Denver Broncos: Big reactions to the loss against the Raiders

2. Vic Fangio’s debut as a head coach

Because of Vic Fangio’s experience as a coach in the NFL, it’s become very easy to forget that he’s a rookie head coach.

Fangio showed some signs of being a rookie head coach, managing the game as well as calling the defense throughout.

The Broncos poorly managed the clock leading into halftime when there was plenty of time on the clock to score, and three timeouts in his pocket.

They had the ball at their own 41 at the two-minute warning, so they really had four chances to stop the clock, and didn’t use any until it was really too little, too late.

Fangio’s defense was also not as advertised. I highly doubt we’ll see many games where Von Miller and Bradley Chubb are as ineffective as they were in this game.

Derek Carr was knitting sweaters between the bombs he was throwing to Tyrell Williams, and the duo of Miller and Chubb was nowhere to be found.

Those two not providing any sort of pass rush was a big reason the Broncos lost this game. Fangio’s zone defense works when that pass rush is working, but it’s easy for QBs to find holes in coverage and win over the short area of the field when the rush isn’t getting there and the defensive backs have a 10-yard cushion all over the place.

Fangio should have pulled young corner Isaac Yiadom relatively early in this game as Yiadom seemed to pick up right where Bradley Roby left off, giving up one big play after another and generally looking overmatched in coverage no matter who he was facing.

Yiadom was picked on by Carr and the Oakland offense all game.

The Broncos gave up too many big plays, didn’t force any turnovers, and got no pressure on the quarterback.

That doesn’t sound like a Vic Fangio defense. It doesn’t even sound like a Vance Joseph defense. It sounds like the Broncos need to go back to the drawing board and find ways to pressure opposing quarterbacks.

It’s easy to critique the Broncos for not having pressure, but credit has to also be given to the Raiders for constantly getting the ball out quick and getting guys out in space.

The Broncos should have adjusted by playing a bit more press but Vic Fangio knows more about defense than I do. But if something’s not working, you have to change it right?

Fangio preached all offseason not losing because his team was giving up inches, but they were giving up a lot more than that in this game.