In the wake of Monday’s groundbreaking news that John Elway has accepted an ‘increased’ role in the Denver Broncos front office, the team will appoint a new GM. The future of the franchise is very much at stake.
However, Vic Fangio’s position as head coach is not. The Broncos do not inflate everything but keep Fangio in the pursuit of continuity.
Just one day after the biggest news that hit the Broncos Country in nearly a decade spread like wildfire, Fangio spoke with the job security of his current staff and whether there will be coaches who will be fired after the 5 -11 final of the team.
“No, I expect it to return in full,” Fangio said Tuesday. ‘As always happens in the early off-season, some guys may have a chance to progress. We will always look into it, but otherwise I expect the staff. ”
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It was just last week that ESPN’s Adam Schefter report that Fangio would return for his third season in Denver. While the announcement was not necessarily a surprise to those in Mile High City, the timing felt odd because of the key areas for improvement that Fangio and his staff had yet to fully master.
In the season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders, Fangio proved once again that he manages the game as head coach. On the Raiders’ final ride, the defensive guru chose to use both of Denver’s remaining timeouts, which Las Vegas used to regroup and utilize with a touch and two-point conversion into consecutive plays.
The Broncos attack was left with a meager 24 seconds to try and create a driving force that would hopefully set up a field-winning field goal. It was not in the cards because the Broncos dropped their 11th loss of the season, 32-31 against the Raiders.
The past two seasons it has been very clear that Fangio is uncomfortable with time management, offense and special teams. Just like in the loss to the Tennessee Titans in the season opener, which saw Fangio’s clock management and time spent in the clutch directly lead to the team’s first loss, she revealed 32 games as head coach that she defensive Xs and Ox skills, and playing calling, interrupts his responsibilities as head coach.
Fangio set a record of 12-20 with a .375 winning percentage. Asked if he was judging his own performance of the season, Fangio was cautious.
‘Absolutely. A to Z we’re going to evaluate everything, and we’re already started it, “Fangio said. We are going to study other teams, as much as we can, in the given time, and we will stone every stone in an effort to improve. ”
There is theory that veteran coach Ed Donatell is severely underutilized as Denver’s defense coordinator. With 30 years of NFL coaching experience, Donatell is now in his third season with the Broncos and has worked with Fangio in San Francisco and Chicago for the past ten years.
Fangio said on record that he preferred to call games from the stall, and gave a vague answer when asked if he would consider transferring duties to Donatell.
“I think it falls under what I said before,” Fangio said. “Anything we can do from A to Z to improve, we’ll look at it and see if we think it’s the best thing to do.”
Another area for improvement is undoubtedly the special teams unit, which was uncomfortable under coordinator Tom McMahon. The 51-year-old coaching veteran was hired by Denver in 2018 and many fans have publicly demanded that McMahon be fired on social media, and the same can be said for offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who will also return.
The fact is that the last time the Broncos unit for special teams was in the top 10 was in 2001. An argument can be made that special teams went along the way due to inconsistency and lack of grid depth.
“I think our special teams’ performance was a lot like our offense and defense,” Fangio said Tuesday. “It was uncomfortable at times. We allowed too many negative plays to happen against us in the return match. We’ve blocked a point or two you may not have. ‘
Fangio was also asked what gives him confidence in McMahon.
“I trust Tom to turn it around,” Fangio said. ‘Tom was a guy of John [Elway] strongly recommended me when I first started working, and we kept Tom. He is a tireless worker, very knowledgeable in kicking. We just have to – as in attack and defense – fix things to avoid disastrous plays. ”
In the third season of Fangio, it seems like there are more questions than answers. What is the team’s identity? What is Fangio Mission Statement? How will Fangio improve?
Assuming the NFL and Broncos are more prepared and equipped for another bizarre season with potential COVID-19 constraints, Fangio maintains an optimistic outlook for his future.
“Hopefully the third year will be the magical year for me, where everything goes a little smoothly again,” Fangio said.
Follow Luke on Twitter @LukePattersonLP and @MileHighHuddle.