Denver Broncos: 4 takeaways from win over Panthers
By Noah Smith
2. Vic Fangio continues his defensive mastery
Without his top two cornerbacks and a rising star in Essang Bassey, Vic Fangio held Teddy Bridgewater to 283 passing yards with no touchdowns, per ESPN.
Fangio has made due without his starters all season, beginning with a season-ending injury to All-Pro Von Miller one week before the season kickoff. Despite the injuries, Fangio has his unit playing like a top-10 defense, and they showed it today.
Aiding the patchwork secondary was a ferocious pass-rush with 4 sacks on the day. Bridgewater looked uncomfortable in the pocket and was forced into many bad plays by the Broncos’ pass rush.
While the Panthers found their footing in the 4th quarter with the up-tempo passing game, the Broncos’ defense adjusted and eventually closed out the Panthers with an excellent tackle on 4th down by De’Vante Bausby.
It seemingly doesn’t matter who trots out for the Broncos’ defense, Vic Fangio will have them playing at a high level. Fangio is the perfect coach to build a young offense around, as Fangio’s unit can be counted on to produce week in and week out.