April and with nine seasons as head coach behind him, Belichick will have the energy and enthusiasm to undergo a complete, top-to-bottom rebuilding before retirement beckons.

Josh McDaniels as the Patriots' next head coach might have been a nice alternative.

But take heart, Patriot Nation. It still might happen. Coaches rarely reach their full potential in their first go-round in the big chair. Don Shula, Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden, and yes, even Bill Belichick all reached greater heights in their second head-coaching jobs than they did in their first.

Three years down the road? Could be time for a new job and a return to the Mother Ship.

One thing's for sure, there will be a few more wrinkles and a few more white whiskers on Josh McDaniels' baby face by that time. The rest will be up to him, and to the individuals he will be coaching.

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.