LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 15: Head coach Vic Fangio of the Denver Broncos (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Vic Fangio will likely be back in Denver in 2021.
After a spending spree in free agency, many expected Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos to contend for a playoff spot rather than trying everything to avoid getting stuck in the basement of the AFC West. Broncos fans are calling for Fangio’s head after a 4-7 start and 11-16 overall record, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll get their wish granted.
NFL insider and Denver-area radio host Benjamin Allbright claims that a connected source told him that “not even a thought” has been put towards discussing a potential Fangio firing.
Vic Fangio has been the victim of some very bad luck in 2021
Fangio is many things, but unqualified for this position is not one of them. After getting his start coaching the “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps with the New Orleans Saints, which sent all four starters to multiple Pro Bowls, Fangio served as the defensive coordinator for the expansion Carolina Panthers and Houston Texas, with solid results.
After serving under Jim Harbaugh with the San Francisco 49ers as well as both John Fox and Matt Nagy in Chicago, the 61-year-old finally was named head coach in 2019.
Fangio’s defenses, often constructed without the help of DC Ed Donatell due to COVID-19, have been solid, but his offense has yet to come around. Second-year quarterback Drew Lock is regressing under Pat Shurmur given the fact he has more picks than touchdowns, and playing the red-hot New Orleans Saints without any of their quarterbacks was an impossible scenario. Losing several starters to injury on that side of the ball makes things even more difficult.
No one is saying Fangio is Mike Shanahan, but he certainly hasn’t been given any help by the football gods or his own roster. Hopefully, 2021 will present a better chance for Fangio and company to contend, as 2020 is starting to look more like a wash with each passing game.