Rumors were swirling for months that Denver Broncos head coach Vance Joseph would be fired as head coach at the close of the season. Joseph took over as head coach after Gary Kubiak retired due to mostly to health problems. Joseph was disappointing as the Broncos head coach. He accumulated an 11-21 record and missed the playoffs both years. Ian Rapoport broke the news.
#Broncos GM John Elway just finished meeting with coach Vance Joseph, informing him he’s done. Joseph should land as a top defensive coordinator candidate.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 31, 2018
Vance Joseph Fired as Head Coach of the Denver Broncos
Joseph took over a Broncos team that was just two years removed from a Super Bowl victory. In 2016, the Broncos missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010 despite a winning record. Joseph was supposed to come in and get the team back to its winning ways with a defensive mindset.
Instead, the defense that was once known as the “No Fly Zone” took a step back. While they were still number four against the pass, overall, they were ranked as the 24th best defense in the league. The biggest struggles were offensive, however, as the team went back and forth between quarterbacks Trevor Siemian, Brock Osweiler, and Paxton Lynch. All of them were cut in the off-season.
The defense did improve to number 12 overall this year, despite letting former All-Pro corner Aqib Talib walk and losing Chris Harris Jr. for the year in Week 13. The team’s offensive struggles continued even after signing quarterback Case Keenum in free agency. It did not help matters when Denver traded longtime Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas and then lost Emmanuel Sanders a few weeks later to injury.
Whoever takes over as the Broncos head coach will have a strong balance of veteran leadership in players like Von Miller and Sanders, balanced with a young core with rookies Phillip Lindsay and Bradley Chubb. Joseph could be looked at for a defensive coordinator position this off-season.
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