Vic Fangio makes a case for why Broncos Country shouldn’t be discouraged

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Like much of Broncos Country, Vic Fangio was “extremely disappointed” following Monday night’s 16-24 loss to the Raiders.

Unlike some of Broncos Country, however, the 61-year-old head coach was not discouraged.

Despite dropping the first game of the season to a 4-12 team from a year ago who dramatically released arguably their best player 50 hours before kickoff, Fangio didn’t lose his faith in the 2019 season.

“If we can just get our points when they are there to be gotten, not get sacked or get penalized out of field goal range,” he said, explaining why he isn’t discouraged, even after starting 0-1. “Our issues offensively were we got in field goal range three times and got knocked back either by a sack or a penalty and couldn’t attempt the field goal… Three drives where we are in field goal range with the wind at our back.”

In fact, after a forgettable three-and-out to start the game by Rich Scangarello’s unit, the Broncos blew their chances at points on the remaining two possessions in the first half.

Down a modest 7-0 early in the second quarter, the Broncos were marching down into Raider territory. Already in position for a 48-yard field goal on 1st-and-10 from Oakland’s 31, Ron Leary took matters into his own hands, drawing a holding penalty and moving the team back 10 yards and out of scoring range.

Just four plays later, however, Denver was right back in field goal range at the Raiders’ 33. But, just as before, that was too good to be true as Joe Flacco was sacked for a loss of 10 and once again pushed out of scoring range.

Fangio was forced to punt and forgo three points he thought he had.

The very next series, it was the same stuff, as parents with children would say. In the final seconds of the first half, Flacco had the offense in scoring range at Oakland’s 36-yard line. But, it was too good to be true as a Noah Fant holding penalty forced Brandon McManus to try a 64-yard field goal.

“We tried the 64-yarder at the half. Another five yards, even another couple yards that thing might have been good,” Fangio said disappointed. “Those were lost points there.”

Vic was right, McManus’ boot came up just yards short. Instead of having some momentum on their side, Denver entered the half with a goose egg on the board.

In the head coach’s eyes, it’s not that Denver couldn’t put points up against the Raiders, it’s that the Broncos couldn’t get out of their own way.

Additionally, despite losing Ja’Wuan James for the game—on the same play Leary knocked Denver out of field goal range with his holding penalty—the Broncos’ offensive line found some momentum in the second half.

“I think they hung in there pretty good,” Fangio said, when asked about the offensive line after James’ injury. “We actually started running the ball better in the second half, made some big plays in the passing game.”

Another area that heated up as the game went on, especially in the second half, was Emmanuel Sanders. Arguably Denver’s most important offensive player outside of Flacco had a whopping one catch for six yards entering half time.

One catch for six yards.

But that drastically changed in the second half as he ended with five catches for 86 yards and hauled in Denver’s lone touchdown on the night.

Fangio blamed Sanders’ slow start on the recovery process from his torn Achilles last December.

“[He’s] fighting the fatigue part because he’s not—through his injury and lack of practice time, he’s still working to get into football shape to play every play,” the head coach stated on Tuesday. “I thought he had a good game… I think he’ll improve weekly.”

Fangio and the Broncos will need to get their issues fixed quickly because Broncos fans are just about ready to smash the panic button.