It is indisputable the Buffalo Bills are the superior team to the Denver Broncos, at least this point in time. While a loss to the playoff-bound Bills was expected, a 48-19 final score was neither anticipated nor acceptable. After head coach Vic Fangio ignored countless examples of necessary adjustments and made multiple coaching errors, Broncos Country has every reason to be frustrated. Through 30 games as Denver’s head coach, it is now a reasonable juncture to assess his strengths and weaknesses thus far. This Fangio progress report should allow for Broncos Country to more judiciously form their expectations for the coach (and team) in 2021.
A Vic Fangio Progress Report Through 30 Games
Alignment and Schematic Elements
Vic Fangio has been considered one of the most frustrating defensive minds in football for many years. His bear fronts and exotic coverage combinations on the back end have given offensive coordinators and quarterbacks fits for his entire career. After taking over the Broncos defense a couple of years removed from the historically unparalleled Wade Phillips-led defense, there were a handful of noticeable shifts in schematic approaches.
While Phillips leaned heavily on man coverage (often with press coverage, as well) and exotic blitzes, Fangio is the opposite. Vic’s scheme predicates upon zone coverages and applying pressure to the quarterback without blitzing often. His defenses have been at or near the bottom of the league in blitz rate his entire tenure with Denver, and he relies on the athleticism and skill of his front seven to get to the quarterback organically.
This zone coverage-based scheme was an obvious factor in historically elite man-corner Chris Harris, Jr.’s sub-par final season with Denver, as well as his eventual departure.
Inherent in Fangio’s scheme, seemingly, is the use of considerable cushions for defensive backs. Since the beginning of Fangio’s time in Denver, these cushions have proven ineffectual and detrimental to the success of the defense— and the team as a whole. The cushions have allowed receivers with superior speed to any of Denver’s defensive backs to obtain free releases, creating instant separation from the defender. They also allow for the running game and play-action passing attack to find a rhythm almost immediately.
So What?
In other words, the cushions are the single worst and most inexplicable aspect of Fangio’s scheme. His complete and utter refusal to adjust in this regard is surprising and should come off as disquieting for Broncos Country, as this level of stubbornness is unacceptable moving forward.
It is certainly true the high volume of significant injuries to starters has hindered Fangio and the defense’s ability to adequately execute the scheme. With that said, injuries are not enough to tolerate the inefficiency of the defense outside of the redzone. Fangio once said the team would disallow “death by inches,” but all Broncos fans have seen from this defense is exactly that. The bend-don’t-break approach only works if the defense does not break, and the defense has yet to put it all together
No Vic Fangio progress report is complete without acknowledging the continued problems on defense, especially considering many of these issues are easily alleviated by obvious adjustments Fangio simply refuses to make.
Coaching Minutiae
Since taking over as Denver’s 17th head coach in 60 years, the first-time head coach has faced growing pains. Clock management (including time-out management), coach’s challenges, and situational decision-making have all been noticeable shortcomings in Fangio’s coaching repertoire.
The former may have cost the team their season opener against the Tennessee Titans, and certainly left quite a bit of points on the board in subsequent games. Against the Bills, a Bills third-down effort was flagrantly short, but the officials made an objectively poor spot of the ball. Despite the Bills taking their sweet time in getting back to the line for their next play, Fangio never even touched his challenge flag.
Josh Allen scored on the next play.
While he might have scored on the same play on fourth down, it is not a guarantee and Vic Fangio has no excuse for not having challenged the objectively incorrect spot. This, combined with the clock mismanagement and poor situational decision-making (i.e., kicking field goals when they should go for it on fourth down, etc.) illustrates a disturbing pattern of coaching inadequacies in Fangio.
Vic Fangio Progress Report Grades
Play Design
For the most part, Fangio’s defensive play-designing has been adequate. Outside of the inexcusable continuation of the ineffectual cushions, the coverage combinations have been interesting without being too convoluted. His designs in the front seven have seemed even more nuanced than they did when Fangio was coaching the defense for the Chicago Bears.
This has allowed for rotational and depth players to accrue career highs in numerous categories in light of the absence of Von Miller and the entire starting defensive line. As Broncos Country saw in several games this season, with a few long-awaited adjustments, the play-designs on this defense can bring Fangio’s vision to fruition.
Play-Design Grade: B/B+
Play-Calling
Fangio, as a head coach, possesses responsibilities with play-calling beyond merely calling plays for the defense. While the specific play-calling on defense has been relatively effective (with alignment, communication, and execution lacking more than the play-calling itself), Fangio has dropped the ball in situational play-calling, such as when to go for it on fourth down versus kicking a field goal or punting the ball away.
According to the Surrender Index, Denver has had a considerable number of so-called “cowardly” punts under Fangio. When one regards Tom McMahon’s complete lack of competency as a special teams coordinator, this unnerving pattern grows even more concerning.
