Denver Broncos: Did Vic Fangio save his job despite Week 13 loss?

Following another loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos dropped to 4-8 on the season.

The Broncos are entering the final stretch of yet another disappointing season and through 28 games as the team’s head coach, Vic Fangio holds an 11-17 record. That’s not horrible, but it’s also far from good.

As a result, there is already a good argument for the team to replace him as head coach following this season. However, the team’s performance against the Chiefs on Sunday night, albeit in defeat, might have saved Fangio from that  fate.

To buy into this theory, you would first have to believe that Fangio is even on the hot seat. There are many who don’t believe that. But for the sake of argument, let’s say that he is (because he should be).

Fangio had his defense ready to face what is the league’s best offense on Sunday night. It’s difficult to  hang with  Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and though the Broncos did give up plenty of yardage, they didn’t give up a ton of points.

The Broncos also went into Arrowhead Stadium and pulled this off and did so following one of the ugliest performances in franchise history the week before against the New Orleans Saints.

It was clear that Fangio and his team came in focused and ready to give the best effort they had all season. They not only held the lead at halftime in this game, but they gave themselves a chance to win it at the end.

That’s about the best you can ask for against a one-loss team on the road.

Fangio’s defensive scheme worked well enough to keep the Chiefs from hitting too many big plays in this game and if the team could ever figure out how to contain Travis Kelce (8 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD), the Broncos could end their long losing streak to the Chiefs.

How did the result help Fangio?

In all likelihood, John Elway really doesn’t want to have to go another head-coaching search. In truth, Vance Joseph should have been fired after his first year in Denver. Elway wanted to give him another season.

He will likely want to extend as much of an opportunity to Fangio and give him at least one more season following this one, unless the team loses out in embarrassing fashion, which is entirely possible as well.

But Elway knows that there is enough talent on this team and he also knows that the Chiefs are the team he needs to find a way to get ahead of if the Broncos are going to contend for a division title anytime soon.

Elway most likely saw just enough out of Sunday’s game to believe that Fangio is not far off from beating the Chiefs.

This game, perhaps more than any game the Broncos have won so far this season, might be the most encouraging to the front office when it comes time to decide if Fangio will return for another season.