2. However, Vic has plenty of growing to do
It’s hard to put the blame of the Broncos’ loss on any one person or group, but Vic Fangio’s situational decision making was questionable at best.
Fangio said in his post-game interview that he “… was in the mode of doing most things aggressively”. However, Sunday’s game didn’t quite prove that he was willing to take the aggressive route at every opportunity.
The most obvious instance was the decision to punt on 4th and 3 with 6:13 left in the 4th quarter. The Broncos were down three points when they punted, and would not get another chance at the football until 1:04 in the 4th.
By this point in the game, the Chiefs had begun to move the ball effectively and were scoring more consistently than they did to start the game. Vic Fangio later stated that he gave “strong consideration” to go for it on 4th down, and said, “in retrospect, we probably should have gone for it”.
Additionally, Fangio’s decision to use a timeout before Brandon McManus’s missed 57-yard field goal was questionable. Wanting to preserve time for his offense, Andy Reid used a timeout to stop the clock after a screen to Noah Fant, leading to a Broncos’ 4th down.
But before lining up for the kick, Vic Fangio used his own timeout, bringing McManus back onto the sideline. McManus has been vocal this season about when he should be allowed to attempt long-distance kicks, so the thought of having another kicking opportunity taken away certainly had to be on McManus’s mind.
Fangio’s decision to use the timeout was baffling and certainly contributed to McManus’s miss. McManus has been one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL this season, and Fangio essentially “icing” his own kicker makes absolutely no sense.
If the Denver Broncos want to win against the elite teams in the NFL including the Chiefs, Vic Fangio must prioritize his game management skills. Fangio has to own his mistakes and rebound from them, just like the rest of his young team. If Vic Fangio can improve his game-management skills, the Denver Broncos will find more wins in the future.