On Sunday, the Broncos and Vic Fangio parted ways after three seasons. The 63-year-old defensive coordinator failed to compile a winning record in any of his three seasons. The Broncos started this year 3-0 before going through the thorniest part of a very difficult schedule, and now have four double-loss seasons in their last five, after having just three in their previous 49 seasons.
Fangio is an interesting trainer in the sense that he will continue to dictate the interview market even if he is not a head coach in 2022. Widely regarded as the best defensive coordinator in the NFL, Fangio’s decision to join another developing team could very well make or break a coach nomination elsewhere. While losing a head coaching job is never pleasant, Fangio may be more popular than ever as a coordinator at a time when his often copied but poorly imitated defense is spreading throughout the NFL.
Despite being hit by injury and trading Von Miller, Denver still finished the season as one of the league’s best overall defenders, allowing 18.9 points per game, the third-best in the league heading into Sunday’s list of Week 18.
WHERE DID EVERYTHING BEGIN WRONG?
The difficult part about summing up the era of Fangio is that its greatest downfall had nothing to do with Fangio himself. The Broncos never provided Fangio with a quarterback, setting him up to fail similarly to his predecessor, Vance Joseph, who is also having a revival season as a coordinator in Arizona.
The Broncos made a miniature run with Drew Lock at the end of Fangio’s first season, but the replacement of coordinator Rich Scangarello with fired Giants head coach Pat Shurmur coincided with the team’s regression on offense. From Lock to Teddy Bridgewater, the Broncos were efficient at best, but never powerful enough to complement their tight defense. Fangio’s biggest signing, offensive line coach Mike Munchak, helped transform a rogue unit into one of the best fronts in the league. Offensive tackle Garett Bolles went from a potential first-round failure to borderline All-Pro.
In short, it seemed like there was a solid foundation for a competitive franchise, minus the player in the center and the caller the plays. Would another season have produced a change of course? We will never know.
WAS THE MOVEMENT RIGHT?
This is a difficult question to answer. Think of it this way: No matter who you bring in as your head coach, you’re going to collectively demote as a defender in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. Are you going to improve enough offense to compete with those teams in a shootout? Fangio was unsuccessful in terms of wins and losses, but his team was largely drama-free. It was a professionally run store and it kept its end of the bargain on the defensive. Another approach by general manager George Paton could have been to search the coaching market and look for an offensive coordinator with promise as a potential standby coach, which would have given Fangio the opportunity to work with a different interlocutor and attract a quarterback from different veteran field. Off the market.
It may seem like a lot of excuses for Fangio, and perhaps he is better suited for the coordinator chair, but if he is given the choice between constantly trying to outmaneuver Patrick Mahomes with average defense or fighting him in the mud backed by a great defender, it would make more sense to need just 24 points to beat the Chiefs and not 35 given what is currently on the roster.
WHO WILL REPLACE YOU?
Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is a name that makes perfect sense here. Broncos general manager (and former Vikings assistant general manager) George Paton is obviously familiar with Hackett having spent a previous life in the NFC North. Hackett was our top pick this year on our preseason coach candidate list and you can read more about him here. While there is no consensus “top” candidate on the market this year, Hackett appears to be among the few first-time, offensive-focused candidates ready to do the rounds of interviews for every vacancy. Hackett is currently immersed in the Kyle Shanahan-Matt LaFleur brand’s outer zone offense, but he has executed it all under the sun, bringing his offensive experience from the West Coast and turning it into a creative canvas. At Syracuse University, he once discarded the team’s playbook two weeks before the season, installed a 1990s-style Buffalo Bills K-Gun offense and broke a ton of school records.
Other options…
Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys: It’s good to see Quinn reborn in Dallas, especially outside the bounds of the Pete Carroll Cover-3 scheme. Quinn’s new amoebic appearance that has elevated Micah Parsons to the category of defensive rookie of the year is a prime example of what he could bring to a franchise, along with an infectious attitude and personable approach.
Jeff Rodgers, special teams coordinator / assistant head coach, Arizona Cardinals: Rodgers has been instrumental in creating a program in Arizona, helping Kliff Kingsbury avoid some of the typical pitfalls of a college coach transitioning to the NFL. Rodgers and Bubba Ventrone of the Colts led our special teams coordinator class this year during a preseason survey of coaching experts. This could be the original type of hire that pays dividends for Denver as they continue to explore quarterback options and find their identity.
Kevin O’Connell, Offensive Coordinator, LA Rams: If you’re Paton, do you hire O’Connell, a former NFL quarterback whose star has risen rapidly through the coaching ranks, in an attempt to cut the line on the next big offensive mind? It’s not a bad idea. Belichick’s former draft pick has played a pivotal role in one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL this year.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.