Play-Calling Grade: A- (Defense), D (Situational) — C+/B Average
General Adjustments and Halftime Adjustments
The repeatedly aforementioned lack of adjustments has been stark and utterly perturbing. Fangio’s “old school” coaching style was a topic of conversation when he first arrived in Denver, as it was jarring for some players who were not previously accustomed to this style. While most probably did not make much of these comments and discussions, looking back on it considering what is known now poses a concerning question.
Is Vic Fangio capable of taking accountability and, as a result, making the adjustments it seems everyone but Fangio knows will need to happen? Through 30 games, the answer is no. This is not to say he will remain stubborn about things he cannot afford to be stubborn about in 2021 and beyond, it is to say he has, thus far, not given any reason to believe he won’t.
As for Fangio’s adjustments resultant of the harrowing number of injuries on the team, the veteran coach has found the inverse level of success. Numerous rookies and perennial backups have stepped up in multiple ways. From Dre’Mont Jones to DeShawn Williams, depth players throughout the roster have done what they can to make the most of their new opportunities. It would be unreasonable not to attribute some of this success to the coaching of Fangio.
Nonetheless, Fangio’s refusal to make substantive schematic adjustments makes it impossible to give him a passing grade in this category.
Adjustments Grade: F
Clock Management
Possibly the factor that cost Denver their season opener, clock management—or mismanagement, in Fangio’s case—is an understated aspect of a head coach’s responsibilities. While Vic has certainly improved to a degree on this shortcoming, it is still a concern heading into 2021. It is no coincidence their loss to Buffalo was their fourth-worst time of possession in a game all season.
Likewise, it is no coincidence many, if not most, of Denver’s losses this season have been in games where Denver loses the time of possession game and mismanages timeouts. One would also be remiss not to consider Fangio’s persistence in receiving the ball to open games, which is seldom the right decision.
Due to Fangio’s mismanagement of the clock and as a result of the coin toss decisions, opposing teams often have the opportunity to sandwich scoring drives around either side of halftime. Without the opportunity to respond to the scoring in this context, the team continues to score less than they are capable of. They often have to throw the ball more than they would like because of the deficit, as well.
Clock Management Grade: D/D+
Player Development
Some may chalk it up to natural talent or personal skill, but the development of Dre’Mont Jones and Michael Ojemudia, most notably, has been impressive to watch. Ojemudia was almost exclusively considered to be a developmental pick in the third round, one who would learn behind veteran cornerbacks A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan.
Instead, Ojemudia started the season as a starting corner in the nickel defense, a de facto base package. His development has been tangible, with a landmark of his forced fumble on Ryan Izzo in Denver’s 18-12 victory over the New England Patriots as an illustration.
Dre’Mont Jones and DeMarcus Walker, players who had yet to crack the lineup much in their careers, both have career highs in nearly every statistic. While their production has been artificially inflated by the injuries to every single starter on the defensive line, something must be said for their efforts. Fangio deserves credit where it is due in this regard.
Player Development Grade: C+/B
Overall
Through nearly two full seasons, inconsistency and circumstance have marred Vic Fangio’s tenure with Denver. While patience is certainly necessary because of the pandemic and the high volume of injuries and their influence on the 2020 campaign, it can only take the head coach so far. The disturbing pattern of refusing to adjust, the mismanagement of the clock, and a lack of accountability hinder Fangio’s ability to receive a top grade overall. On the other hand, his exotic back-end designs, ability to get the most out of a nearly team-wide next-man-up necessity, and general play-calling on defense serve as the proponents of his successes.
Overall Grade: C/C+
The Last Word
Even if Denver loses out, they will have more wins in two years with Vic Fangio than they had in two years of Vance Joseph. At this point, it is not debatable: Fangio is an upgrade over Joseph in just about every way. With that said, there are almost as many concerns with the veteran coach as there were with his predecessor.
The expectation in Broncos Country is that Vic Fangio will return for the 2021 season with Denver, as he should. With as many starters coming back from injuries for this campaign as Denver will have, it is not unreasonable to also expect 2021 to be Fangio’s best season with the Broncos. If one were to use the past to inform the present and future, it would also not be unreasonable to expect Fangio to continue his disquieting pattern of stubbornness. If the latter were to come to fruition, 2021 would likely be Fangio’s final season coaching the Denver Broncos.
Fangio’s two years with the Broncos have been tumultuous and exhausting for many, including fans, players, and members of the front office alike. If he cannot right the ship by the conclusion of the 2021 season, he will no longer find himself at the helm. Fangio has proven himself an intelligent and effective defensive mind in this league for decades, and he will have one last season to prove he can continue to be one.
This Vic Fangio progress report might seem predominantly negative. Considering how many of the problems thus far in Fangio’s tenure are easily fixable by simple and obvious adjustments, general negativity should not come as a surprise.
Broncos Country must hope for Fangio to, like quarterback Drew Lock, take that next step—and soon.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
